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CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ART MUSIC
Traditional Composers

Piano Concerto in Bb minor      by NICANOR ABELARDO

  • developed a style that combined European romanticism with chromaticism

Nicanor Abelardo

  • a 20th century modern composer in style, he is also considered a composer  in the Romantic style

  • Best-known compositions include Mutya ng Pasig, Nasaan Ka Irog, Magbalik ka Hirang, Cavatina for violoncello, Piano Concerto in Bb minor 

 

  • compositions contain hazy tones, dissonance and unusual chordal combinations found in such works as Cinderella Overture, Panoramas and a violin sonata

Cavatina for violin                      by NICANOR ABELARDO

Mutya ng Pasig - by NICANOR ABELARDO
00:00 / 00:00

Nasaan Ka Irog?                          by NICANOR ABELARDO

Francisco Santiago

  • composer, pianist, teacher and film director and is known as the “Father of Kundiman”

  • obtained his specialisation in music at the Conservatory of Chicago, USA in 1924. It was 

there that he presented his Piano Concerto in B flat minor 

  • Sonata Filipina in D flat Major (1922) - first sonata written in the Philippines introducing Philippine musical themes among which are Kundiman, Leron-leron Sinta, Madaling Araw, Manilena, and Pakiusap

Piano Concerto in Bb major     by FRANCISCO SANTIAGO

Souvenir de Filipinas (Lulay)   by FRANCISCO SANTIAGO

The piece "Lulay" is a popular Filipino folk dance/song which speaks about the difficulty of courtship from a male point of view.  Dr. Santiago arranged the folk song for piano into the "Souvenir de Filipinas" where the influence of Liszt becomes obvious (taken from the same You Tube link).

Pakiusap                                      by FRANCISCO SANTIAGO

Lulay
Antonio Molina

  • a product of both the Romantic and Impressionistic schools of thought, his own compositions and innovations like the whole 

  Malikmata                                  by ANTONIO MOLINA

  • composer, musician and educator, National Artist in Music (1973) 

tone scale, pentatonic scale, exuberance of dominant ninth and eleventh chords, and linear counterpoint

 We Were Moonlight                       by ANTONIO MOLINA

Hatinggabi                                    by ANTONIO MOLINA

 Camia                                              by ANTONIO MOLINA

 Amihan                                           by ANTONIO MOLINA

Felipe Padilla De Leon

  • Known as a nationalist, he sought to express the Philippines' cultural identity through his compositions

  • wrote piano compositions, hymns, marches, chamber music, symphonic poems       and overtures, band music,

school songs, operas, sarswelas and kundiman 

Awit ng Gabi ni Sisa           

from the opera Noli me Tangere by FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON            

  • Two operas which are considered his masterpieces are the "Noli Me Tangere" (1957) and "El Filibusterismo" (1970)

Payapang Daigdig                   by FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON

Kay tamis ng Buhay sa Sariling Bayan     

from the opera Noli me Tangere by FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON        

Lucio San Pedro

  • composer, conductor and teacher whose works contain folk elements that can be found in Philippine culture

  • works include chamber music, violin music for

concertos, with piano accompaniment and for solo performances, cantatas and choral works

Lahing Kayumanggi                        by LUCIO SAN PEDRO 

Sa Ugoy ng Duyan                           by LUCIO SAN PEDRO 

Simbang Gabi                                by LUCIO SAN PEDRO 

Lulay                                     arranged by LUCIO SAN PEDRO 

Leron-Leron Sinta               arranged by LUCIO SAN PEDRO 

Sa Ugoy ng Duyan               arranged by LUCIO SAN PEDRO 

Francisco Buencamino

  • was a Filipino composer who performed as a concert pianist during the American colonial period.  Among his many piano works are Mayon, a descriptive fantasy for piano and orchestra, Ang Larawan

for piano and orchestra, which are in the romantic bravura style of Franz Liszt. Both compositions were also written for solo piano; Hibik Ng Diwa (My Soul’s Lament) is marked Tempo Di Danza which is a Filipino dance with a habanera rhythm​

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  • founded Centro Escolar de Senoritas, Conservatory of Music, created the Buencamino Music Academy in 1930, were in Nicanor Abelardo was one of his students

 Ave Maria                               by FRANCISCO BUENCAMINO

 Mayon Fantasia                   by FRANCISCO BUENCAMINO

Ang Larawan                          by FRANCISCO BUENCAMINO

Hibik ng Diwa                        by FRANCISCO BUENCAMINO

Ryan Cayabyab

  • musician, teacher, composer and conductor

  • works range from full-length ballets, theater musicals, choral pieces, Mass set to unaccompanied chorus, and  orchestral pieces, to  

commercial recordings of popular music, film scores and television specials​

Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika            by RYAN CAYABYAB

Awit ni Ibarra from NOLI ME TANGERE by RYAN CAYABYAB

Awit ni Crisostomo sa azotea 

Matimyas ang Buhay sa Sariling Bayan 

from NOLI ME TANGERE by RYAN CAYABYAB

Minsan ag Minahal ay Ako

from KATY! by RYAN CAYABYAB

Magbalik Ka na Mahal

from the ballet-musical RAMA HARI by RYAN CAYABYAB

Limang-dipang Tao                            by RYAN CAYABYAB

Sanctus                                   from MISA by RYAN CAYABYAB

 The Coconut Nut                               by RYAN CAYABYAB

Tsismis                                                  by RYAN CAYABYAB

OPM Medley            by RYAN CAYABYAB with LOUIE OCAMPO

Iduyan Mo                                           by RYAN CAYABYAB

                                                                      with ATENEO CHAMBER SINGERS

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