Kuala Lumpur Guitar Ensemble II - Memories from Bangkok International Guitar Festival 2009 Thailand
Written by Simon Cheong   
Tuesday, 01 December 2009 18:06

16 July 2009 - KL Guitar Ensemble II left for Bangkok from LCCT on an Air Asia flight less one member! I had a fright when Sew Hong told me on the day before that he was falling sick. That was the afternoon of 15 July (Wed)- immediately, I told him to cancel all his classes and rest so that he can be at the airport with us on the 16th. In the evening, I received an SMS from him saying that he is having high fever and will not be able to join us but will rebook his flight for the 17th. With H1N1 (swine flu) spreading and Bangkok was said to be badly hit, if Sew Hong gets on board the plane and at the Bangkok airport he is scanned with a fever, all of us on that flight will probably be quarantined for seven days! What a nightmare!

 

Nevertheless, the three of us crossed immigration without any hitches. Out into the arrival hall, we hoped to see someone there with a placard looking for us but there was none...we looked around for a while and suddenly appears Natarvut. The airport in Bangkok is really b...ig.

 

Natarvut took us to the hotel where the festival was held. It is called Phranakhon Grand View, situated in the historical setting of Thailand's first Teacher's Training Institute, Rajabhat Phranakhon, founded by King Rama V in 1892.

 

17 July 2009 - 9 a.m. - We had a meeting before the competition starts at 10.00. It was a relieve for us to know that Sew Hong was well and was on his way to the airport.

 

The Bangkok International Guitar Festival 2009 had 19 participants. I was told that there were some participants from Russia, Korea, Taiwan, etc but they withdrew due to the economic situation as well as H1N1 scare. So the sole international participant was a 15 year old boy from Indonesia. There were 9 participants who were below 17 and the rest I believe do not pass the 25 year old mark.

 

Overall, the standard of the participants were comparatively high with only one that stood out sorely as very poor. Majority played 2 to 3 pieces and Usher Waltz by Nikita Koshkin seemed to be the unofficial set piece appearing to be a favourite. The repertoire played were like Koskin's Usher Waltz, Mertz Elegie, Bach Fugue in A minor, Domeniconi's Koyunbaba, Albeniz Asturias, Frank Martin's 4 Pieves Breves, etc. The majority played the guitar as I would term as 'guitarist guitarist' but there a handful that did things to their music showing a sense of musicianship these I term 'guitarist musician'. Of the 19 participants, I presume that there were only about 5 that didn't quite have it while 5 were beyond doubt to be winners, the balance were not too bad indeed showing ability to play the guitar although needing more work and knowledge. The guitars used were of good quality instruments except for a few.

 

The ones that were doing something to their music were Pitchawat Assawarungsrilkul but unfortunately he did not have a technique to support his ideas with many awkwardness in the shaping of his phrases. With proper guidance I am sure he can be pretty good with good taste in his articulations. The next is the 3rd prize winner Tanist Saengwichai (17 years old), very secure and strong technique but in the Villa-Lobos Etude 11 the middle sections rhythm was not sufficiently realised, whilst his Usher Waltz was played a little too fast with a lack of understanding to the psychotic moods in the piece (I doubt any of the others who played this had any inkling as well despite having the ability to move their fingers really well). But really a very promising player. Oh yes, he made good of a not too good guitar but he should have used new strings!

 

The Indonesian Stephan Lukman, 15 years old, played Frank Martin's 4 Pieves Breves. Speaking with his father, I was told that he paid 6000Euros for this Antonio Marin guitar if I remember correctly. Although he was playing the piece, from what I can hear without the score to be correct, I felt that his playing was quite flat and he did not know how to make sounds. The shaping and articulations somehow did not quite come through but then again he played with full confidence and pretty well, granting him a 2nd prize.

