The huge audience at the Thailand Cultural Centre earlier this month certainly knew that they were in for the rarest of treats when the legendary Russian-born Israeli violinist Maxim Vengerov made his first ever appearance in the second half of an utterly unique concert, performing Prokofiev's ravishingly sublime Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major and Ravel's dazzling Tzigane, while his compatriot pianist colleague Roustem Saïtkoulov -- likewise a top-ranking soloist -- was also on the billing with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra in the first half for another favourite Prokofiev work from his youth, the scintillating Piano Concerto No.3 In C Major. Meanwhile a delightful, unprogrammed surprise encore of sheer brilliance also awaited the capacity crowd at the end of what turned out to be a most generous musical feast par excellence.
Conducted by the inspirational and technically masterful visiting English maestro Douglas Bostock, the concert overall had a strong Russian theme to it, and got under way in fiery fashion with Mussorgsky's brief but powerful tone-poem Night On Bald Mountain. This was played with much gusto by all sections, setting the stage and heightening the sense of excitement very effectively for one of the most fiendishly difficult, yet musically rewarding, of modern piano concertos (which of course Prokofiev wrote for himself to perform). A thoroughly virtuoso work for all concerned, it is a veritable whirlwind ride involving abrupt twists and turns of tempo and atmosphere, all negotiated here with an impressive level of cleanliness and mental focus.
