Four Artists Explore the Piano’s Possibilities
Live Soundscapes by Joseph John L. Verallo | September 8, 2025
On September 6, 2025, four award-winning pianists, Najib Ismail, Pauline Aguila, Nathan Gemina, and Michael Valenciano, played at Yamaha Music Greenhills, LGI Bldg., San Juan City. The venue was a small, intimate hall whose warm lighting illuminated two pianos sitting neatly in the middle. Quite literally, the performers were the center of attention as the audience sat on chairs encircling the pianos. As the lights dimmed, the four pianists walked to the center to play their program entirely of piano duos.
Although part of the piano duo’s reputation is as a substitute for an orchestra, the form contains many original works. What stood out in the program, however, was the large number of arrangements originally composed for other instrumentations. This choice could be seen almost as a challenge, as if to say the piano contained just as much tonal depth and variety to compare with larger ensembles.
The evening opened with the four pianists playing Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute. The choice of Mozart’s “Overture” as the program opener was a wise one. Its appeal and lightness of sound could easily appease a general audience. The piece introduced the music with a gradual buildup of chords that abruptly shifted to a fast-paced theme, Mozart’s signature playfulness. Every iteration of this theme by each pianist was distinct, displaying both the individuality and cooperative spirit of each artist. The number was a safe but successful introduction to the rest of the program.
After departing from the overture, pianists Aguila and Valenciano returned to play two cantatas by Bach. Aguila began the beautiful and reverent theme of “Sleepers Awake,” displaying a masterful control of dynamics that distinguished and shaped each musical phrase. On both numbers, each pianist played with a finely-tuned coordination, knowing when to stand out and when to give way. The result was a crystal clear texture that brought out Bach’s contrapuntal style.
Cesar Franck’s Prelude, Fugue, and Variation played by pianists Ismail and Aguila stood out as the program’s most introspective number. Originally composed for organ, the piece begins with a subtly melancholic theme. The piano’s timbre gave the melody a yearning tone, transforming the piece into something significantly more romantic in style. Other moments that elicited this mood were the prelude’s bass octaves that beckoned each time they sounded.
The playful entrance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Pas redoublé, first given by Ismail and Gemina, was a stark contrast to the previous number. Although written for piano four-hands, the piece, with its title referencing a fast-paced military march, is commonly arranged for ensemble. This arrangement for eight hands had its own charm, with the bright sound of the piano pouring out a colorful fountain of tones that concluded the first half of the program.
Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise was composed in 1915 for voice with piano accompaniment. Other common arrangements use equally lyrical instruments such as the violin or cello. Far from this, the piano’s percussive tones create the opposite effect of a soprano’s or violin’s fluid lyricism. The strength of this arrangement for eight hands, however, was the harmonic depth that echoed with the tender melody that shifted continuously between registers and between each pianist.
The energy that Ismail and Valenciano presented to the audience while playing Piazzolla’s Libertango was utterly captivating. Together, Valenciano’s improvisatory jazz-like flurries, accompanied by Ismail, created a sonic partnership that almost seemed to materialize into a dance. Both managed to impressively maintain their initial energy to the end, displaying feats of showmanship and virtuosity that escalated into a crescendo before ending with a well-timed chord.
Composed for solo piano, Debussy’s “Clair de lune” is perhaps one of the most played and celebrated pieces of music. Unfortunately, this arrangement for two pianos did not add any significant factor to the composer’s original work. As such, it was the weakest number of the program in terms of capitalizing on the piano duo’s sonic possibilities.
Arthur Benjamin’s “Jamaican Rhumba” is another playful number, played this time by Aguila and Gemina. The piece is light and quite brief, constituting a moment of playful interaction between these two pianists. Seeing their staccato bursts on the keys was a sight to enjoy.
Another piece initially composed for solo piano, Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess is a deeply sentimental work. Unlike with “Clair de lune,” this arrangement added more layers to the piece’s texture. Ismail and Gemina artistically balanced the melody with the arrangement’s richer accompaniment, all the while timing their rubatos perfectly.
Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 was played by all four pianists to conclude the evening. Remaining true to the spirit of Liszt’s showmanship, each pianist was given moments to show off his/her virtuosity with the piece’s many flourishes. The rhapsody elicited a variety of moods, from a bold, almost regal entrance to a whimsical ending that erupts into an array of colors. Each pianist contributed to the various shades and tones of music that lit up the room.
But the performers were not done yet. Returning to the pianos one last time, they treated the audience to an encore of Schubert’s famous “March Militaire.” Another playful piece, this March served as one final display of the musical camaraderie on the piano.
The evening safely balanced light, upbeat works with ones more contemplative but not so deep as to bore its audience. Its program was a diverse range of tastes, spanning different eras with contrasting styles and moods. As such, I imagine a wide variety of music enthusiasts would enjoy such an event.
