The romantic themes sung by Crisostomo Ibarra in Noli were reworked in El Fili to be darker and more violent sung by Simoun. The composer found himself more at liberty to make the music more reflective of the novel's intentions. The music of El Fili had a more intense and contemporary style, compared to de Leon's Noli written about a decade and a half earlier. Arsenio the stage director, and Teresita Agana-Santos the chorus director. Jovita Fuentes was the chairman and producer of the opera, Jaime V. The work was premiered on Novemat the CCP Main Theater with the composer conducting the CCP Philharmonic Orchestra. The libretto by Antony Morli was the first prize winner for a libretto contest sponsored by the Musical Promotional Foundation of the Philippines held in 1966.
