With brassy bravado, Somtow Sucharitkul claims another victory in his quest to rule all of magnificent Mahler
Since no orchestra in Thailand is large enough to cope with the logistics of this 100-minute symphony, Somtow supplemented the Siam Philharmonic with members of the Siam Sinfonietta (he founded both) to create an ensemble of nearly 100 instrumentalists.
To these were added four choirs from three countries including, significantly, the Hanaciboys Choir from Olomouc in the Czech Republic, the city where 22-year-old Mahler landed one of his first jobs as conductor.
The importance of the event was underscored by the presence of, among other VIPs, the Czech and Austrian consuls, pop star Tik Shiro and children’s-rights activist MR Supinda Chakrabandhu.
The audience of about 500 enjoyed a performance that resounded with sincerity, commitment, energy and a solid understanding of the Mahler idiom.
The overall level of the performance far surpassed what I expected. Not a single musician had ever played the work before, and yet, in just four rehearsals, Somtow instilled in his forces the very essence of Mahler’s great hymn to nature and mankind.
He led them with a sure sense of pacing and keen attention to the myriad instructional details in the score.
Yes, there were some wrong notes and some out-of-tune chords, but these paled beside the almost continuous flow of magical moments, from the powerful opening call for eight horns in unison to the absolutely perfect coordination of two timpanists pounding out the pulse in the symphony’s final, glorious pages.
The brass in particular distinguished themselves: the immaculate playing of principal horn Krit Vikornvonvanich, the beautifully sculpted phrases from the solo trombonist Soraphot Worasaeng, the eloquent poetry of the offstage post horn – played flawlessly on a flugelhorn by Eknarin Mukdasanit – and the powerful support of tuba player Kittikhun Zuantun.
History was made in the fourth of the symphony’s six movements, which calls for a contralto soloist.
In a surprising move, Somtow chose not to have a female sing the role but – probably for the first time ever – a male alto. Purists might object, but Somtow, always on the lookout to give a Thai touch wherever feasible to his work, defended his choice.
“Thailand has a predilection for gender bending,” he said. “With the male alto, I get to play with the idea of the German word mensch in its truest sense of referring to all mankind, men and women alike.
“Also, the otherworldly quality of this voice is an interesting colour to work with.”
And yes, it worked. “Otherworldly” was definitely the word that came to mind with Jak Cholvijarn’s sensitively delivered Nietzschean text.
A work of this length can easily tire the most seasoned professional, but for this youthful band (the ages ranged from 15 to 25, and even the concertmaster, Ruaychai Saengow, is just 19) momentum never flagged.
It seems that no one had told these youngsters just how difficult an assignment they’d accepted, and they acquitted themselves magnificently. Surely this bodes well for the continuing rapid development of Western classical music in Thailand.
Somtow said he was bitten by the Mahler bug in his teens and has been infected with Mahleria ever since. One of his dreams has long been to present the first complete cycle of Mahler’s 10 enormous symphonies in Southeast Asia, and it’s a dream coming true as his cycle continues to unfold.
He’s already presented the Fourth, Fifth and Ninth. Watch for further instalments in this exciting enterprise, a musical landmark in which all Thais can take pride.
Robert Markow is a freelance music critic based in Montreal, Canada. He writes frequently in numerous English-language publications worldwide about musical events in Southeast Asia.