Nicanor Abelardo - Mutya ng Pasig (audio + sheet music) 

This kumintang was inspired by a carnival along the Pasig in 1926. The celebration moved Nicanor Abelardo who made an allusion to the mythical past with its bygone splendor. In the song, the mutya speaks, in the light of the full moon, lamenting her kingdom and love that was lost, symbolizing the freedom lost by the country to the Americans. This song was arranged by Abelardo for full orchestra, then it was also arranged by Elsa O‘Farrel for chamber music orchestra in 1941.
The song was made a title of a movie and the music became its soundtrack. It was directed by Richard Abelardo, brother of Nicanor Abelardo. Mutya ng Pasig the movie was a supernatural melodrama of a woman's misfortune and suffering interwoven with the legend of the Pasig. Part of the charm of watching the movie today is witnessing the habitable state of the Pasig River a few decades ago. The film opens during the town’s fiesta where the citizenry were in hordes and some of them floating in the river’s sparkling waters. It is unthinkable today since the waters have lost its sparkle with the accumulation of grease, trash, and other stuff throughout the years.
(CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Amused Of Pasig)
Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry.
Original audio: • Mutya ng Pasig - Conc...
(Performance by: Conchita Rosal, accompanied by the Villar Symphonette conducted by Leopoldo Silos)
Original sheet music: drive.google.c...