Cagayan de Oro's Symphony Orchestra First Performance

A week ago before this said event, Sam, a churchmate of ours and our musician invited my parents and some of the adults in our church to witness the Premiere Concert of the Cagayan de Oro Symphony Orchestra. I said to myself that I really needed to come and witness it firsthand, but unfortunately there were no extra tickets.

The heavens must have heard my prayer that few hours before the event, a couple backed out. We, my brother and I, were invited instead. It was held at the Rodelsa Hall of Liceo de Cagayan on a fine evening of November 21, 2018. As usual, were required to wear formal attires and I was pleased to do so.

The Programme

The event was graced by the City Mayor Hon. Oscar Moreno. After the Philippine National Anthem was played, the first piece was performed.

It was Mozart's Der Vogelfänger or also known as The Magic Flute. According to the programme, The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German liberetto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue . The work was premiered on 30 September 1791 at Schikander's theatre, the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna, just two months before the composer's premature death.

In this opera , the Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from captivity under the high priest Sarastro; instead, he learns the high ideals of Sarastro's community and seeks to join in. Separately, then together, Tamino and Pamina undergo severe trials of initiation, which end in triumph, with the Queen and her cohorts vanquished. The earthly Papageno, who accompanies Tamino on his quest, fails the trials completely but is rewarded with the hand of his ideal female companion Papagena.

The second piece that was played was Meditation by Jules Massenet. Meditation is a symphonic intermezzo from the opera Thaïs by the french composer. The piece was written for solo violin and orchestra. The opera premiered at the Opéra Garnier in Paris on March 16, 1894.

It is an intrumental entr'acte performed between the scenes of Act II in the opera Thaïs. In the first scene of Act II, Athanaël, a Cenobite monl, confronts Thais, a beautiful and hedonistic courtesan and devotee of Venus and attempts to pursuade her to leave her life of luxury a d pleasure and find salvation through God. It is during a time of reflection following the encounter that the Meditation is played by the orchestra. In the second scene of Act II, following the Meditation, Thais tells Athanael that she will follow him to the desert.

Upon listening to the piece, it lives to its title. It really gives of a calming effect to its listeners.

Hungarian No.5 is written by Johannes Brahms are a set of 21 lively dance tunes based on mostly on Hungarian themes, completed in 1869. They vary about a minute to five minutes in length. They are among Brahm's most popular works and were the most profitable for him. Each dance has been arranged a wide variety of instruments and ensembles. Brahms originally wrote the verson for piano four hands and later arranged the first 10 dances for solo piano.

Don Giovanni meanwhile is an opera in two acts with mysic by Mozart and Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It is based on the legends of Don juan, a fictional libertine and seducer.

Lastly, the Radetzky March , OP. 228, is a march composed by Johann Strauss Sr. and dedicated to Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz. It was first performed on 31 August 1848 in Vienna. It soon became quite popular among regimented marching soldiers. It has been remarked that its tone is more celebratory than martial.