Nicanor Abelardo - First Nocturne - Enzo

[emill]

Please allow us to share this piece by Filipino composer Nicanor Abelardo which for me is "hauntingly" beautiful.  Even for a non-pianist like me, I can sense Chopin's influence on this piece.  This was played by Lorenzo during his February 2013 recital.

Any comments or observations will be most welcome.  Thanks for watching and listening.

[ted]

"Maganda !" exclaimed my wife while I was listening. "What is that ?" Strange eh ? She usually ignores most things I play or listen to. She pricked up her ears right away. Perhaps there is a communicable Filipino musical soul after all. Enzo plays it beautifully. May he continue to embrace more Philippine music and perhaps create his own. Chopin ? Yes, a bit I suppose, but mostly not. The Philippines doesn't need to bow to Europe musically. Let's hear more of this exquisite stuff.

Nice barong tagalog too by the way.

[costicina]

GORGEOUS!!!!!!  The piece, and Enzo'performance. He's going to break a lot of girls' hearts playing like that!!!  Thank you for sharing this gem, of course I didn't know the composert...

[emill]

"Maganda !" exclaimed my wife while I was listening. "What is that ?" Strange eh ? She usually ignores most things I play or listen to. She pricked up her ears right away. Perhaps there is a communicable Filipino musical soul after all. Enzo plays it beautifully. May he continue to embrace more Philippine music and perhaps create his own. Chopin ? Yes, a bit I suppose, but mostly not. The Philippines doesn't need to bow to Europe musically. Let's hear more of this exquisite stuff.

Nice barong tagalog too by the way.

hello TED ......   THANKS and that was very nice to hear about Mrs. Ted's reaction.  I have always believed that there is a distinct Filipino musical soul and have seen and felt it in many gatherings here when Lorenzo plays a Filipino composition among the Chopins and Beethovens .....  it always generates a warmer and more genuine applause and appreciation even among the young Filipino crowd who have never heard of such compositions .... as if some dormant melody within them had been awakened.  I hope Enzo takes up more Filipino compositions.

GORGEOUS!!!!!!  The piece, and Enzo'performance. He's going to break a lot of girls' hearts playing like that!!!  Thank you for sharing this gem, of course I didn't know the composert...

hi Marg.....  THANKS!!!   but the "trouble" with Lorenzo is he is such a silent and serious guy even in "love" that I would feel he will be the one more heartbroken.... but if you meant the way he played will cause heartbreaks .... perhaps!!! ... then I would like to be in his place.   At the rate I am playing the piano the only thing I will be breaking will be eardrums!!!    
THANKS!!!!

 

[ajspiano]

he is such a silent and serious guy

When used in combination with art, you can be sure that sooner or later girls will be left weak at the knees due to all the mystery... 

Incidently, most of the girls that took an interest in me when I was that age were ones that I didn't talk to at all..  they just followed me around giggling..   the ones I talked (tried) to seemed to be put off more than anything else :/

[rachfan]

Hi emill,

Bravo to Enzo!  That was an extraordinary performance of a most beautiful nocturne. Lately I've been searching through the output of the so-called neo-romanticists of our own time, and have yet to find ravishing beauty as found in this opulent music of Abelardo.  It's very lush, serene and passionate. The Philippines is truly blessed to have such a composer of this caliber and accomplishment in its midst.

I hope that Enzo can play more of this music for us in the future.  He plays and communicates it so well!

David

[emill]

When used in combination with art, you can be sure that sooner or later girls will be left weak at the knees due to all the mystery... 

Words of WISDOM?!!

Bravo to Enzo!  That was an extraordinary performance of a most beautiful nocturne. Lately I've been searching through the output of the so-called neo-romanticists of our own time, and have yet to find ravishing beauty as found in this opulent music of Abelardo.  It's very lush, serene and passionate. The Philippines is truly blessed to have such a composer of this caliber and accomplishment in its midst.

I hope that Enzo can play more of this music for us in the future.  He plays and communicates it so well!

David

Thanks for the generous words of encouragement ......  and
YES, as Ted suggested there are really some beautiful and excellent compositions on this side of the world which remain to the disseminated to a larger audience. Unfortunately there are many factors that prevent it from happening.  One is that those in the position to do so (prominent Filipino pianists based in the US and Europe), for reasons not clear to me,  seem to shy away from playing these "native" compositions.   I hope if Enzo ever gets to their level someday .... he will do it differently.  THANKS!!

[awesom_o]

emill,
This is beautiful and accomplished playing indeed! What a piece. Thank you for sharing-I have never heard it before.

Lorenzo has been taught very well-he constantly produces a refined sound picture, with a deep, singing melody, and well-balanced accompanying material. His use of the pedal is well developed-he understands that there are many levels of pedaling, rather than it being simply an on-and-off kind of thing. Good pedaling helps him create a lush tone without blurring the harmonies inadvertently. His hands move efficiently at the keyboard, and his arms operate freely and fluidly.

How many years has he been playing?

Without knowing the piece well I cannot offer much in the way of helpful advice. He has a good intuitive understanding of how we create the effect of improvising the music in the moment-bringing it to life with his own ears and imagination. In time his ability to show even more subtle aspects of the music will increase  as he continues to develop his imagination and control at the keyboard.
I would be interested to hear him playing earlier repertoire!

Bravo!

[pytheamateur]

Please tell me where I can buy the sheet music for this beautiful piece!