A Resplendent Evening of Mozart

A Resplendent Evening of Mozart

(By courtesy of the Siam Society)

By Jai Pee

Whenever Tasana Nagavajara and Pornphan Banternghansa put their violin and pianistic talents together there are sure to be fireworks! And such was the case when this gifted duo came together on July 22^nd at the Siam Society for an evening of violin and piano sonatas by that musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This was the first in a series of recitals featuring all Mozart’s violin and piano sonatas by Tasana and Pornphan. And the musical fireworks began right from the start of their program in the very early sonata K6, written when Mozart was around 7 years old and performed in Paris in a public recital with his sister Nanerl in April 1764. The performance on July 22^nd was glittering with both artists bringing out the youthful exuberance of the music in a carefully controlled yet energetic way. Mozart was careful to call these sonatas works for violin and piano since it was his intention to give equal weight to both instruments – and how marvelously he succeeded in his scoring and how wonderfully well the two performers were in capturing that very issue throughout their recital. The next works in the recital were two of Mozart’s Mannheim sonatas, K305 and K306 written when the 21 year old was madly in love with Aloysia Weber in 1777/8 – and that passion and excitement that Mozart was feeling were splendidly captured by Tasana and Pornphan, especially in the final and robust variation of the second movement of the K305 and throughout the incredibly beautiful K306 – the andantino, marked by the composer ‘sostenuto e cantabile’ came across as a vivid dream, the violin soaring above the delicate touches and flourishes on the piano to give the audience a deeper insight into this remarkable piece so elegantly performed. The final flourish came with the B flat sonata K378, numbered among those he wrote when he first settled in Vienna in 1781 but in fact now believed to have been written in Salzburg about the time of the writing of Idomeneo when the composer worked in the service of Archbishop Colloredo – a fiery relationship which ended with Mozart’s resignation a few months later  – but elements of that struggle with witless authority are apparent in the score which has outbursts of vehemence and fervor showing this great composer at the height of his genius, framing his personal unhappiness in a sea of exciting rhythms and musical counterpoint. Once again our two distinguished players not only captured this but they exploited it to the full by giving a tremendously professional and lyrical interpretation which I am sure would have delighted Mozart had he been there! How fortunate we are to have such an opportunity to hear these wonderful works played by such sensitive and introspective performers – we await the next set of sonatas with bated breath!