Tribute to the 'jewel' of Ayutthaya

Grand concert a chance to share admiration for Pridi Banomyong, his life, and his art

Sadabpin Ratanaruang

13 May 2000

Last Tuesday's "Pridi Gitanusara" concert at the Thailand Cultural Centre was one of the musical highlights of the year, with two works premiered by Thai composers. The event was a tribute leading to a grand celebration in honour of Pridi Banomyong's centennial birthday anniversary on May 11.

Presented by the Committee for the Celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of Senior Statesman Professor Dr Pridi Banomyong, the concert featured the 250-member 11 May Choir and the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Somtow Sucharitkul.

The programme included works dedicated or related to the life and work of the senior statesman. It opened with Beethoven's well-known Fidelio Overture, Op 72, the heroic and idealistic sentiments of which seemed quite appropriate for this special event.

The overture was followed by a piece entitled Sri Ayutthaya by Phra Chen Duriyang. The rarely heard music was originally part of the soundtrack to The King of the White Elephant, a film written and directed by Dr Pridi in 1940.

The piece was a free adaptation and arrangement of many traditional Thai tunes. On the whole, the music was simple, yet exquisitely composed and rearranged and beautifully rendered by the BSO. The piece was especially well chosen since its title, meaning "gems of Ayutthaya", is an appropriate epithet for Dr Pridi himself, born in Ayutthaya and truly a gem of our nation.

Its revival here also revealed the statesman's artistic inclination, an aspect of his character not well known to the general public.

The first part of the programme ended with a choral piece entitled A Worthy Man, a premiere written for the occasion by Dr Chariyawat Santaputra and Kaiwan Kulwatanothai, who also conducted the a cappella chorus. A simple choral piece with a duet of solo tenor and soprano in the middle, it was performed impressively by the choir, whose full and resonating sound and perfect diction brought meaning beyond the written words. Such clear diction, in which every word was heard and understood, is not easy for such a huge chorus to achieve.

The second part of the programme was Pridi Gitanusara (a musical tribute in memory of Pridi) by Somtow Sucharitkul. The much-awaited premiere was a large symphonic work written in the traditional four-movement structure, with vocal forces (solos as well as chorus) freely incorporated. It was no less accessible and immediately attractive than the composer's Mahajanaka Symphony, premiered last year as a tribute to His Majesty the King on his sixth-cycle birthday.

The overall style of the work was very much in line, acoustically as well as conceptually, with the European Romantic musical tradition, with some excursion into oriental themes. The work was heavily programmatic, with each movement describing or relating to certain aspects or episodes in Dr Pridi's life and work.

The two inner movements, a lively scherzo and a lullaby, were particularly interesting and praiseworthy. The second movement scherzo started with a long ostinato (a recurring repetition of a musical pattern) based on a Japanese motif played mainly by the woodwinds and percussion. The idea was to portray the Japanese advance upon and occupation of Thailand during World War Two.

The orchestra delivered the long ostinato superbly, with unfailing energy and spirit. The following slow trio featured a very poetic, yet melancholic melody, beautifully played by the strings. The ostinato passage wittily returned to end the movement. Even without the underlying structure, this ingenious movement seemed musically complete in itself.

The third movement was a simple yet extremely moving aria for a duet of mezzo-soprano and soprano, accompanied by the orchestra. The soloists were Dusadee Banomyong and Issariya Koopraserth. Ms Dusadee was perhaps the best choice for a soloist, since she is one of the best singers in this country and also Dr Pridi's daughter. She gave a deeply touching interpretation of the moving lullaby in the Chinese style, depicting Dr Pridi's 21-year exile in China. When she sang the words, "My father, do not weep. For the homeland will keep", I, for one, certainly did weep.

This movement could also stand by itself, even without the underlying story.

The outer two movements, although skilfully written, were really Gustav Mahler movements in thin disguise, with the long, soaring melodies of the opening funeral march suggesting transcendence and a superhuman ideal. In fact, the Mahler influence served this specific commission well, but with more conviction and confidence in the realisation of this gigantic work, the opening and final movements could have been more powerful.

All in all, judging from the rapturous applause, the concert certainly did provide the audience, who came with deep respect for Dr Pridi, with a musical treat in which they could share their feelings about one of the greatest men Thailand has ever produced.

Bangkok Post