 

Irin Prechanvinit had a very likeable personality at least to me and it came along with a very commendable performance. She was doing quite a bit with her music, feeling her music well and I like the way she played although marred by quite a few poorly articulated notes (muffled, chipped off notes and buzzes). Her Tarantella was well played to me except for the fact that she did not really know what the feelings should be which Alesio Monti pointed that she did not quite capture the spirit of the fun natured air in this dance and played it too seriously.

 

Hitoshi Mayashita, 17 years old. Despite a Japanese name, he is as Thai as Thai can be. He is definitely a clear winner with good musicianship and good taste playing with command. Having a good sense of form and structure. I would prefer to have a better interpretive perspective in certain passages but then again it is only my perspective.

 

Of worthy mention is Napattorn Churaitasanee, 17 years old. He had a solid technique but the Usher Waltz was played too fast. He played Barrios Un Sueno en la Floresta well with good feeling and style.

 

Here are some photos of the competition. Sew Hong arrived in time to help us take some photos with my Nokia N82 as he did not have his camera with him.

 

1 2 3 4 5
         
6 7 8 9 10

 

18 July 2009 - A two day festival, here we are in a concert day with the concert starting at 3 p.m. ending 8.30. with nine performance having a half-an-hour break in between ... a marathon!? When I asked Natavut, he says that this is the first year he is trying out the festival this way. In his past experiences of organising this festival, there was not enough audience for the normal one-and-the-half-hour concert programme. The lack of audience for too many concerts in a row is very understandable as the classical guitar is a specialist subject and as with all specialist subjects, the following, will not be like anything that is popular! Looking at it again, the classical guitar is a specialist subject in the specialist subject of Classical Music! The lack of audience is apparent all over the world for classical music with the very strong presence of commercial/popular music with its marketing strategies that reeks of  money supported by the media (Radio and TV). Worst still are governments endorsing the popular appeal for want of votes for the economy since it is big money neglecting the interest of music as an art form. What a sad state of affair we are in...

 

Anyways, the concert started with Natavut Ratanakarn after the welcome speech, then the appearance of the winner of the Bangkok International Guitar Competition 2009 Hitoshi Mayashita. Following on, Worakarn Saengsomboon played ending with Silpakorn Lady Guitar. A half hour interval and then  Alessio Monti from Italy played, then Ponpat Pongpradit followed by Chavaged Madsakulrat. Another half an hour intermission, then came Grigory Novikov from Russia and given the honors to end the festival, KL Guitar Ensemble II from Malaysia.

 

Here are some photos, unfortunately, not too complete as some of the performers pictures seem to be missing.

 

                                 
    11           12           13           14

 

Fittingly the organiser, Natavut Ratanakarn (pic 11) started the concert. Part of the being a 1st prize winner's purse, Hitoshi Mayashita (pic 12) appearing to play his winning programme. Here is another Thai guitarist Worakarn Saengsomboon (pic 13) and a trio of ladies - Silpakorn Lady Guitar (pic 14).

 

                                     
                  15           16           17

 

After the interval, Alessio Monti (pic 15) played on his modified guitar as his own compositions requires the extra strings. Ponpat Pongpradit (pic 16) was the 1st prize winner of the Singapore International Guitar Competition 2008. Unfortunately, as KLGE II had to start getting themselves ready for their appearance, Chavaged Madsakulrat's photo was not taken. Our apology to the viewers of this website and to Chavaged Madsakulrat for not having his photo appear in our pages. Sew Hong had to look out for someone who could use his very expensive camera to take our photos as well during his performance. An intermission of half an hour passed and the Russian Grigory Novikov (pic 17) took to the stage.

 

                               
            18           19           20

 

Finally, it was our turn. I must admit that the waiting and sitting down listening to the others perform was quite tiring. I did mention this to Natavut and he said that he will improve on this presentation next year. 18. Ernest presenting John Duarte's Variations on a Malaysian Song, 19. KLGE II and 20. Simon's solo. We were given the honors of closing the festival and we thanked the organisers for inviting us.

 

21

 

A final photo of all the performers, organisers and sponsors.