The Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra had celebrated the birthday of HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya two days earlier, but on Jan 9 the musical festivities and tributes to the orchestra’s beloved patron continued at the Thailand Cultural Centre, with yet another concert of fine Romantic period Russian masterpieces performed in the presence of the musical Princess.
In association with the Ministry of Culture and B.Grimm, the RBSO presented an exquisite evening titled “L’Essence Féminine De La Musique”, featuring two eminent female musicians who are currently dominating world stages.
Austrian conductor Katharina Wincor is still only in her late 20s, but her confidence on the podium in exceptionally fresh and insightful performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 In B-flat Minor and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic suite Scheherazade was evident throughout.
Piano soloist for the concerto was leading Ukrainian virtuoso Anna Fedorova, acclaimed worldwide for her immaculate technique and highly sensitive playing. A frequent performer at renowned festivals such as Verbier (Switzerland) and Ravinia (USA), she assumes absolute command at the keyboard and gets passionately involved with every phrase of the music she is performing.
We have become so accustomed to hearing Tchaikovsky’s essential warhorse of the piano concerto repertoire that it is always a surprise to be reminded in programme notes that the original dedicatee, the legendary Nikolai Rubinstein, deemed the work unplayable in 1875. It was in fact Hans von Bülow who subsequently performed the premiere in Boston to instant success, immediately establishing it in the core solo repertoire.
That most iconic of openings in the Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso benefited from a superbly rich sounding French horn section, before a bold series of orchestral chords set the stage for the sweeping piano exposition in D-flat major. A tight ensemble between Fedorova and the RBSO was ensured by Wincor from the podium in the ensuing dialogues, ushering in a very sprightly, contrasting Allegro con spirito which unfolded with clear precision. This second theme, inspired by a folk melody from Fedorova’s homeland of the Ukraine, was tender and poetic.
The extremely long, notoriously challenging first movement cadenza was then managed with utter mastery and conviction. Even the most eminent of pianists can falter slightly here during the rapid, filigree passage-work, but this rendition was in fact 100% note perfect — truly awe-inspiring playing.
The hushed opening string pizzicato chords of the following Andante semplice movement are also notorious in terms of precise collective ensemble, but maestro Wincor possesses a wonderfully clear baton technique, resulting here in a well coordinated string section introduction to the most endearingly delicate flute melody, rendered lovingly by Teerat Ketmee. This gorgeous bed of sound provided the ideal platform for Fedorova to weave a light and pastoral piano line, evoking a dreamy atmosphere which then gave way effortlessly to the middle-section Prestissimo — a delightfully wistful scherzo episode where the string section shone.
The Allegro con fuoco finale burst forth with a taut rhythmic energy, drawing on yet another Ukrainian folk melody. The alternation between virtuosic brilliance and smooth lyrical passages was delivered with admirable fluency by Fedorova, her level of concentration reflected in equal measure by the RBSO ranks as the work reached its ecstatic conclusion.
A novel arrangement of Happy Birthday was then played in honour of Princess Sirivannavari, Fedorova following this with an engrossing encore of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude In B Minor.
Following the interval, Rimsky-Korsakov’s great orchestral showpiece Scheherazade then gave the entire spotlight over to the ranks of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, conducted with impressive authority by Wincor.
Essentially a four-movement dialogue between solo violin concertmaster and tutti orchestra, her pacing of the alternation between Bing Han’s finely played violin episodes and the lush orchestral expanses was expertly handled throughout. It is clearly evident that this Austrian musician possesses a keen, abundant musical intelligence.
The entire orchestra excelled both at the instrument section level and principal level — notably cellist Apichai Leamthong who gave sure support to the myriad textures in The Sea And Sinbad’s Ship; oboist Thanit Keawrak and bassoonist Thanawat Ngosawang whose searing lines sang beautifully in The Story Of The Kalendar Prince and The Young Prince And The Young Princess; and harpist Ema Mitarai with her pivotal role supporting the Scheherazade music of the solo violin as a whole.
The imaginative orchestration of Festival At Baghdad was then fully brought to life by the RBSO, who had performed with impassioned gusto and infectious enthusiasm for the whole evening, suitably concluding in spectacular fashion with The Ship Wreck, before one final expression of Scheherazade’s immortal beauty from the solo violin.
