Music lovers had a rare musical treat of Filipino zarzuelas and opera by the UP Symphony Orchestra Friday night (Nov. 8) at the state university theater in Diliman.
Conducted by Chino Toledo, the university orchestra revealed some shining moments with a good chorus and distinguished soloists.
The overture from Mozart’s Magic Flute hinted grand opera of the magical kind, the UP Symphonic Chorus brought back the glorious days of the zarzuela with opening scene from Paglipas Ng Dilim by Leon Ignacio. There is a historic aural glimpse in the rendering of Marcha Germinales from Pilipinas Circa 1907 by Jose Estela.
For the opera lovers, there was Wagner’s Overture from Tanhauser, a chorus from Carmen and Aida and that ravishing quartet from Rigoletto.
The soloists revealed various state of vocal disposition. Krissan Manikan Tan negotiated an aria from Adriana Lecouvreur (Acerba voluttà) with ease with just a hint of her mezzo sound but redeeming herself with a dose of good acting. Baritone Lionel Guico sang and acted with ease in Largo al Factotum from Barber of Seville.
But the runaway winners were tenor Ervin Lumauag and soprano Angeli Benipayo in their arias from Gounod’s Romeo et Juliet (Je Veux Vivre and Ah! Leve-toi Soleil!).
Their voices were in perfect shape and the high notes thrilled as they edified in the middle register.
Toledo conducted with ease and competence, the chorus delivered and there was a bit of nostalgia as the concert ended with the singing of Abelardo’s UP Naming Mahal.
The backstage suspense was that soprano Angeli Benipayo took the place of a vocally indisposed Stefanie Quintin just three days before the concert.
It was a good thing Benipayo has sung all the arias and zarzuela numbers meant for Quintin. “I just gave it everything I have, joined the last-minute rehearsals and reassured myself, ‘Bahala na si Batman.’”
But before her Friday night triumph, Benipayo was doing two concerts in Baguio City, one of which was with tenor Arthur Espiritu.
Again, Benipayo acquitted herself with aplomb.
Benipayo with Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra
Then she has to audition again for a music festival in Vietnam which she passed.
In a week’s time after passing the audition, she was at the Hanoi Opera House singing with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji.
Benipayo recalled the pressure of the audition: “The screening was very tough and their standards were high. The search for singers was nation-wide and there were two rounds – one video and another one live audition. The last round was interview in Vietnam Youth Music Institute. I sang Ach ich fühls and Susanna’s Deh Vieni non Tardar from Le Nozze di Figaro.”
A few days later, she got an email that she passed the screening and her role was Pamina in Magic Flute.
She felt that engagement was really for her as she hurdled some screening requirements. They waived the application fee to be deposited in a Vietnamese bank and they agreed to listen to her earlier performances instead of her going to Vietnam just for the live audition.
The big help came from Vietnamese soprano Loan Dao To. They both competed in the 2018 Singapore Lyric Opera Competition. The Vietnamese won first place and Benipayo won fifth place.
And so, her festival engagement at the Hanoi Opera House with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra happened without a hitch.
She liked the Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji instantly in the first rehearsals. “I’ve witnessed moments during rehearsal when he would always remind the orchestra to listen to the singer and be sensitive. He would say, ‘we are here to follow the singer. The singer is not going to follow us.’ He is strict with the tempo and knows the music by heart but he’s opens to suggestions from soloists. He is always there to support, wait for your rubatos and sustenatos and fermatas.”
Another Vietnamese artist who helped her was spinto soprano Ha Pham Thang Long considered the best opera teacher in Vietnam at the moment. “I had private lesson with her and it was mind-blowing. I learned a lot from her. She helped me understand the ‘snarl’ position where I am supposed to resonate my voice, covering the brighter tones and giving more body to my current sound.”
She fell in love with Vietnam but her stint with UP Symphony she found very exhilarating.
More engagements coming up.
Benipayo will sing Mozart’s sacred arias with the Manila Symphony Nov. 27, a soloist in Handel’s Messiah Dec. 4 and 5 and the Pasipo Christmas concert on Dec. 10, 13 and 14.
“I heard Magic Flute will be staged in full in Vietnam with the singers from the recently concluded music festival at the Hanoi Opera House. I hope it happens with me still in it.”
