‘Gabi ng Piyano Konsiyertong Pilipino,’ with pianist Raul Sunico as soloist and the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) conducted by Jeffrey Solares and Herminigildo Ranera, features three piano concertos by Filipino composers.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR - Baby A. Gil - The Philippine Star
February 11, 2025 | 12:00am
When the bravos and the applause died down, remarks of “amazing, ang galing, astounding, what a show, parang nuong nanalo si Carlos Yulo, so proud of Filipino music” and even a loud “magnificent” followed.
That was last Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila. They were talking about “Gabi ng Piyano Konsiyertong Pilipino,” where pianist Raul Sunico as soloist and the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), conducted by Jeffrey Solares and Herminigildo Ranera, performed three piano concertos by Filipino composers.
Sunico, looking deceptively relaxed, had strong but nimble fingers expressively traipsing through lyrical and pounding passages with ease. Solares and Ranera stood their ground, leading the 56-strong MSO in involving conversations with the pianist. It was an incredible interchange.
But Sunico, Ranera and Solares, plus the MSO, should not let all the bravos go to their heads. All those happened because they were given the privilege of performing those concertos that most of us did not even know existed. This is why the evening was also a time for discovery.
These were the Piano Concerto No. 2, “Maharlika” from 1973 by Lucino Sacramento, which Sunico himself premiered 52 years ago; the Piano Concerto No. 1, “Celebration” from 1976 by Alfredo Buenaventura; and the Piano Concerto in B-flat minor from 1924 by Francisco Santiago.
Sunico, looking deceptively relaxed, has strong but nimble fingers expressively traipsing through lyrical and pounding passages with ease.
Pinoys can write concertos like those? Yes, they did, and hopefully they still do. I have not heard of any new ones lately. Take note of the years when those masterworks were composed. They all come from a long time ago. In fact, the B-flat minor by Santiago is already a hundred years old. It is as old as Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” It is younger than any of the Rachmaninoff’s but older than Ravel’s G-major.
Lucino Sacramento’s Piano Concerto No. 2, ‘Maharlika’ from 1973, gets resurrected during the ‘Gabi ng Piyano Konsiyertong Pilipino.’ Other featured concertos at the Metropolitan Theater are Alfredo Buenaventura’s ‘Celebration’ from 1976; and Francisco Santiago’s Piano Concerto in B-flat minor from 1924.
This means that while those titles were being written, Pinoys were already at the forefront of the game, composing their own concertos and from what I heard at “Konsiyerto,” Santiago’s B-flat can stand side by side with all those famous ones. That also goes for the “Maharlika” and the “Celebration.”
Given the Filipino’s well-known flair for music, why are those concertos not famous? One was lost for a century but the other two were seldom or were never performed. Sunico mentioned that he must have done “Maharlika” five times in 50 years. “Celebration” was performed at Carnegie Hall with Regalado Jose conducting but not in recent years.
Music has to be heard to continue to stay alive. Otherwise, they become forgotten and die. “Konsiyerto” resurrected these masterpieces. It is now up to us to keep them alive. Maybe we should request visiting pianists to play these concertos in their shows. Better yet, maybe our pianists who have built a name abroad should also make it a point to include Filipino works in their repertoire.
Come to think of it, I heard US-based pianist Victor Asuncion play a very good Rachmaninoff but has he ever played a Filipino concerto? What about the famous Cecile Licad, does she have a Filipino concerto in her repertoire?
Anyway, Buenaventura, a sprightly and quick-witted 96-year-old revealed in an interview that he has three more piano concertos at home just waiting to be performed. He is hopeful this will happen soon. It should, although it costs a lot to mount an orchestral performance.
Hopefully, there are people out there who believe in the greatness of the Filipino artist. Maybe they can share their largesse with the music arts by helping put together another “Konsiyerto” event where Buenaventura’s concertos and those by other composers, plus still hidden symphonies, sonatas, operas, whatever, will finally be performed for the public.
