Contrasting pieces, beautifully played | Bangkok Post: Arts & Culture

The Bangkok's 12th International Festival of Dance and Music launched its first symphony orchestra concert on September 12 at the Thailand Culture Centre featuring the Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra conducted by Teodor Currentzis. Although the house was not full, the evening's atmosphere was bright and upbeat.

The evening's programme consisted of two well-known symphonies, from different musical styles and eras, but regarded as significant in music history.

Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 in D Major Op. 25, which was composed during 1916 and 1917, exhibits the composer's sharp and witty imagination to create such a work that is regarded as a forerunner of the neoclassical style. The nickname Classical Symphony given by the composer reflects his interest at the time on the musical trend of the classic era, especially Franz Joseph Haydn who is sometimes referred to as the father of the symphony.