“Oh Wind. If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”, Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the major English Romantic poets, echoes everyone’s hopes as winter comes to a much-awaited end in his famous line. It certainly resonates with many of us as the month of March comes around.
Shelley was considered radical in his poetry as well as in his social and political views, at that time. But radical then is usually mainstream now. Times change…inexorably. Revolutionary as his ideas were, I just realized what a scandalous and tumultuous life he led. And to drown at the tender age of 29 years. Yes, at 29. I thought that the romantic Polish composer and pianist Fredric Chopin was already the height of a true-to-life tragic melodrama since he died at 39, at the most productive period in his life. It must have been a consolation though that Chopin was always surrounded by his many lady admirers, foremost of them, Jane Stirling, a Scottish pianist and student of his, who supported him financially as well, to the very end. Perfect fodder for all the Marites’ at the time.
In the case of Shelley, he did have the undying love of his equally talented wife, Mary Shelley. What I found interesting is that she wrote the great Gothic novel “Frankenstein”, or “The Modern Prometheus”, published in 1818. I take my hats off to her. A feminist ahead of her time. Centuries ahead. Unfortunately, the men tend to be more famous than the women.
Now that I rambled on to Chopin, I cannot but go on to write about the music of Fredric Chopin. Just like millions around the world, especially women, I love listening to Chopin’s music as his piano compositions have an intimate feel to it. In the last 18 years of life, he preferred to play his music in the private salons of friends and admirers. Chopin’s music brings me inevitably to extoll the artistic virtues of the Juillard-trained and “rock-star status” Icelandic concert pianist Vikingur Olafsson, who, to my supreme delight, is having a concert at the Roy Thomson Hall with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the musical directorship of Gustavo Gimeno. As early as December, I bought tickets to his June 2023 performances, not wanting to pass up the chance to listen to him play right here in Toronto. Looking forward to it with bated breath. For those interested, you may still find seats available but I highly doubt it. You can opt to listen and watch him play, instead, in his music videos posted on YT under the label Deutsche Grammophon, the classical music label since 1898. Not only is he an exquisite piano artist but his spiels and talks are full of heart-warming insights. I am unabashedly a certified fan.
His renditions of the music of Bach, Mozart, Rameau, Cimarosa, Chopen, Debussy, and even the contemporary American composer Philip Glass, are all priceless. I am both transported and transfixed, in a good way. You have to experience his music to grasp the import and the heart of my message.
REMEMBER THE K-DRAMA WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY, KIM BOK CHOO?
If you don’t or haven’t watched it, you may want to check out this 2016 Korean drama. Lighten your heart and reminisce about how it was when we were young, or as a friend used to say, when we were just a callow youth. The female leading lady, Lee Sung-kyung has matured into other leading lady roles such as her role as a PR team leader in the 2022 k-drama “Shooting Stars”.
“Shooting Stars” is a delightful, romantic, “kiligacious” series which I am enjoying thoroughly. Not as intensely as “The Interest of Love” but in a somehow lighter vein. The male lead Kim Young-dae has great charisma. I will probably be following his career. I hope he chooses the right roles and scripts. He seems to have promise as an actor. I feel bad for Kim Min-kyu of “Business Proposal” because from the reviews it looks like his current series “The Heavenly Idol” is not doing too well. I have not seen it myself but I hope it does better eventually. I loved his pairing with Seol In-ah in “Business Proposal”. They were precious in that series. Even better than the male lead Ahn Hyo-seop, our fellow Canadian. Yup, he grew up in Toronto and left for the call of Korean show business in Seoul when he was 10 years old. But I am happy for him as he is now a rising young star in Korea.
ERRATUM, SORRY ABOUT THAT
In my last column for This and That, I would like to correct what I wrote — that Henry Lim Bon Leong of Maria Miracle Rice is the president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), instead of George Ty of Metrobank. Mea culpa.
Another outstanding alumnus of Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSC)is Carlos Chan, head of Liwayway Holdings Company Limited, doing business as OISHI, a popular snack company based in the Philippines.
Needless to say, (but I will say it anyway) these are only a handful of the top Philippine industry leaders that hail from CKSC. Undoubtedly, a record that’s hard to beat.
More from me as I navigate and get re-acquainted with my home city Manila, for the next month or so. OMG. It has been a hit list of comfort food in all the eating places I missed – Via Mare, Chili’s, Italianni’s, Café Mediterranean, Mary Grace, Almon Marina, Pancake House, French Baker, Sweet Inspiration, Larry’s Bar. “Hay naku”, don’t get me started. Thank heavens, so far I am not gaining weight.
Till next issue – take care!