'The only reason I'm famous," said composer Johannes Brahms, the arrogant pride of Viennese music in the 1880s, "is because other people don't respect the very best things. Like Mozart's piano concertos!"
Lucas and Arthur Jussen. Photo © Lucas & Arthur Jussen Official website
Bangkok won't have to choose between Brahms or Mozart since that "very best" -- with a special twist -- will be presented at the Thailand Cultural Centre on March 31 by the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.
Yes, a symphony by Johannes Brahms -- his First Symphony, a monumental work that the supposedly confident composer had been afraid to write for four decades. He had written dozens of quartets, piano pieces, even his famous German Requiem. But Brahms didn't try to compose the piece you'll hear in Bangkok until he was 43 years old.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) 123rf.com
"A symphony," he confessed, "is no joke."
And yes, a Mozart concerto. Yet in this rarest of all occasions, the Mozart Concerto For Two Pianos will be performed by the same kind of musicians for whom Mozart wrote the piece. Bangkok, in fact, could be setting a world record with this performance.
Nobody knows exactly why Mozart wrote this work when he was 23 years old in 1779. Virtually every composer in that era had an aristocratic benefactor, or patron. But Mozart was far too independent, and stubborn. He was probably the first modern freelance composer. So he had to depend on commissions for nearly all his music.
Not, though, this Concerto, which he seemed to have written for love, of another piano prodigy, his beloved sister Nannerl Mozart. He probably whipped off the piece so the two of them could be entertained if some orchestra wanted to play it with them.
And here is the Bangkok connection. Instead of Mozart and his sister, we will have two brothers -- the most esteemed two-brother piano virtuosi in the world -- doing the honours with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.
Lucas and Arthur Jussen, now 22 and 18 years of age, have been performing together for over a decade -- not only in their native Holland, but throughout the world. Lucas had reached the finale of the three-day Rotterdam Piano Festival when he was seven years old.
His brother was chosen as Young Musical Talent of the Year at the National Contest of the Young Musical Talent Foundation in Holland. After studying in Portugal with the renowned Maria João Pires they returned, both studied more piano and contemporary music, and decided that -- for a while -- they would work together.
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) 123rf.com
The result, after performing around the world, was that Lucas and Arthur Jussen received the first ever Concertgebouw Young Talent Award and in 2013 they won the Dutch Audience Award of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
After that, the world was their oyster. The Jussen Brothers have performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Rotterdam and The Hague Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Radio Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as acclaimed international orchestras including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra, MDR Sinfonie Orchester and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
The accolades from the press have been outstanding. Holland's De Telegraf described them as "two souls, one mind", while De Volkskrant wrote: "Under their hands, the two pianos form one flowing instrument."
And the Mozart connection? Wolfgang Amadeus gave most of his own early recitals with his equally talented elder sister Nannerl. In fact, she might have obtained equal fame, but her father decided that being a mere woman she had to stop performing and get married.
Wolfgang's love for her never died and this Two-Piano Concerto shows it in every measure. It is neither profound, nor philosophical. But all three movements are happy, ebullient and gracious -- consistent with the personalities of the Mozart children themselves. And when you listen, think of a lover whispering and then seducing the object of affection. Mozart will take the simplest whispering phrase, and transform it into a seductive graceful theme.
Conducting the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra will be another Dutch artist, Arjan Tien. Mr Tien started his musical life as a duo-fiddle player, both violin and viola. From 1992 to 2005, he was a member of Holland's Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, making his solo debut with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists. But conducting was always on his mind, and after studying in Europe he won First Prize in the International Conducting Master Class in Switzerland.
Arjan Tien. Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Foundation
After that accolade in 1997, he has been busy on four continents, conducting orchestras including the Netherlands Symphony, Belgrade Philharmonic and an ensemble new to this writer, the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic.
More in the mainstream, he has given over 60 world premieres and is principal conductor of the Atheneaum Chamber Orchestra at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, and has recorded for Decca Records, Universal Music, Sony BMG-Heita Records and Brilliant Classics in a wide range of repertoires.
His programme here will start with two of the happiest works, setting the stage with the ebullient Mozart Overture to The Marriage Of Figaro, following with the Mozart Two-Piano Concerto played by his Dutch colleagues the Jussen Brothers.
The grand finale will be Brahms' First Symphony, a very serious work, with a Brahmsian joke at the end.
The reason Brahms could not compose the piece for so long was that he felt "the ghost of Beethoven pursuing me whenever I put a note to paper". Perhaps this is why the last movement has a theme that will appear vaguely familiar, even to those unfamiliar with the First Symphony.
That theme appeared familiar to its first audience in 1877. One member shyly said to the composer backstage: "Excuse me, Herr Brahms, that last theme -- was it wrong for me to think it sounded like the Choral Music from Beethoven's Ninth?"
Brahms glared at the questioner, shook his head and answered: "Of course it does. Any stupid ass can see that." And he walked away as pompous as ever.
