Suspicious philistine moves

It is now over a week since Kenneth Zammit Tabona's Talking Point contribution, the main thrust of which was the unfortunate situation regarding the homeless Philharmonic Orchestra. There was some reaction to Mr Zammit Tabona's feature. Some of it was encouraging but there was also a lot of flak from some whose minds are closed to anything except dumb approval of what is condescendingly offered from above. It dwindled down to a last comment blogged in a few days ago and that seems to be it.

I waited this long on purpose to see what would happen and what should not be allowed to happen for this kind of dissent to die down. The latter is the hope of those who, at the end of the day, would be able to implement and impose another heavy dose of institutionalised philistinism.

I have followed the vicissitudes of the orchestra a bit longer than Mr Zammit Tabona, from the old days of the Manoel theatre Orchestra in the late 1960s right through the present set-up where we have an orchestra, all the members of which can hold their heads up high and who perform marvellously from classic to pop! Steps which were taken to create the Philharmonic Orchestra were laudable and not to be forgotten. Yet, the situation now is that the same source that made it possible has left the orchestra in the lurch. Homeless, let a spade be called a spade.

It is like bringing a child into the world: "Oh yes mama/papa.... thanks for the gift of life... but now I am on the streets without my own roof over my head". If this is not demoralising I do not know what is. Heavens! Iceland, with a smaller population, puts us to shame.

Our Philharmonic Orchestra deserves and must have a base which it can call its own or else share a base which could be housed in a suitable multi-purpose arts centre.

Naturally, this brings to the fore the other thrust in Mr Zammit Tabona's feature, the Piano project. I personally disagree with having a new Parliament House at the city's entrance and of having a historic fortified city deprived of a gate but sporting a breach. It is the "solution" offered by the roofless theatre that boggles the mind. Agree with it or not, the new Parliament House is not roofless. Our MPs have not opted for agora politics but, nay, the concert-going public is expected to face the winter elements in an open auditorium, bells and the noise of petards going off in the summer.

I cannot imagine how a certain lady from Gozo recently wrote in this paper that visitors from abroad will flock to this new masterpiece of theatre architecture (rather more theatrical!) to enjoy listening to music. Even Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks needs very well-coordinated and controlled effects and could hardly function in such an environment. Yes, I can see people used to sound-proof Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, alla Scala and the Wiener Staatsoper enjoying performances in the projected roofless theatre! A proper, decent, functional and sound-proof auditorium is what we need and what the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra needs as its permanent home, no more, no less and no quibbling.

If the scales do not fall from the eyes, if the wide-eyed ones still act as if they were the blindest of all, then it is true that the Israelites did not destroy the Philistines. The latter survive even if with a small "p" but are doing very well indeed.

It would be unthinkable were one to presume that Renzo Piano was not briefed about local conditions, whether metereological or "cultural" (read bells and petards). How correctly was he briefed? If correctly one couldn't imagine his acquiescence... unless! Mr Piano's genius has worked well elsewhere but what is proposed for Malta is full of holes, the most glaring of which is that above the projected "new" semi-ruined theatre.

Which brings one back to the original point: the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is in the wilderness roaming from place to place. It needs and must have a permanent home and I do not tire myself in saying so. It deserves more widespread support lest one day we shall wake up and find ourselves deprived of it. It would be then too late to strike one's breast pleading alas and alack!

In the long run one could ask why bother in the face of such a rock-wall of rampant philistinism. Joining the ranks of the selfish one could say that one could go abroad occasionally to enjoy what would be lacking. Such obstinacy and obduracy in the face of opposition to part of or the whole project is maddening. I am not one who likes to be suspicious but am forced to think that there is more than meets the eye in this whole affair.