For many years, HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya has been in attendance at the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra's opening concert of the New Year at the Thailand Cultural Centre. Now a birthday celebration for the RBSO's beloved patron, two classical stars were invited for this special occasion. German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser and South Korean conductor Sunwook Kim established themselves on the international scene at a young age.
Following a vibrant rendition of Happy Birthday, the first half consisted of Dvořák's Cello Concerto In B Minor, considered by many as the epitome of the genre, variously described as "supreme" and "the greatest". The substantial orchestral introduction opened with hushed, brooding clarinets, violas and lower strings before a rapid build-up of tension into the explosive tutti main theme. The second, more lyrical theme is one of the loveliest horn solos in the literature, rendered here with a beautifully sonorous tone by Supreeti Ansvananda.
Playing on his stunning 1694 Andrea Guarneri, Moser's dramatic entry was followed by clearly articulated triple-stopped chords. The dark varnish of the antique cello seemed wholly appropriate for the deep musical tone of the work itself, and indeed, Moser related: "There seem to be so many layers to Guarneri's sound. When you uncover a new layer, you can sense that it still goes deeper and deeper. I can trust that however much pressure or attack I apply, the result always has roundness and quality."
The adagio ma non troppo began with a wondrous tranquillity, performed lovingly by a woodwind choir, but this mood was quickly broken by an orchestral outburst that introduced a quotation from one of Dvořák's earlier songs, now sung by Moser's cello in its high register. This passage relates to an unrequited love from the composer's youth for a certain Josefina Čermáková. In a manner similar to Mozart, he eventually married her younger sister Anna, instead, and the poignancy of this memory seems to permeate throughout. The cadenza was accompanied brilliantly by flutes, the soloist delivering precision double stops simultaneously with left-hand pizzicato, and the movement concluded with exquisite harmonics.
Cello soloist Johannes Moser.
Sheer virtuosity on the part of Moser found its fullest expression in the finale, the rapid-fire passagework dispatched with effortless technique. Concertmaster Bing Han joined for a jubilant duet solo, leading to this masterpiece's heroic denouement -- in the composer's own words: "The finale closes gradually quieter, like a breath, the solo dies away to a softness, then the orchestra ends stormily. That is my idea!"
For an encore, Moser dedicated The Swan by Saint-Saëns to Princess Sirivannavari, whilst Sunwook Kim put down his baton and relocated to the Steinway piano to accompany. The entire auditorium was utterly enraptured.
Conductor Sunwook Kim.
Tchaikovsky's Winter Daydreams followed the interval. A true gem of the repertoire, all fingerprints of the great Russian's mature style are in clear evidence here, whilst exhibiting a youthful freshness that is world's away from the depressed psyche of the Pathétique some two decades later. Rarely does a visiting maestro not use a score for such an expansive piece, but it was a revelation to observe Sunwook Kim conduct this work from memory.
A formidable pianist, his grasp of structure was evident throughout all four movements. The orchestra itself was in fine form, with committed playing and a technical polish which encouraged a rousing ovation from the audience -- a splendid way to usher in 2024 with this first memorable concert of the new season.
