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This nine-track album opens with his rendition of Vangelis’
“Chariots of Fire.” In this composition, piano music combined
with strings evokes images of the sea, with waves splashing on big
rocks on the shore. However, the beating sound heard after every
four counts are somewhat distracting to the overall mood of the
composition.
One of Ortiz’s winning pieces, “A New Age
Beginning,” comes next. With its grandiose opening, you would drop
whatever you are doing and turn your attention to the music and hear
Ortiz glide his fingers on the piano keys. Its upbeat tempo can make
you dance, but watch out for the fluctuating pace and listen as the
music gains momentum for even more mesmerizing and breathtaking
parts of this original composition. The non-stop energy in “A New
Age Beginning” can inspire you to go and reach for your dreams.
Also in the album is “Pilgrimage,” another
of Ortiz’s winning pieces and original composition. As the title
suggests, the first part of the music evokes images of people in a
religious trance journeying on foot towards a shrine or a grotto,
coupled with sounds of church bells and stringed instruments ringing
in the background. But nearly a couple of minutes throughout the
music, the tempo become upbeat, similar to “A New Age
Beginning,” and Ortiz’s fingers effortlessly gliding on the
piano keys are again heard. This five-minute track slows down at the
end, which brings back the image of people on a pilgrimage.
New age pianist Jim Chappell’s influence on
Ortiz’s music is evident in the fifth track titled “Amore”,
which is similar to Chappell’s “Heartsong.” Purely piano music
and Ortiz’s favorite track in the album, “Amore” is a moving
piece that speaks of intimacy and passion. Accompanying it with an
orchestra would have destroyed this tone.
The next track, “Maria,” is a piece that
Ortiz composed for the Virgin Mary. Except for the entry of a
percussion beat half way through the music, solemnity dominates the
mood of the composition, which is even more reinforced by strings
combined with piano music.
Soft and blissful “Moments” and
“Paradiso” relaxes and makes you meditate. Like “Amore,”
“Moments” is pure piano music—apt for the overall mood of the
composition. On the other hand, “Paradiso” is characterized by a
mellow combination of piano and orchestral music that would make you
think you are in heaven.
The album ends with a bonus track titled
“Forever.” Unlike the other music in the album, “Forever” is
a song composed by Ortiz and sung by George Sison-Tagle of the
all-male tenor group Angelos. The love song’s simple melody and
lyrics would surely make you fall in love.
-- Kristelle Joy Festin and Katherine Mae M. Lopez
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