"Why Flowers Bloom in May": Unframing Kasilag's Musical Genius
The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies celebrated National Arts Month with a lecture by Dr. Christine Muyco, head of the Composition and Theory Department of the University of the Philippines College of Music. The topic of the lecture is the late National Artist Lucrecia Kasilag’s last opera Why Flowers Bloom in May. The librettist of the opera Ms. Fides Cuyugan-Asensio and the UP Kulintang Ensemble were also present to perform excepts from the opera.
The lecture began with Doctor Muyco giving a short biography of Lucrecia Kasilag, National Artist for Music in 1989. Kasilag was one of the pioneers in fusing music from the East and the West. This resulted to her distinct musical style which is considered neoclassical by many musicologists. “Tita King”, as she is fondly called by her peers, was born to a family of music lovers. Her first musical influence was her mother who was a violin and voice teacher. Her father, a civil engineer, was also a lover of music and plays the rondalla. Because of this, Tita King learned how to play the bandurria and guitar at an early age. Muyco exclaims how happy Tita King’s childhood must have been. She says that this joyfulness manifests in her personality and music. Kasilag’s musical talents were nurtured in the Philippine Women’s University and the prestigious Eastman School of Music in New York.
Dr. Muyco’s biography was put to life by Ms. Fides Asensio as she shares her experience working with the late National Artist for her last opera. By this time, Kasilag was already experiencing the signs of old age; her hearing was very much affected. Asensio describes her sessions with Kasila vividly. She said that she had to read the libretto loudly and at a high pitch in order for Kasilag to hear it. After hearing the lyrics, Kasilag would then utter the notes one by one. Despite her old age, Kasilag remains to be mischievous according to Asensio. She remember how Kasilag jokingly compares the storyline of the libretto to that of the Immaculate Conception’s.
A Procession of the Virgin Mary in the celebration of Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May)
Asensio says that her inspiration of the libretto for Why Flowers Bloom in May is a Filipino myth about the
fertility of the earth. During the time that it was being composed, there was an increased awareness about environmentalism. Asensio’s “fantasy opera” reflects on the beauty and mystery of nature. The story is about Rayo, the sun king, who fell in love with a princess of the earth, Maia. The two were married in the end, but Maia however, had to leave the earth. As she left, the flowers refused to bloom because of their sadness. Maia then decided to return to earth once in a while because she cannot stand the heat of the sun. When she returns, the flowers bloom in happiness. The time of their arrival would be called Mayo, which is a combination of the names Maia and Rayo.
Muyco continues the lecture by talking about the opera through the idea of framing. To frame in music is to analyze it, to cut it into pieces. She, however, proposed a synthetic approach: that of unframing. Unframing is to see the opera as a continuum. The sense of continuity in Kasilag’s opera can be observed within the songs and also within the entire opera.
To demonstrate the continuity within the songs, Asensio proceed to perform the aria Song of Maia. The aria has long melodic lines. As soon as a melodic line ends, a new melodic line enters. The entire aria has no rests, evoking a contemplative mood. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the aria had a feel of a lullaby. Asensio captivates the audience with her beautiful singing.
To give a sense of continuity to the opera, Muyco shows how Kasilag uses arpeggios in her Divertissement. Another technique that Kasilag uses to link various musical sections is the kulintang music. A kulintang ensemble from the UP College of Music demonstrates a piece found in the opera. The melody and rhythm in the kulintang energized the room to reverberations of the gongs, adding a mystical quality to the music. The melodies are repeated several times by the kulintang. As it repeats, the melody increases in complexity as the kulintang player improvises. A second piece is played where a western flute is used. She explains that this is because the traditional Filipino bamboo flute was not able to provide accurate tones for the piece. Nevertheless, the performance sounded very Filipino.
Erratum: Original title: ""Why The Flowers Bloom in May": Unframing Kasilag's Musical Genius" changed to ""Why Flowers Bloom in May": Unframing Kasilag's Musical Genius"
*This article was originally featured in the 2011 edition of the Blue Sound magazine. Edited by Aeric Ang.
Photo of Christine Muyco taken from: http://music.upd.edu.ph/MARIA_CHRISTINE_MUYCO.html
Photo of Fides Cuyugan-Asensio taken from: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/7949/45-year-old-virgin-opera-tribute-to-fides-cuyugan-asensio/
Photo of Flores de Mayo taken from: http://ffemagazine.com/flores-de-mayo-queen-festivals/
Photo of Lucrecia Kasilag taken from: https://www.clickthecity.com/arts/a/3720/special-mass-for-kasilag-at-ccp.