The Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, and the huge audience in attendance at their latest concert at the Thailand Cultural Centre earlier this month, were once again blessed to be in the presence of true musical greatness as world renowned French horn player Stefan Dohr took to the stage for a flawless performance of Richard Strauss' uplifting Horn Concerto No.2 In E-flat Major.
His name instantly recognised among musicians the world over, the excelsior soloist can truly be said to be one of the few living French horn players to have attained genuinely legendary, household-name status in musical circles. A principal member of the Berlin Philharmonic for three decades since 1993, he was handpicked by Claudio Abbado for the same position with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra -- an honour of the highest order -- as well as being regular principal French horn for the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra.
Conducted by Japanese maestro Hikotaro Yazaki, the invigorating concert began with a refreshingly vibrant performance of the Karelia Suite by Sibelius. The rough-hewn character of this piece was conveyed well, its almost naïve, folk-based authenticity and nationalistic character coming across plain and clear. A jaunty opening intermezzo was followed by the ballade, featuring a lovely cor anglais solo, the brief suite then completed with an exhilarating alla marcia which hopped along with a quite charming, delightful lilt.
Strauss' Horn Concerto No.2 represents what can be thought of as an "Indian summer" of composition towards the end of his prolific creative life, by which time he had already fully expressed publicly that he had little or no more to add to music history. Peculiarly, this admission rather precisely defines the joyously carefree nature of the concerto, which never has a dark moment in it -- the music is constantly full of the joie de vivre of a genius who knows he has already completed his life's mission. Stefan Dohr reflected and embodied this level of self-confidence entirely in his masterful interpretation. The opening allegro began with a bold octave E-flat leap followed by an impressive arpeggiated fanfare, the movement then unfolding with a succession of genial episodes marked by an air of serenity.
The endearingly simple and uncomplicated andante con moto featured a sentimental theme, taken over by the oboe in the manner of a gentle cantilena. Pyrotechnics then returned for Dohr and the RBSO in the final rondo: allegro molto, with acrobatic arpeggiation playfully reminiscent of the youthful vigour of Mozart's French horn concerto style. After all, Richard Strauss was almost incapable of writing anything but technically challenging material for all instruments, and increasingly active texture in the score grew and grew towards the most triumphant of celebratory codas. Dohr made the instrument seem to truly sing with a mellifluous ease, with a breathtakingly impressive range of expression and nuance, combined with a deliciously warm, creamy tone.
Equally spectacular was Dvořák's Symphony No.7 in the second half of this concert. Japanese maestro Hikotaro Yazaki is of course very well known to Thai audiences, and is closely associated with the history and development of the RBSO. He has an extremely intimate relationship with the RBSO, having been music director for a whole decade from the 1990s into the new millennium. It has been quite a few years since his last appearance with them, but it was very evident from the outset of this great symphony that an easy, familiar rapport exists between himself and the musicians.
By turns glowingly melodic and searingly turbulent, the first movement allegro maestoso alternated between major and minor modes of equally impassioned intensity. The second movement poco adagio in F major then featured a nicely played theme on clarinet, whilst the third movement scherzo vivace returned to the home key of D minor, punctuated by Dvořák's typically rhythmic character. The last movement allegro was then interpreted so powerfully by Yazaki, and played so beautifully by the members of the RBSO, that one was reminded that this symphony is often regarded by many musicologists to be the composer's greatest -- even finer than No.8 and No.9. As the music moved from the home key to a triumphant tierce de picardie D major at the conclusion, it did indeed feel hard to challenge this bold assertion.
Overall this was an extremely spectacular concert given by the RBSO, as reflected by the thunderous applause of the audience, itself notable for the increasingly large proportion young patrons attracted to such culturally enriching events. Such trends are indeed heartening.
