FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

A fitting tribute to the supreme artist

A fitting tribute to the supreme artist

More than 3,000 performers reveal richness of Thai culture in celebration of late monarch’s multi-faceted talents.

AS THE symbolic Royal Cremation of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej began in the evening yesterday, an overwhelming sadness engulfed Sanam Luang and an ocean of black-clad, teary-eyed mourners gathered at the ceremonial ground.
On the northern side of the ceremonial grounds, the air reverberated with memorable music composed by the late monarch, alternating with the classical pipat performed by traditional Thai orchestras, in a final farewell to the revered late monarch.

A fitting tribute to the supreme artist
More than 3,000 artists proudly presented public performances in front of the Royal Crematorium and on three stages situated on the northern side, portraying the greatness of the late King. 
Dating back to the Ayutthaya era, the century-old tradition of public performances was not only aimed at exhibiting the rich Thai culture but also to honour the versatility and multifaceted talents of the late King.

A fitting tribute to the supreme artist
“In order to preserve our rich culture, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn ordered the Culture Ministry to revive all our artistic traditions to honour the late King as the Supreme Artist. His literature is being adapted into traditional Thai dance and modern ballet, while live orchestras will play his compositions,” said drama expert Chaovalit Soonpranon, chairman of the performance committee for the Royal Cremation Ceremony.
HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the symbolic Royal Cremation and the function ended at around 8pm. The performances started later in the evening and were to continue until 6am today, signalling the end of the funeral ceremony.
The special khon performance of the Ramayana epic began at the ceremonial grounds in front of the Royal Crematorium and the Phra Thinang Song Tham pavilion. More than 300 dancers performed the “Phra Ram Crosses the Ocean” and “At the Battlefield” episodes of the ancient epic and wrapped up their performance with the “Blessing Dance” in a tribute to the late King’s dedication to the country. 

A fitting tribute to the supreme artist
This was followed by the commencement of public performances on the three stages with tens of thousands of mourners attending the performances. The shows were scheduled to pause at 10pm when the actual Royal Cremation was to take place and recommence around midnight lasting all night.
The first stage featured the nang yai, or great shadow play, and the khon masked drama of the Ramayana epic performed by the Fine Arts Department and Bunditphatthanasilpa Institute. Another royal khon masked performance under the Support Foundation of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit followed on stage, with other episodes of the epic. Both khon performances brought together 1,400 performers and crew members.
The century-old puppet show hun luang, or the Royal String Puppet, was the highlight on the second stage located near the Supreme Court. 
Also based on the Ramayana, three traditional khon dramatists manipulated the synchronised dancing of the five-metre-tall wooden puppets with 20 strings during a 20-minute prelude. Then hun krabok, or hand-manipulated puppet, followed on stage to perform the story of “Phra Abhai Mani”. 
Other drama performances included the legend of Mahajanaka, Inao (a romance with a Javanese background) and the story of Manorah. Nearly 500 performers, accompanied by a live pipat, or traditional Thai orchestra, performed on the stage.
Memorable musical compositions by the late monarch echoed on the third stage located near Thammasat University.
A live orchestra comprising almost 1,000 musicians, singers and choral singers presented a classical music concert entitled “Tha Keu Doungjai Thai Tua La” (“His Majesty is in the hearts of all Thais of the Land”), featuring music composed by the late King as well as songs honouring him. The highlight opening act featured the neo-classic ballet “Manorah”, based on the late King’s 1961 composition of the same name.
The 29-minute ballet was performed by 99 dancers to the sounds of music by 89 members of the orchestra and another 89 choral singers. The numbers corresponded to the age of the King when he passed away.
The Royal Ballet Manorah is recognised as an East meets West masterpiece, as it blends the classical dance “Phra Suthon-Manorah”, a play from Thailand’s South, with modern ballet. 
The late King composed the “Kinnaree Suite” featuring five tunes – “The Nature Waltz”, “The Hunter”, “The Kinnaee Waltz”, “A Love Story” and “Blue Day”.

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