Opera in praise of the late King
The weekend’s ‘Phra Nemiraj’ performances coincide with the 100th day of mourning
“Phra Nemiraj”, the latest opera in the ambitious series “DasJati: Ten Lives of the Buddha” being composed by Somtow Sucharitkul, is being staged Friday through Sunday to coincide with the 100th day of mourning for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Perfectly fitting the occasion, the opera – being presented by the government’s Department of Cultural Promotion at the Thailand Cultural Centre – depicts a dhammaraja so immersed in the dharma that he is called him to Heaven to preach to the angels themselves.
Jak Cholvijarn in the title role heads a cast of more than 200 performers, including many celebrities in cameo roles.
In “DasJati: Ten Lives of the Buddha”, Somtow Sucharitkul is adapting for the musical stage all 10 of the lives of the Buddha from the sacred chronicles. The Nikkei Asian Weekly has assessed the undertaking as “the largest integrated work in classical music – ever” and London-based magazine Opera Now called it “the largest classical music work of all time”.
Somtow expects the series, once complete, to form “a lasting memorial to this country and to the Chakri Dynasty”. It will be performed in Thailand in a regular triennial cycle starting in 2020, he says, and employ artists, designers, musicians, conductors, singers and dancers “for centuries to come”.
Somtow’s ambition outstrips even that of Richard Wagner, the great 19th-century German composer whose four-part Ring Cycle is presented annually in Bayreuth, Germany, for which tickets must be reserved 10 years in advance.
Somtow anticipates that “DasJati” will “completely redraw the world’s cultural map with a new hub in Thailand”.
Previous episodes in the series have already been performed all over the world, premiering in Houston, Texas, in the US and mostly recently to critical acclaim in Germany and Czech Republic, where the shows coincided with Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday.
A MARVEL FREE TO SEE
- Admission is free, but seats must be reserved in advance. Visit OperaSiam.com or DasJati.com for more information
