Two Concerts that Worked

Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra

Most public performances are a collaborative effort involving many creators and performers. Sometimes, great talent gets together and things just don’t work out. On Broadway, when all the elements of creative design and execution create the magic that is the goal of any show, the Broadway folks say “it worked,” or “the show worked.” When asked why, they simply say “it worked.”

The same can be said of classical music performances: some work and some just don’t. Two recent concerts at Mahidol Salaya campus are examples of those indefinable elements that coalesce to produce musical magic. Yet, you could make a case that that shouldn’t have occurred. A largely student orchestra, the Thailand Philharmonic, lead by a conductor from a small country, Iceland, young soloists at the beginning of their careers, and a smallish concert hall inconveniently located a one-hour drive from central Bangkok, are not the ingredients of a superb musical cake. But, delicious it was. (Left: Cellist Mee-Hae Ryo)


The “Elgar 4 You” concert pairs on February 12 and 13, featured the Elgar cello concerto performed by the very accomplished Korean soloist, Mee-Hae Ryo, who gave a stirring and meaningful performance of this core work. Beautiful tones, technical prowess, and absorption in the music gave rise to a touching performance of this beautiful work. The same can be said for 29-year old Czech violinist Roman Patocka, who appeared on the “Scandinavian Impressions” concert pairs on February 26 and 27 playing Sibelius’s dark, but beautiful, Violin Concerto, one of the staples of the concert repertory. His prodigious technique was in service to his interpretive insight, which figured out the essential character of the concerto, and his two solo encores left no doubt that his is an artistry that listeners can return to often. (Right: Czech violinist Roman Patochka).

The two large orchestral works gave the orchestra an opportunity to display its gorgeous sound. The very familiar Borodin Symphony No. 2, often played at pops concerts, was robust, fluid and exciting. The Grieg work, Old Norwegian Melody with Variations, was pleasant and forgettable. In both, the strings resonated with deep warmth and the brass and woodwinds were impressive in their accuracy and verve, perhaps overwhelming the strings, a problem of which the conductor is, I’m sure, aware. Guini Emilsson is active and athletic on the podium, but not histrionic, and he must be given credit for shaping this orchestra into the fine sounding ensemble that it has become. (Left: Conductor Guini Emilsson)