Breaking out in cold sweat more than watching mad scientists' eerie experiments in horror films is witnessing the ruthless ambition of Dr Arun, the mad conductor played by Somtow Sucharitkul in The Maestro: A Symphony Of Terror in which the pandemic has driven the music master/madman up the wall.
While best known as the foremost opera composer on the classical music scene, Somtow has kept young musicians of the Siam Sinfonietta busy via this unique film project. He pitched the idea to an old friend and film director Paul Spurrier. The result is a groundbreaking horror genre B-movie narrating Dr Arun's late-life crisis, whose career is in the doldrums due to coronavirus lockdown as he attempts to compose and conduct his magnum opus. The film, which is the first Thai film with a full orchestral soundtrack, has already won eight international awards, with the climactic finale scene being broadcast throughout Europe as part of the World Opera Day celebrations. Guru speaks to Somtow about the return to his roots in film production and the stories behind The Maestro: A Symphony Of Terror. Go to bit.ly/3JsFC4D to watch the official trailer.
