MUTYA NG PASIG
(Jewel of the Pasig River)

Composed in 1926, Mutya ng Pasig in the words of noted Filipino composer Dr. Ramon Santos, “does not only show Nicanor Abelardo’s linguistic and poetic mastery but also his visual sense in the way he used the musical texture in painting the transforming scenarios of the song.” Abelardo pioneered nationalistic expression in Philippine music and is a much-revered composer by his countrymen. His art song Mutya ng Pasig epitomizes the essence of the kumintang, a pre-Hispanic song form that is said to embody the deepest aesthetic consciousness of the Filipino psyche. It is unique in the sense that it draws from two perspectives: the narrator-poet Abelardo, and the river nymph. When sung, it therefore demands that the singer take on a dual identity and to reveal this duality through a highly sensitive musical delivery.

The rich resonance of the guitar lends itself perfectly to the intense lyricism, mysticism, and artistic sophistication of this immortal song.