Musicophilia

January 20, 2017

I've lamented before about the cultural void in Pattaya.  Kind of ironic - now that I have time to indulge my passion for the arts, the opportunities are few and far between.  One little oasis is the private home of an expat retired lawyer not far from Pattaya.  His home is a compound of sorts, with one building dedicated to hosting performances of classical music.  It is called Eelswamp, which is the translation of the name of the village where it is located.

I'd been getting regular email notices of their programs for quite some time, but never saw an opportunity to go.  With Tim away in China, it seemed a good opening to make it happen.  Luckily, my friend, Mika, was able to join me.  Her sister was visiting from Japan, and was happy to stay with Mika's little one.

We arrived at Eelswamp a bit early, as word was the place was difficult to find.  We did make one wrong turn, but our trusty driver soon found the way.  The entrance into the place is lovely, looking a bit like an exclusive restaurant or small hotel.  We were asked to leave our shoes at the entrance, and came into a lovely courtyard with a huge, outdoor kitchen area.  Women were preparing food, and a gentleman was selling drinks.  We got a glass of wine and sat at a large table.

Other guests began to arrive, mostly older white men, and a few women - some foreigners, some Thai.  We chatted with a few at our table - gentlemen from Denmark or the Netherlands (I can never keep those straight), a younger Thai man who teaches at a language school, and a woman from Switzerland.  Sadly, when they learned I was American, the conversation inadvertently turned to Trump, as often happens these days.  I did my best Muhammed Ali moves (bob and weave!), and, gladly, talk moved onto the location of the best Danish restaurants in Pattaya.

When it was time to let people into the music room, we waited for our names to be called.  Once called, we stepped to the set of double doors.  Small groups were let inside the first door, and only when the outer door was closed, the inner door could be opened.  Reminded me of the bird or butterfly houses, where they need to keep the inhabitants from escaping.  Apparently this was a climate-control maneuver.

Inside was a cozy room with approximately forty chairs and a baby grand piano at the front.  We took our seats and waited for the sold-out crowd of forty to file in.  The owner of the place gave an introduction of the pianist and the pieces he would perform.  In lieu of a handout, the program was written on a blackboard at the front of the room.

The pianist for the evening had quite an impressive CV.  His biography from the Eelswamp website:

Daniël van der Hoeven (1985) was born in Amerongen, the Netherlands. He studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Netherlands and at the Conservatoire Superieure in Paris.
In 2013, he was the winner of the International J.S. Bach Competition in Würzburg, Germany. In October 2015 he won second place at the Seattle International Piano Competition, competing against 88 other pianists. Other prizes include the YPF National Dutch Piano Competition in 2010 (1st prize and Gold Medal), Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition in 2015 (2nd prize), International Bach Competition Leipzig in 2014 (Bärenreiter prize), as well as finalist diploma at the international piano competitions of Gorizia (Italy) and Malta.
He has performed in Carnegie Hall, New York, the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland. He has recorded two well-received CDs with works by Prokofiev/Bartók and J.S. Bach. Currently he teaches at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. This is Daniel's second visit to Eelswamp. 

This evening he would be performing seven Toccatas by JS Bach, composed in his early twenties.  It was a technically impressive performance in a lovely setting.  Delicious hors d'oeuvres were served  at intermission, and the second half was even more impressive.  I must say, I would have preferred a more varied program, but the evening was lovely and enjoyable nonetheless.  I am anxious to return for more of this food for the soul.

After the concert, we stopped at a place where we knew Inner Soul would be playing - a five-piece Motown, funk and soul band from the US we'd enjoyed before.  A perfect "dessert" after our "main course" at Eelswamp.  Very nice evening!

"don't make me dance!"