While the city sang symphonies of tyre screeches and car honks, inside Kuala Lumpur’s oldest shopping centre Sungei Wang Plaza, over 2,000 music aficionados were serenaded to melodies that overshadowed the booming thunder and warmed the chilly night.
Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica (Maksim) brought the house down at Mega Star Arena KL with a comprehensive setlist of dynamic arrangements that was exhilarating, leaving the audience with major post-concert depression.
The show opened with New World Concerto, a rendition of Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No.9 in E Minor “From the New World” Op. 95: Allegro con fuoco, which showed off Maksim’s expertise as a pianist.
Followed by Glorietta, a collaboration between Czech composer Tonci Huljic, the track’s intricate melodies and dynamic rhythms transported the audience to a world where classical and modern music coexist harmoniously.
The 49-year-old pianist further flaunted his skilful piano playing as he tackled Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev with a medley that included the famed Dance of the Knights.
It was at this point when the audience got to see the maestro in his element as his fingers danced through the keys tackling one of the most prolific composers, who is famous for his difficult compositions.
After the electrifying performance, Maksim took a break from the spotlight to shine it on the band that has been the heartbeat of the show.
With a three-song segue set (Victory, Asturias and Fiesta), the mood shifted from Maksim’s intense set to a lighthearted, party atmosphere that is only missing some sangria and nachos with guacamole.
The set gave the audience a breather before returning to Maksim’s dynamic performance with The Mountain King, originally In the Hall of the Mountain King by Norwegian composer and pianist Edvard Grieg.
It beckoned the return to a familiar mystique-filled night brimming with notes of fantasy – it was as if the audience were sucked in into a J.R.R. Tolkien world with an accompanying background score.
After Clocks, Maksim transitioned into playing New Silk Road, shifting the mood of the night into a lighter set, invoking feelings of nostalgia with profound melodrama.
Notes that are normally played using an erhu — a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument — were masterfully emulated by Maksim’s violinists.
After the emotional set, Maksim tackled three of pop culture’s defining soundtracks and songs, Ramin Djawadi’s Game of Thrones, Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean and Abba’s Dancing Queen, showcasing his range — from playing classical pieces to modern music. This set definitely was the most popular among the audience, as they cheered to familiar sounds.
Closing the night with the encore Corrida, which means bullfight in Spanish, Maksim sent off the audience with a sensual, fiery set that left the languorous audience on an adrenaline high.
Accentuated by visuals, even with limited space and access to better surround sound technology, Maksim’s concerto was made special by lighting — for instance, red lighting for intense sets and blue lighting for sombre ones. For a theatre or musical nerd, the clever use of lighting to compensate for an otherwise minimalist stage is a treat to watch.
All in all, Maksim’s concerto is a demonstration of his talent as a musical prodigy who has been in the scene for many years. Audiences that came expecting a dynamic show left satisfied after an exhilarating experience.
