A serenata by Jomel Garcia, tenor extraordinaire

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By John Anthony S. Estolloso

IT GOES without saying that Jomel Garcia, tenor and voice teacher, has a remarkable record of performances and musical endeavors to his name. In the past years and in Iloilo City alone, he has sung with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, has showcased his majestic voice in the sumptuous Performance Hall of UPV’s Museum of Art and Cultural Heritage in more than one occasion, and has lent consistently his vocal talents to both church and conservatory, during Sunday masses and feast days or in the daily pedagogy of honing fledgling singers and musicians. Add to that an appearance in Donizetti’s Lucia de Lammermoor in a national production.

Suffice it to say, Jomel Garcia is the tenor of this city.

Last November 5, we basked again in his talent: no conservatory or performance hall this time. A more intimate nook of Seda Hotel was venue to his recital, a serenata of art songs and arias in sundry languages. The room was packed: students, musicians, artistes, family members and friends, classical music enthusiasts – all flocked to hear him sing. And he did not disappoint.

The evening was quite a revelation: while the writer has heard Garcia perform opera, his essay into art songs and lieder came as a pleasant surprise. Removing the theatrical in their delivery, these short compositions demand a technicality that cannot be overshadowed by sheer dramatics – and Garcia had the lyrical prowess to deliver these with profound intensity and depth.

This command of the art song came through with our tenor’s repertoire. Tosti’s La Serenata and Giordini’s beloved Caro Mio Ben opened the programme; complementing the Italian pieces were a selection of English, French, German, and Russian songs by Schumann, Grieg, and Rachmaninoff. Idyllic, musically descriptive, and evocative of the zeitgeist of the compositions’ time period, the songs were poetically lyrical and passionate: not only was Garcia master of melody, he also had an elocutionary facility for languages – at least, in delivery.

Building up to a gradual crescendo, Garcia opened his second act with Dein ist mein ganzes Herz from Franz Lehár’s operetta The Land of Smiles. The soaring aria is a love song, and the poignant, passionate words of devotion were easily felt through the forceful singing, the linguistic imagery of the poetry augmented by the tenor’s interpretation: the metaphors of flower and field are transmuted into musical nuances of romance, subtle and dulcet.

Never underestimate the appeal of the familiar: Louiguy’s ever-popular La Vie en Rose (made famous by Edith Piaf), and Brodzky’s Be My Love showcased the range, intensity, and magnitude of the tenor’s voice. Leopoldo Silos’s Lagi Kitang Naaalala and Beny Castilon’s Panaad from his Karay-a song cycle gave the recital local color, melding Western traditions of music with the vibrance of our languages. Through this breathtakingly (quite literal in this sense) eclectic succession of songs, the tenor breezed through these almost effortlessly – and apparently, he seemed to enjoy the experience.

Accompanied by Dr. Gerardo Vincente Muyuela at the piano, Garcia’s voice displayed its dynamic range and maturity, exhibiting his years of training and performance. From art songs to a slow crescendo of operatic arias and theater numbers, the outstanding versatility of Garcia’s voice plowed through the sundry assemblage of songs, regardless of national origin or musical style.

The encores – with sopranos Bea Krisna Fernandez and Amabelle Pamocol – were intimately sublime. Dr. Muyuela’s Pinalangga, Webber’s All I Ask of You, and Schonberg’s Sun and Moon were sentimentally tender: the last two were from musicals and as far as local renditions from the musical stage are concerned, the vocal tandem of Garcia and Fernandez is second to none. The Brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata capped the evening and to our happy surprise, singers from the University of San Agustin’s Conservatory of Music provided a spontaneous rousing chorus to accompany the bubbly duet.

There will be more performances akin to this for Garcia: more recitals, more concerts, and (dare we hope?) more operatic roles. And if one is to look for an Ilonggo singer who can truly represent our appreciation for and aptitude in classical music, then we need not look further. Iloilo City can be truly proud to claim him as one of her musical sons: Jomel Garcia, premiere tenor of the city.

[The writer is the subject area coordinator for Social Studies in one of the private schools of the city. The photos are from the Conservatory of Music.]