Manny Pacquiao, Superman And Our Classical Artists

MANNY PACQUIAO, SUPERMAN AND OUR CLASSICAL ARTISTS
By Pablo A. Tariman

The most visible and saleable commodities today are no doubt Manny Pacquiao, “Superman” and the show-biz intrigues on the Boy Abunda-Kris Aquino TV show “The Buzz.”

The box-office success of “Superman” has turned everything that has anything to do with it (costumes, audio recordings, etc.) into best sellers. Pacquiao’s recent triumph over Oscar Larios has made some people propose that boxing be added to the school curriculum. And the high TV rating of “The Buzz” has bagged for Aquino and Abunda generous advertising contracts. When we read the newspapers, listen to the radio, watch television or surf the Net, Pacquiao is always there as newsmaker or product endorser.

In 1975, a 73-year-old woman conductor named Antonia Brico was addressing a press conference at the Cultural Center of the Philippines when she asked by music critic Rosalinda Orosa if she was bothered by the workouts of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Folk Arts Theater just a block away. Brico replied: “They don’t bother me. But it’s an outrage and a total disgrace to pay a boxer a million dollars just to have him punch someone on the nose while musicians can hardly make a living.” Obviously agitated, she added, “Even if I were given a free ticket to the Ali-Frazier fight, I wouldn’t watch it.”

Recently, a newspaper reader wrote that Pacquiao is a model discipline, but not all the adulation he is receiving entitle him to be consecrated on the same pedestal as Dr. Jose Rizal. What the reader was probably trying to say is that our countrymen who succeed in their chosen professions are all worthy of emulation. But are we not in fact endorsing these role models as top moneymakers rather than models of discipline?

It is quite obvious that other role models who excel in their respective fields but who don’t get the attention of the media are largely ignored by both the public and business. First-rate Filipino artists in the field of music have been winning international competitions and getting standing ovations, but they seldom get to endorse beer or shopping malls.

In “Superman,” there is a part where the music of Bach is played while villain is closing in on the hero’s former girlfriend and her son. And there is another part where the son plays the piano to distract Superman’s nemesis, and the scene ends with the grand piano crushing the villain’s assistant. The message here is the music can tame the savage beast.

Last June, music lovers in Bacolod and seminarians of the Sacred Heart Seminary were treated to romantic piano concertos by pianists Ingrid Sala Santamaria and Reynaldo Reyes. During the post-concert open forum, some seminarians said that music brought them to the another world. Another one said the concert allowed him to look into himself and “rewind” his life. The rector added that because of its ability to transform listeners, music is probably one way of making us feel God’s presence.

While we should be proud of the new triumph of Pacquiao, it is necessary for us to be reminded about other role models in other fields, especially classical music which suffering from neglect. The Superman and Pacquiao of classical music is, without doubt, Cecile Licad who, like the boxing sensation, puts in eight hours of practice daily to stay in good shape for her next performance. The Superman and Pacquiao of Opera is no doubt world-acclaimed Filipino tenor Otoniel Gonzaga who is due to sing at the Philamlife Theater on December 9 at the Philamlife Theater with sopranos Rachelle Gerodias, Camille Lopez Molina and flutist Christopher Oracion and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Rodel Colmenar.

Among the younger generation of artists, the ones worthy of national adulation attention are pianist Oliver Salonga, cellist Victor Michael Coo and violinist Chino Gutierrez who, again like Pacquiao, also observes a strict regimen of daily practice.

Salonga’s talent was first showcased when he won twice in the National Music Competition for Young Artists. He went on to win two concerto competitions in the United States . When Gemma Cruz Araneta heard Salonga play with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, she told me, “This young talent is showing us that this country has hope.”

When Manila ’s music lovers heard Victor Michael with the MPO last year, music lover Tita de Quiros said, “There is no doubt that Coo is the new idol ng bayan.”

Recently, there was an outcry in Bacolod over the young getting addicted to sex videos. One reason for this may be that the young are not exposed to other sources of gratification, like classical music which is food for the soul.

“He is almost like a machine,” Larios told his countrymen when he was asked why he lost to Pacquiao.”

“She attacks the keyboard like a devil,” wrote a music critic in Croatia after hearing Licad’s performance.

Reflex Magazine wrote that Otoniel Gonzaga’s extraordinary vocal power…send chills down one’s spine.”

Come to think of it, first-rate musicians and boxers have one thing in common: they practice discipline in body and spirit to come up with an unforgettable performance.

When boxers triumph with broken bones and faces, they epitomize the extent to which the body can withstand shock and pain. When classical musicians work out daily on the piano, vocalize regularly to be in good shape and get a standing ovation, they show us that there is something beyond the physical force that artists unleash on the audiences that makes us reflect on the nobility of the human spirit. And when the performance ends, we are back to being human again.

Let’s cheer Pacquiao for his latest triumph, but let’s not forget what an Otoniel Gonzaga, a Cecile Licad, a Rachelle Gerodias, a Camille Lopez Molina and a Victor Michael Coo can do to revive pride in our country and hope for our countrymen.

(The Great Performance Series with Otoniel Gonzaga and the Manila Philharmonic opens at Philamlife Theater, UN Avenue, Ermita Manila on Saturday, December 9, 2006, 8 p.m. and will continue on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, 8 p.m. with the Manila debut of Russian pianist Ilya Rashkovskiy, first prize winner of the First Hong Kong International Piano Competition. For inquiries and early buyer discount, please call tel. 9007023 or cell 09065104270.)