PPO VIII: Mahler's Fifth

So why must you watch PPO's 2012-2013 season finale?

Two words: MAHLER's FIFTH. Enough said.

On April 4, 2013, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), under the baton of Olivier Ochanine, will cap off its 30th season with a concert billed as "Mahler's Fifth."  This is a momentous occasion for me, as it marks the end of my first season as a PPO regular (if I could actually call myself that). So this coming Friday, by hook or by crook, I'd be at CCP's Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo before 8PM to witness this once-in-a-lifetime performance by my favorite local orchestra.

For the past weeks, Maestro Ochanine has been stoking everyone's interest with Facebook posts which dropped several hints regarding the concert's program. I now know that Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony (the concert's namesake and centerpiece) is one of the most revered masterpiece in the entire orchestral music literature.  At over an hour in length, it is by no means an amateur's piece. In a Facebook post, Maestro Ochanine expressed his awe at the sheer grandeur of the work, stating: "I feel extremely lucky. This work is sublime. I feel unworthy, yet am excited to give it the best I can give." 

"The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will dazzle concertgoers with this one for sure," he added.

For what it's worth, I am most excited to hear the symphony's 4th movement, the "Adagietto." It's probably the most exquisite piece of music my ears have ever heard and it never fails to bring me eargasms each time I play it. I can't wait to hear it live, just because I don't think I'll be able to hold back them tears once they get to the most dramatic part.

I heard Herbert von Karajan, the great Austrian conductor, once said that "a great performance of the Fifth is a transforming experience." I guess that could count a another reason for people to hear the PPO play Mahler's Fifth: to have a shot at transforming their dreary lives. I kid, of course. Then again, that might also be one of my reasons, so who knows?

Another factor which got me really pumped up for this concert is Gabriel Allan Paguirigan, an up-and-coming concert pianist who I hold in high regard. I've had the honor of watching him play Camille Saint-Saëns' piano concerto no. 2 in G minor last August, and I can't wait to watch him tangle fingers with Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto no. 2 in A major this coming Friday. He was chosen to be the guest soloist for the concert after he won in the 2013 Young Pianist Competition held last March 6, 2013, besting some of the country's best young pianists for the coveted spot.

Gabriel Allan Paguirigan
Image credit: NiceyArafiles.com

Apart from the abovementioned pieces, the PPO will also be playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Overture to Cossì Fan Tutte.  

Tickets are available at P1,000, P800, P500, P350, and P200, with discounts available to students, senior citizens and groups. Earlier this week, Maestro Ochanine announced that as a special promotion for the PPO's 2012-2013 finale, those who will purchase tickets at regular prices will be allowed to bring a companion for free.

For inquiries, call the CCP Marketing Department at tel. 832-1125 loc. 1806; CCP Box Office (832-3704) or Ticketworld at 891-9999.