TPO performs poignant requiems for King Rama IX

On Saturday and Sunday last week, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra performed the concert “Requiem For King Rama IX” in honour of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Prince Mahidol Hall, Mahidol University, Salaya.

The venue and event were auspicious: Prince Mahidol was studying medicine at Harvard University at the time his son was born in Massachusetts — the son who would become King Rama IX and at one time the world’s longest-reigning living monarch. Prince Mahidol’s name has been attached to Mahidol University, the country’s leading medical training school. Moreover, the College of Music at Mahidol University has become one of the largest and most renowned music schools in Southeast Asia.

Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the country’s leading orchestras, has its home at Prince Mahidol Hall, a worldclass space outstanding for both its architectural design and acoustic quality. Over the past few years, the hall has hosted the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra’s centennial concert, the Hunan Symphony, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, the World Doctor’s Orchestra, the Boston Brass, the Berlin Philharmonic Winds and The Academy of Ancient Music.

In 2018, Prince Mahidol Hall will be welcoming two very special orchestras to Thailand for the first time: the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

The concert Requiem For King Rama IX opened with a Christian prayer service where homage was paid to the late king by five Thai-Christian organisations: the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, the Church of Christ in Thailand, the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand, Thailand Baptist Convention and Seventh-day Adventist Church of Thailand.

Following the service, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, along with five choirs from the Christian organisations and joined by the Mahidol University Chorus, performed selections from the requiems of Mozart, Faure and Verdi, as well as a work by Narong Prangcharoen, Thailand’s foremost classical composer. Narong, who was recently named the new dean at the College of Music, Mahidol University, to succeed Dr Sugree Charoensuk, composed a piece called Kwan For Chorus And Orchestra, which ended with a very gentle pluck by the double base violins, sounding very much like a final heartbeat, so poignant and powerful.

The power and volume of Guiseppi Verdi’s Deas Irae from his Requiem came from the placement of some trumpets in the balconies, giving a 3D aura to the spectacular concert. The soloists for the concert included Thai soprano Sassaya Chevalit, Italian mezzo soprano Martinia Belli, tenor Danilo Formaggia and bass Stefano Rinaldi. All of them were absolutely wonderful.

It is through the efforts of Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, chairman of the TPO Board of Directors — in co-ordination and sponsorship with Christian Unity, composed of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Thailand, Church of Christ in Thailand, Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand, Thailand Baptist Convention and Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Thailand — that made this event possible.

The TPO next season begins in the first week of November and programme information can be found at thailandphil.com.