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| Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion |
Spellbound! This was the reaction of the enchanted A-list audience during the “Gershwin in Concerto in F” concert held recently at the Santuario de La Salle, Bacolod.
The audience, composed of the city’s literati, glitterati and culturati, sat in rapt attention all throughout the concert, that began with the awesome sounds of the 56-member Metro Manila Concert Orchestra (how young they were!), brilliantly conducted by maestro Josefino Chino Toledo. I was told that you would need a minimum of 55 players because of the instrumentations required for the Gershwin concerto.
Their majestic rendition of the Pambansang Awit was absolutely superb, making us all feel justifiably proud of our national anthem. From then on, we were caught under the spell of their repertoire of Philippine airs, Harry Potter Suite, selections from the Phantom of the Opera and Overture from Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide”.
A hush fell on the audience as the lovely star of the show, pianist Cristine Coyiuto, made her entrance in a shimmering fully-beaded aquamarine gown which was perfectly enhanced by her glittering diamond drop earrings as the ladies in the audience whispered a collective, “Wow!
With a dazzling display of dexterity, Cristine launched into the first movement as we were swept through the fascinating sounds of Gershwin’s composition rich with jazz inflections, Charleston rhythm and blues. The crowd was transfixed and the atmosphere electric as the concerto wove its magic. The artist played with masterful brilliance, marvelous intensity and when so required, an almost tender delicacy. We could see how passionate she was about her music as we watched the expression written on her face with her eyes closed.
As the last notes ended, a euphoric audience roared into cacophonic approval as they gave her a standing ovation amid shouts of, “More! More!” With a radiant smile, Cristine gave her encore number, “Embraceable You”, sending the romantics in the crowd into a different stratosphere.
What a performance! Bravo!
