A violin virtuoso’s electrifying performance
Irene Marcos-Araneta played a gracious host, presenting a violin virtuoso in a performance at her home in Forbes Park, Makati, Aug. 17. The soiree was preceded by a sumptuous merienda cena for the listeners that counted musicians and music lovers, among others.
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) president Kaye Tiñga and CCP board of trustees vice chair Carissa Coscolluela led the audience, many of whom are musicians and associated with classical music. Among them are Federico R. Lopez, who founded the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth that Gerard Salonga conducted; virtuoso violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr; violin pedagogues Gina Medina and DJ Salonga; Bernice Go of the Filipino String Teachers’ Association; bassoon pedagogue Ariel Perez, and opera singers Pablo and Camille Lopez-Molina, among others.
A full-grand Steinway graced the spacious living room that served as intimate venue for the performance. This piano, said the amiable host, was a gift by the late piano virtuoso Van Cliburn.
Superb technique
Kristine Clair “KayCee” Uchi Galano made her presence felt when she went center stage, and announced the program that she will perform. At once, she cut a gracious presence when she etched the slow movement of Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005. Here, one marveled at her ability to play those stacked up notes through her superb bowing technique. All the more, listening became engaging when she played those mind-boggling counterpoints that indeed only a virtuoso could justly execute.
Familiar strains were heard when she played the folk song “Bahay Kubo,” as arranged formidably by virtuoso violinist Gilopez Kabayao. The theme was indeed, very familiar, until ensuing variations that the violinist played with outstanding agility and bravura.
At this point, Galano had established herself as a violinist of the first order. Her intonation was full; tones brilliant and clear, and her sense of musicality was of the first order. She combined technical virtuosity and musicality with astounding adeptness. And she played with utmost sincerity. Listening was a pure, aural bliss.
She capped her solo violin rendition with Eugene Ysaye’s Sonata in D minor, Op. 27, No. 3, a one-movement ballade that was written for George Enescu, who taught Yehudi Menuhin. Galano leapt through the first movement, in the slow movement and proceeded in the concluding last movement with animated virtuosity. Here she etched those virtuosic passages that were made up of rapid triplets, and passages in double stops, with elan.
Enticingly haunting
There was no let up until she reached the end, expressed in ascending double-stops with agile precision. A thunderous applause ensued and the audience remained simply electrified.
The ensuing numbers were played in collaboration with the piano. Galano’s brother, Kristiann Lloyd, sat on the piano and provided tight collaboration. Paganini’s “Cantabile” was an engaging tour de force, as it veered away from virtuosity to simple tuneful aria or song that the listener could follow. Galano made the violin sing enticingly haunting. It was followed by another love ditty from the local Tin Pan Alley, the immortal “Bituing Walang Ningning” by Willy Cruz.
All the more a romantic-nostalgic mood hovered when Chopin’s “Nocturne No.20 in C sharp minor,” arranged by N. Milstein, was played. Everyone listened attentively as the Galano dished out those melancholic strains, with her brother on the piano providing sensitive collaboration.
Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor Op. 28 closed the program. Here, Galano once more displayed her virtuosic might in those arresting syncopated arpeggios and fast chromatic passages.
A thunderous applause greeted her at the end. Indefatigable, she encored “Amazing Grace” as arranged by Ning Kam.
Galano’s story of how she started learning the violin was simply unbelievable. During the merienda cena the conversation centered on her, as she seemed not to have grown up in Manila. Her family stayed in Brunei, and she learned the rudiments of violin playing through Skype.
Now she is a Doctor of Musical Arts student at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Kurt Sassmanshaus. She has performed at the Carnegie Hall, and had played concertos with orchestras in Europe, China and North America. Here in Manila, she was soloist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under then Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura, and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra with the dynamic conductor Gerard Salonga.
Medina, DMA, who was in the audience, was all in praise for the youthful violinist. She said she was simply ”awed by the sincerity of her playing that focused on the music and without trying to impress the listeners.” Galano’s technique, she continued, was formidable and her artistry, genuine!
Undeniably, Galano’s performance was electrifying. A virtuoso of the first order, here’s hoping she will perform more in Manila.
