FRENCH culture has often been closely associated with art—one that seems to celebrate the artistry in most anything, especially life.
One only needs to revisit to the Renaissance, the French word for “rebirth,” which largely defined the 14th to 17th centuries when the golden age of arts and culture flourished and swept throughout the European civilization.
Even in modern times the global influence of French culture remains intact, and while the Philippines is almost a “world away” from France, the act of sharing the culture of these two distinct and distant societies is undeniably alive through Les Jeudis culturels (Cultural Thursdays), a monthly celebration of things French and Filipino.
Launched by the Cultural Section of the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance Française de Manille, Les Jeudis culturels is a special event that highlights the cultural collaborations between the two countries through various art forms such as music, theater, dance, poetry and gastronomy, to name a few.
Setting the weekly cultural gathering in motion is a musical concert held in Alliance in mid-October, which featured South African saxophonist Adam Campbell and Filipina pianist Mariel Ilusorio. Both musicians have earned individual distinctions in the international stage as they have played in various countries all over the world.
Journey through music
TAKING their audience through a musical voyage, Campbell and Ilusorio began their performance with the hauntingly mystical “Fantasie Impromptu” by André Jolivet, followed by “Tableaux de Provence,” a suite of five movements by Paule Maurice, which are dedicated to French saxophonist Marcel Mule.
Literally translated to “Pictures of Provence,” the five movements—“Farandole des Jeunes Filles,” “Chanson pour ma mie,” “La Bohémienne,” “Des Alyscamps l’ame soupire” and “Le Cabridan”—paint a picture of the scenery, atmosphere and culture of Provence in southeast France.
“Fantaisie” by Jules Demersseman took the audience on a magical excursion through a stunning piece composed only shortly after the invention of the saxophone. Following the short interval was Darius Milhaud’s “Scaramouche,” a suite of three playful and whimsical movements written for a theater play.
“Aria” by Eugène Bozza, on the other hand, is a more somber, moving piece played before the final song, “Devil’s Rag” by Jean Matitia, which by contrast is influenced by the more jovial tone of ragtime. Undoubtedly, the last piece is the most enjoyable one of the program. It was even played a second time during the encore by request, as it inspired a rather festive mood among the audience.
Campbell and Ilusorio played two more songs for the encore: “Czárdás” by Pedro Iturralde, which was composed when he was only 20 years old, and “Oblivion” by Astor Piazzolla—a piece not originally intended for the saxophone, but was arranged as such for their performance.
A peek backstage
IN creating the list of pieces that they played for the launch of Les Jeudis… Campbell said that the primary reason for their selection was their desire to feature songs written by French composers. At the same time, they wanted to create a diverse program, both in the musical and stylistic sense, which showcases traditional and modern influences from different eras and places.
For Ilusorio, the song that she had to practice the most for that night’s performance was “Devil’s Rag” due to its rather technical challenges, where her left hand does most of the piano work in an almost nonstop fashion. For Campbell, it was “Aria,” which demanded for him a mastery of sound control, as slower pieces were more challenging because one had to be mindful of detail and expression when using the saxophone.
For their special pieces that night, Campbell cited “Tableaux…,” which he enjoyed playing because of the collaborative spirit that he and Ilusorio shared:
“[She] is a very sensitive pianist. When you’re on stage and when you’re playing music together, it’s a great privilege for us because when you’re performing or just playing with someone, you feel who that person is; you get to know the personality of that person, and that person is very much open to you. So performing with [her], especially a piece like ‘Tableaux…,’ which is a very delicate piece, [I feel it suited] her perfectly, and performing it with her is just the greatest pleasure.”
For Ilusorio, her top 3 favorites included “Fantaisie…,” “Scaramouche” and “Devil’s Rag,” “because I usually play very conservative, classical pieces, and those have jazz elements, so I can let go and feel like I’m not a classical musician.”
Instruments, influences
AS a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Ilusorio looks up to her teachers and other great musicians as her strongest influences, especially female pianists such as Martha Argerich and Mitsuko Uchida.
On the other hand, Campbell, a graduate of the Conservatoire de Strasbourg, derives his influences from life in general, through experiences that he lived regardless of whether they were related to music and art, as well as the travels he made to different places and the people he has met along the way. He believes that every piece of music has a story to tell, and they are enriched through exposure of one’s self to different places, cultures and people.
Even their choices of musical instruments themselves have their own story: For Ilusorio, it was not “love at first sight” for the piano, as it was something she had to do as a child. But after her sophomore year in high school, she was sent to New York to study it, and it was there that she began to fall in love with the “keys,” was she was surrounded by other students of music who enjoyed doing and learning about the same thing with her.
Campbell’s story, on the other hand, seems to be more suited for a romantic novella: At first, he played the piano, then the flute. In 2009 when he was on tour, he met a gorgeous young woman who played the saxophone. He fell in love with the lass, whom he eventually asked for saxophone lessons, with the thought of being able to spend time together. In the three months that he was under her tutelage, he realized that he fell more in love with the saxophone and the rest, he said, was his musical history.
It is exciting to see what other cultural collaborations, as well as stories, “Les Jeudis…” has in store. It is certainly a venue where French, Filipino and other nationalities could partake in a profound spirit of sharing, artistry and discovery; where one Thursday every month is made more special through a rendezvous of cultures and a celebration of the art of life.