"After the concert, we started talking, and he complained that I played much slower than the original songs or pieces. He asked, “Why?” That made me think, “Why do I want to play much slower than before?” Because I wanted to hear the resonance. I want to have less notes and more spaces. Spaces, not silence. Space is resonant, is still ringing. I want to enjoy that resonance, to hear it growing, then the next sound, and the next note or harmony can come. That’s exactly what I want."
Gabriel Fauré's Pavane Op. 50 is an example of a song that really turns into something drastically different when played much slower than the prescribed tempo. To me it sounds much better that way. In the case of this rendition of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, it's a bit more subtle though. It really does allow you to hear the strings resonate more like you quoted, and to me, it makes the entire piece sound even more contemplative than it already did.
