My Musical Experience of PPO Sunset at Makiling

Classical music is considered for the ones with cultured taste. I am also considered one but I have only few favorite selections. I was already oriented by another blogger about his experiences in Phil. Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) Sunsets at Makiling and it got me intrigued.

PPO usually has their performances at Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) but they also have yearly performances at Tanghalang Maria Makiling at National Arts Center. I am drawn by the idea of PPO playing classic selections at the foot of the Mount Makiling as the sun sets in the horizon.

Usually, performances at CCP are for the rich because they are costly. But this is the time where CCP gives to the community quality performances for free in one of their outreach performances outside the Metro.

Each year, PPO Sunsets at Makiling have different selections and themes. But this time, it is about opera. Just like you, I am one of those people who do not have opera in their music selections in their devices but the purpose of this is to orient people about the arts including opera.

Mr. Andrew Fernando is the vocal director of the event. I got to meet him years ago because of common acquaintances at church. For the first time, Mr. Fernando said, that PPO will perform for students who studied and trained for opera. Not the professional ones and they are also diverse because they come from different schools besides UP and UST Conservatories.

Usually, opera is done in closed auditoriums and stages because opera singers are trained to sing even without microphone. Mr. Fernando said that the acoustics of the venue is good but since it is open air atmosphere, it requires breaking their discipline by using microphones.

But what I didn’t expect was that the classical selections played during the program are familiar to me because they are used as musical scores in movies or TV shows many times. The most familiar was the one they performed on encore which was “The William Tell Overture” which is associated in popular culture as “The Lone Ranger theme”.

I am glad I was able to experience this in the Los Banos atmosphere at the foot of Mt. Makiling. What I like about this setting was that you don't need to dressed up formally like in CCP. You just enjoy the outdoors and picnic with the family while the music is playing. There must be something magical with the place that has an effect for the performances held here. I admit I learn something new with classical and opera music and I could develop my taste with this.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Maestro Heminigildo Ranera. The PPO Sunsets Concert is brought to you by C.C.P. and the Filipinas Opera Society. This is the 2^nd concert of the Imelda Ongsiako Cojungco Concert Series. For more CCP events, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.