MUSIC CRITICISM IN TWENTIETH CENTURY MANILA

– SELECTED PUBLISHED REVIEWS, ARTICLES, AND ESSAYS ON MUSIC

Edna Marcil M. Martinez

INTRODUCTION

Twentieth Century Manila was the hub of music performances in the country. The

scene has since been active with various performances by local and foreign artists who have

brought life to the major performance stages in Manila. Unfortunately there were noteworthy

performances that were undocumented and were left unnoticed. Was it due to lack of

promotion and marketing or was it because of a lack in number of music critics in the country

who would have the time and resources to follow and document performances

simultaneously? What is the value of music criticism in the Philippine music scene? What

kind of critique has been helpful in promoting and enriching the value and promotion of

music performance in the country? Either way, the fact is that music critics and their writings

can influence and shape public perception and opinion on a performance, the performance

genre and the artist themselves.

In September 1969, Manila witnessed the inauguration of one of the biggest

architectural landmarks of the Marcos era – the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The CCP

was a pet project of then first lady Imelda Marcos and who was also its self-appointed

chairman. It was set to become “the main showcase for all the major artistic presentations”

(Molina:1972) of the country. The establishment of the CCP was not only a welcome

additional performance venue in Manila, but it was primed to be THE performance stage of

the most prominent local and foreign artists. Performers such as concert pianist Van Cliburn,

the prima donna Dame Margot Fontaine, international Filipina violinist the late,

Cecile Licad. And so certainly, where performances abound, music critics are not far behind.
 One of the respected music critics who wrote on artists and performances in Manila

late Exequiel “Lito” Molina. It is the music essays, reviews and articles of

Exeqiel “Lito” Molina which is this paper’s subject of interest. The subject of inquiry is so,

because Ezequiel Molina was one of the most active practitioners of the time, writing

critiques and publishing it almost on a weekly basis in his newspaper columns. Initially, this

writer conceived the paper as a compilation of his works within a twenty year period time

frame from 1970-1990 as these were the peak years of music performance in Manila and was

also the period where a lot of performances were written of and not merely reported in local

newspapers. However, in the interest of time and considering the set back of archival work

which such a concept entails, the study was further limited to exploring

existing materials found and generally catalogued under the vertical files of the UP College of

Music library. Five to seven samples published in the magazine PACE for which Exequiel

Molina was the Music section editor are presented in this paper,.

From the publication dated January 14, 1972 were taken three samples: Maria

Luisa’s Six-Stringed Treasure is on then leading Argentinian female guitarist Maria Luisa

Anido. The second sample Asian with the Soul of Mozart is on the performance of Shanghai-

born concert pianist Fuo Ts’ong at the Cultural Center of the Phiippines in January 7, 1972.

The third sample Making the Distant Come True is an article on the tenth year of the

establishment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, with a review of the programs and

artists presented and its future directions.

Rosie Returns is on the homecoming concert of a Filipina soprano Rosie Farol who

returned to the Philippine stage via the Philamlife Auditorium, after an absence of six years.

Written alongside the article on Rosie Farol in the April 28, 1972 copy of PACE Magazine is

Starting Young. This is an article on child prodigy Cecile Licad who then at age 10 was the

toast of Manila’s concert going public.

Finally in the May 26, 1972 issue of PACE, are articles on two singers. The Ruby

Jewels is an article written on soprano Ruby Jose Salazar who was unforgettable as an opera

singer and later devoted herself to giving more time essaying roles in the Filipino musical
drama form, the Zarzuela. The last sample entitled White

Farewell likewise found in the same issue of PACE is an article on the farewell concert of

expat-wife and Korean Soprano Lucy White.

Two articles are still being considered for inclusion in the paper or to replace two of

the previously mentioned. These are Revved-Up Repertoire which is an article on the

repertoire and concert programming of Manila Symphony Orchestra’s first Filipino Music

Director and Conductor Oscar Yatco; and Raves for Reyes a parallel review on the

performance of Filipino artist, concert pianist Reynaldo Reyes who was the featured soloist of

the Manila Symphony Orchestra’s opening concert in the 1972-1973 concert season under

Oscar Yatco.

From the samples and Molina’s writing style and perceptions of the performing arts

and artists will this writer examine what lenses Molina used in effective music writing and

critiquing.