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Classical music
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continuing education of Peter John Porticos By Pablo A. Tariman BERLIN-BASED Filipino pianist Peter John Porticos says he has nothing against pop music. "I love it," he clarifies. "From Berlin, I went to Hamburg several times to watch the musical, 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame." That's how comfortable I am with the elements of pop music." Classical music Having said his piece, he clarifies that he took up music at UST and studied with Leonor Kilayko and Manuel Maramba and went on to enroll at the Hochschule fuer Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin under Walter Olbertz to pursue the edifying art called classical music. Needless to say, he knows what he is getting into in terms of career and future income, and the risk of being part of a threatened minority in music. "There are many pianists in Berlin and competition is really stiff," he pointed out. "But in this field, I feel I shouldn't compete with others. I only compete with myself. This is the advantage of being abroad. One learns new things not only from one's field of endeavor, but from life itself. "You discover a lot about yourself away from the comforts of your own home. Learning a new language and how to assimilate yourself in a society totally different from yours is quite an experience. You learn to accept people for what they are. I love Berlin and I am really happy in that place." After learning German, the education of Peter John Porticos then started in the temples of the arts in Berlin. Opera houses Where he lives and studies, three major opera houses and 150 concert halls surround him. Each day, he has a choice of 10 to 15 classical concerts! Three years ago, he had the privilege of watching 10 great pianists (Christian Zimmerman, Alicia de la Rocha, Murray Perahia, Emmanuel Ax, Yevgeny Kissin, Radu Lupu, Daniel Barenboim, Mauricio Pollini, Alfred Brendel and Martha Argerich) over a period of six months! On top of that, he got to see two Filipino colleagues in several acclaimed performances. "I saw Andion (Fernandez) as Hansel in a performance of 'Hansel and Gretel' at the Deutche Oper, and two oratorios (two 'Passions of John and Matthew') with our very own Jonathan Zaens. One European engagement he couldn't forget was when he played in Ceiji in Slovenia with several artists and he opened the program with the very demanding Liszt sonata. Pianist's nightmare In the middle of the exploration of the piece, he felt flashbulbs all over the stage and one photographer actually clambered onstage and took his pictures facing the audience. "Flashbulbs are a pianist's nightmare," he said. "Without concentration, you could get lost and strike the wrong chords." Tonight, Peter performs with soprano Andion Fernandez, baritone Jonathan Zaens and pianist Abelardo Galang II at the Philamlife Theater. He explains the fine points of the seldom-played Chopin piece he will perform with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under Rodel Colmenar: "The 'Andante Spianato' and 'Grand Polonaise Brillante','' he explains, "was written in the early Paris years of Chopin. The composer was in a euphoric state when he wrote the piece. Paris welcomed him with open arms and considered him one of the finest artists in the capital. Effective "I am playing the seldom-played version for piano and orchestra, which is not a far cry from the solo version. The orchestra parts are rather spare but very effective." What does he want to achieve in a performance on top of playing well? "Maybe something else, like sincerity in conveying the intentions of the composer and that of the performer," he said. "The purely show-off type of performance does not touch me. A performer's task it to show how beautiful the music is, and not how good he plays or sings." |