3 posts from August 2007

Filipino Artists Series: Peter Porticos, piano

Aug 30, 2007
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Last night, Patrick and I went to a recital at the CCP.

The featured performer was my opera teacher, Peter Porticos, who played a programme of Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel, and Africa. I'm not really into instrumental music, but I was amazed at sir Peter's playing! At some point, it sounded like each of his hands had 6 fingers! He was wonderful!!!

Nevertheless, the highlight of the evening was getting to meet all the different people at the theater! Pat and I checked the programme and saw that one of the composers was A. Africa, and we thought it was Antonio Africa, who handled the Glee Club when we were in high school. We looked around, and true enough, it was him.

We also ran into sopranos Thea Perez and Rachelle Gerodias. We chatted with Rachelle a bit during the intermission. I read that she was going to Vienna to make her debut as Liu in Puccini's Turandot, and I asked her about it. She said that she was very excited about it and that it would be in March. In the meantime, she's busy with a few concerts here - including one in December with San Beda. I asked if she was going to be singing any opera in the near future, and apparently, UST is giving Strauss' Die Fledermaus in January! I'm so excited!!! I'm definitely bringing my classes to that!!!

As the concert resumed, sir Peter amazed me, yet again, with more virtuoso piano playing. At the end of Africa's piece, he looked into the audience and waved about for sir Tonton who stood for a very well-deserved applause. He told us later that he had written the piece specifically for Porticos - fabulous!!! ^_^

At the end of the evening, Pat and I got to chat with Rachelle again, and we exchanged numbers so that she could text me about performances. Fabulous! I have contacts!!! ^_^ She was very gracious, even offering to burn me live bootleg recordings (which I love! studio recordings are fine, but they're somewhat lacking compared to live recordings).

Rachelle posted a comment on my blog a few months ago about Callas and Onassis. I first met her a few years ago in Greenbelt when Jaja Mendoza (a high school friend who's an extremely gifted tenor) introduced us. We met again during last year's Opera Now at the CCP. Here's a photo of that:

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^_^

The end of an era

Aug 17, 2007
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Dear friends,

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I announce the death of my beloved boxer, Bailey. She was 11.

She was born on Dec. 6, 1995, and came to us the following summer. She has been with us since then.

She gave birth to 10 puppies: Bess, Brunnhilde, Buffy, Brix (who died as a puppy), Box (who is also now dead), and two other girls whose names I gave but could not remember; and Shadow, Starshine, and Sunlight.

She will be buried by sea, via the Pasig River. God rest her soul.