Spellbinding performance of tenor Arthur Espiritu as Prince Ramiro with the all-male choir, Aleron. Photo by Anna Leah Sarabia.By Pablo A. Tariman, VERA Files
Rossini’s La Cenerentola made its Philippine debut Saturday night (August 15, 2015) at the Meralco Theater with a cheering crowd who loved opera’s retelling of Cinderella with another twist: no overbearing stepmother, no missing golden slippers.
Instead we are treated to a tale of the bracelet which ultimately sealed the love of the prince and the commoner.
For one, there were no sets and elaborate costumes.
Mounted in concert form, the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Darrell Ang shared the stage with the cast namely Arthur Espiritu (Don Ramiro), Karin Mushegain (Angelina as Cinderella), Noel Azcona (Don Magnifico), Byeong-in-Park (Dandini), Ronnie Abarquez (|Alindoro), Myramae Meneses (Clorinda) along with the Aleron All-Male choir.
: Maestro Darrell Ang, Cenerentola herself (Karin Mushegain) and tenor Arthur Espiritu field questions from the press.By Elizabeth Lolarga, VERA Files
Photos by Anna Leah Sarabia
THE cast and music directors of La Cenerentola promise not to change a thing that Gioachino Rossini had written in his opera. Well, maybe skip parts or let the voice of the storyteller take over but to change to make it easier for the human voice? No way, if Maestro Darrell Ang can help it.
Even young mezzo soprano Karin Mushegain, playing the title role of oppressed stepsister Angelina (a.k.a. Cenerentola) and who done the part more than 30 times in various opera houses abroad, said, “For the Manila audience, I wouldn’t change a thing: the glory of Rossini’s music in all its splendour must be revealed, layer by layer, note by note!”
Written when Rossini was in his mid-20s, La Cenerentola has a million notes and tongue-twisting lyrics. It presents a challenge to any seasoned classical musician, including instrumentalists.
Arthur and Christina Espiritu aboard a Philippine Navy ship to bring relief goods to Llorente, Samar.Tenor Arthur Espiritu and his wife, Christina, are in Llorente, Eastern Samar to distribute the truckload of goods they have gathered from friends to the victims of typhoon Yolanda.
Why Llorente?
Llorente is one of the municipalities badly hit by Yolanda but has not been reported as prominently as Tacloban. Christina is from that place.
The Espiritus left Manila last Saturday late afternoon. From Arthur’s Facebook post, it has not been an easy journey, by water and by land.
Arthur posted that that they were in Bulan Port in Sorsogon Sunday waiting for their truck to be loaded together with more than 20 other trucks. While waiting, they enjoyed the pier scenery. One was people watching the Pacquiao-Rios fight. “Everyone was there. It’s really fun to see Pinoys come together when there’s a Pacquiao fight.”
Later, Arthur, the only Filipino tenor who has sang at La Scala, the world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy, reported that they were finally loading the trucks.”Christina Espiritu is happy,” he said. He counted more blessing: “Yehey. Still have signal while on ship.”
His next post was when they were approaching San Isidro port in Northern Samar: “We came in at 4:30 pm then engine failed. Stuck about 1 km away from shore. Then got power back but it was high tide already. Ramp was too high for trucks to disembark. Now we have to sleep in the ship till 4 am which is low tide. Then we could go. Problem is, all the restaurants and markets around are closed. Just diet for now w peanuts and skyflakes and coffee. Staying strong.”
Cecile LicadThe typhoon that killed hundreds in the Visayan region elicited shock and an outpouring of sympathy from the country’s leading performing artists.
“It is horribly sad,” said pianist Cecile Licad who expressed willingness to participate in any fundraising concert. The pianist once again received standing ovations for her performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Hawaii Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony in Texas.
Another artist who wanted to cheer typhoon victims is violinist Cho Liang Lin who has forthcoming engagements with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan and the symphony orchestras of Detroit, San Antonio, and Shanghai. He wrote to Licad saying how deeply he was touched by the plight of typhoon victims. “If there are events that I can help to cheer the victims, please let me know. I am in!” the noted violinist said.
Update: Press briefing of Secretary Rene Almendras and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa on efforts for Yolanda victims. http://www.gov.ph/2013/11/13/summary-of-the-press-briefing-of-secretaries-almendras-ochoa-and-ndrrmc-on-relief-operations-for-typhoon-yolanda-november-13-2013/ Artists are also doing their share. World…
Tenor Arthur Espiritu with pianist Najib IsmaelLike it or not, bel canto (the art of beautiful singing) is the most-quoted word in the opera circle.
Teachers brandish it as though it were a vocal talisman and some students think it is the key to instant vocal stardom.
If you are active in the conservatory circuit, you realize very few singers live up to it. A few sing to impress, not to communicate. Still many relish the bravura moments in Puccini and Verdi arias and end up doing the opposite of bel canto.
For lack of solid technique compounded by bad teachers, some students — who wanted to absorb the angelic resonance of bel canto — end up as pedestrian singers who think acting can cover up for a singing style way below the standard of how it should sound.
The truth is bel canto is better heard than lectured.
“An Evening of Bel Canto” — the closing season concert of the MCO Foundation, Inc. heard at the Ayala Museum last Saturday — gave that special audience the essential, if, substantial qualities of the art of beautiful singing.
Arthur Espiritu in a CCP Master ClassBy Charmaine Deogracias, VERA Files
When the Cultural Center of the Philippines launched master classes last year as part of their artist education program, it was honored by no less than world-class Filipino artist, Arthur Espiritu. Not only was it CCP’s first voice masterclass offer, it was also a rare first to have a tenor conduct a masterclass.
A voice master class which is an expert’s one-on-one coaching session with advanced students in performance and technique, is most often conducted by sopranos. But for the Philippines and the Filipino artists, Espiritu gamely trained students from different conservatories who were mostly sopranos.
Melissa Corazon Mantaring, Head of Music Division of the Performing Arts of CCP’s Artist Training said it was a privilege and an honor that a sought-after,internationally-renowned tenor took time out to train the country’s potential opera singers in their first master class for voice.
Tenor Arthur Espiritu in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Comfortable in Rossini's danger spots. A full-length Barber of Seville by Rossini opens at the CCP Friday night until Saturday with opera lovers focused on the Count Almaviva of Arthur Espiritu who is the first Filipino tenor to sing at La Scala di Milan.
With soprano Rachelle Gerodias as Rosina, Barber of Seville is the first comic opera seen at the CCP after more than a decade. The less-heralded Don Giovanni by Mozart staged at the CCP in the mid-90s would have been a good introduction to the genre. But as it turned out, Don Giovanni had some opera lovers walking out even before the opera’s last arias were heard.
All eyes of course will also be on the PPO ex-music director, Ruggero Barbieri who figured in an earlier Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the CCP, followed by Don Giovanni (1999) and Il Trovatore in Singapore (2001)
Last week Espiritu was back as Alfredo in Verdi’s opera, “La Traviata.” I missed it but friends who were privileged to watch it said, as usual, he was superb.
He is currently conducting Master Classes at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.For inquiries, please contact the CCP Artist Training Division at 832-1125 loc. 1604-1605.
He will be back to perform in “Barber of Seville” at the CCP very soon.
That is something to watch out for.
Filipino-American tenor Arthur Espiritu’s enthralling performances are proof of the power of simplicity.
It’s beautiful singing that is pure talent and superior technique. It’s no wonder that he made it to the La Scala de Milan, the first Philippine- born tenor to have graced what is considered the hallowed altar of operas.
