Lovers of chamber music will have a glimpse of two Chopin favorites when pianist Mariel Ilusorio teams up with violinists Juan Muñoz and Michael Vargas in a rare interpretation of Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11” and “Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21.”
To be held at Ayala Museum on Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m., the evening of two Chopin concertos is going to be unique as they are to be interpreted not with a full orchestra but with two violins in a chamber music setup.
Former Namcya champion Ilusorio told the Inquirer: “The challenge in Chopin is to create the most beautiful tone and a beautiful singing line, to make the piano sing. At the same time, there are many technical challenges which must not be technically executed but one must find the musical aesthetics behind the technical difficulties. ”
Her Chopin connection is quite modest.
“I started playing Chopin when I was around 11,” she said. “At that age, you don’t think much about the difficulty of what you are playing, so it felt good. I was courageous and didn’t realize how much more there was to the music. Although I remember learning the Etude, Op. 25, No. 1 and had to learn it very slowly. For months, it didn’t sound much like anything! Otherwise, Chopin’s music was something very accessible and it allowed me to drift into my own fantasy world and escape reality.”
Married to Chilean violinist Juan Muñoz, Ilusorio cited the pros and cons of being married to a musician: “There are advantages and disadvantages in being in a relationship with anybody, no matter what they do. What they do must not identify who they are. Objectively speaking, a musician would understand more the demands and challenges of this art form. The disadvantage would be that musicians generally have more sensitive egos and clashes could occur because of this.”
How her musical life blends with her marriage is another story.
“Musical life is a compromise with other responsibilities,” she said. “It becomes more intense because there is time pressure. It also becomes more meaningful as you experience life in a different way by having a family of your own, and your growth as a person takes on a different path.
There is more to express, but perhaps less time to express.” –CONTRIBUTED
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