Things to get you stoking: What to expect in PTGP's Forte @ 40

With barely 2 weeks left until the PTGP's much-awaited Forte @ 40 concert, more people are finding themselves increasingly psyched up for this budding mega event. What has previously been grapevine information transmitted via hushed undertones is now a full-blown hype that's taking traditional and social media by storm.

Looks like everyone's stoked ... and rightfully so.

Just so the buildup doesn't come across as a vain attempt to oversell the whole thing, here's a rundown of the pretty cool things to expect come November 18 (and ostensibly, reasons why it should NOT be missed):

1) It features 40 pianos. Enough said.

And when you thought the 10 pianos in UST's annual "Sampung Mga Daliri" wasn't ambitious enough, try chocking up 40 in CCP Main Theater's stage. A concert of this magnitude is previously unheard of in our country; heck, it was even thought of to be impracticable at the very least! Well guess what? PTGP pushed the envelope to put all these qualms to rest. The sheer boldness of this undertaking had many people approaching me with manifest uncertainty and asking, "Hey Ludwig, is this concert even possible? How the hell would they fit 40 pianos in a single stage?"

I'd just shrug my shoulders and say, "Well, you better attend the concert to find out."

2) Piano-rapping eight year olds and stage-rocking grannies.

Yep. And a whole army of 'em too.

Apparently, PTGP wasn't bluffing when it claimed to round up as much as 300 pianists just for this concert.  And because the event celebrates four decades of piano pedagogy excellence, expect a conglomeration of only the best home-grown pianists available.

Audiences will get to see bigwigs such as the likes Dr. Raul Sunico, Harold Galang, and Fr. Manuel Maramba. And of course, expect a LOT of wunderkinds whose skills border the unreal. (This coming from an embittered 21-year old who can barely clunk chopsticks on the keyboard.)

3) Great, great music from divergent musical styles

Whether you're a faithful Mozartian classicist or a hardcore '90s rock connoisseur, you're sure to enjoy as this concert promises to dish out numbers that slake each one's discriminating musical tastes.

The repertoire consists of ten pieces that well represent Baroque, Classical, 20th century, Pop, and Filipino styles. I, for one, am particularly looking forward to watching Ryan Cayabyab's "Pop Medley."  With its lush harmonies that are distinctively Cayabyab and its dazzling display of virtuosity, this piece is truly a joy to behold.

One of the most interesting pieces lined up for the concert is "Contagion," a fantasy ensemble piece for eight pianos based on Nirvana's 1991 chart-topping hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." This magnum opus is penned by Kabaitan Bautista, a young up-and-coming Filipino composer whose flair for the avante-garde turned this headbanger anthem into a pianistic masterpiece.

The main course, however, remains to be the world premiere of Augusto Espino's "Mga Gintong Pamana."  Commissioned by the PTGP solely for this commemorative event, it is, according to the words of PTGP President Anthony Y. Say, "the finale and the most complex work [in the entire repertoire] as it is a compilation of Filipino works that were handed down to the succeeding generation and which we will be handling down to the next generation.”

4) Memories to last a lifetime.

At this point, I ask you to puh-lease cut me some slack for ending on such a sappy note.  After all, if not for anything else, this IS a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  It is an event that will be the meat of colloquies for the years to come; and much like any other "rare opportunity," it is something that when let past, can never be brought back again.

'Til then, we can only hope for a concert sequel featuring 50 pianos.  But since I'm no Madam Auring, I won't be taking any chances and I WILL watch this show by hook or by crook.

To order your tickets, call TICKETWORLD at (+63 2) 891-9999 or visit Ticketworld.com.ph.