We are half way through the baroque festival. I am delighted with the overwhelming and enthusiastic response elicited by the public who have, one and all, vindicated my confidence that yes, there is a demand for baroque music and that yes, celebrating our capital city does make sense. I am delighted that I can look at all those people who supported the idea, primarily the Government, in the eye and tell them that the gamble they took at my instigation has paid off.

Initially faced with an understandable degree of scepticism- Kenneth Zammit Tabona

The intellectual and cultural spinoffs for us will bear fruit. In addition, the people who came from overseas especially for the festival and who have marvelled at the treasures found in the various Valletta venues used are our best advertisements who will ensure that next year’s festival will be even better than this year’s despite the very narrow margin left for improvement. Therefore one can look at a serious festival like the Valletta International Baroque Festival as a long-term investment which will reap all sorts of dividends.

The two concerts by the Malta Philharmonic and violinist Carmine Lauri at the Palace started the festival off with a bang. Having the Quattro Stagioni played was a treat rarely enjoyed but to have them preceded by Bach’s Double Violin Concerto where Carmine Lauri was joined by violinist Emmanuela Buta was a concert made in heaven. Add to that, Gluck’s ethereal Dance of the Blessed Spirits and it was utterly sublime. Johann Christian Bach’s opera Zanaida may not have been tremendously sound as a plot; but then very few operas are, however the singing was top notch and the costumes a complete dream. Paris-based Opera Fuoco did us proud.

Then we had the Sainte Folie Fantastique playing at that lovely little All Souls’ Church in Merchants Street. Arnaud Depasquale on the harpsichord which the festival purchased off him last year accompanied by his friends Lucile Boulanger on the viola da gamba, Jerome van Waerbeke and Sabine Carnot on violins playing Purcell and Corelli Trio Sonatas. It was magical. I am writing on Sunday night after attending one of the two Toi Toi events especially orchestrated by Rosetta Debattista for the festival where children had the opportunity of not only listening to baroque instruments like clavichords, gambas and harpsichords but having a bash at playing them too.

Then two performances in the early afternoon by the Anon Ensemble and the Goldberg Choir under Michael Laus’s direction culminating in an absolutely lovely Vivaldi Credo perfumed in the reflection of two splendiferous Caravaggios in the Oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral. When, just over a year ago, I was selling the idea of having this baroque festival in a baroque city, I was faced with an understandable degree of scepticism. I was told that I would never be able to tear the Maltese concert-going public from the entrapment of Verdi and Puccini and that an entire two-week festival being a success was wishful thinking. I however persisted as I strongly believe that there are only two types of music: good and bad! I am delighted that so far it appears that the Maltese concert-going public agrees with me and that all performances so far have been overwhelmingly patronised.

The Jeune Orchestre Atlantique performs tonight at the Teatru Manoel while tomorrow the choir Cappella Sancta Catherinae will perform at the All Souls’ Church.

Thursday marks the high point of the festival with a performance by the famous Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at St John’s Co-Cathedral with a programme to die for: Bach’s third orchestral suite and Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Zadok the Priest. The concert is being filmed by Mezzo TV and will, for a year at least be transmitted in 27 countries. Not only will Malta be known as the venue of a new and exciting festival but can you imagine how stunning St John’s Co-Cathedral will took on TV?

We have The New Century Baroque on Friday at the austerely mannerist Jesuits Church and two performances of Molière’s Don Juan at Teatru Manoel on Saturday and Sunday in Maltese but with English subtitles. Wayne Marshall will then make the main nave of St John’s Co-Cathedral reverberate with a virtuoso organ recital of works exclusively by the divine JS Bach on Sunday afternoon at 3pm.

The Malta Philharmonic will be performing on Tuesday with Australian countertenor David Hansen while the Combattimento Consort from Amsterdam will be performing Telemann’s opera Pimpinone at the Palace on Wednesday next week and an all Bach programme on Thursday under the baton of Jan Willem de Vriend.

The mercurial Christophe Rousset, mostly seen conducting at Versailles, will be directing Les Talens Lyriques in Handel’s Terpsichore on the 25th at Teatru Manoel while a Grand Baroque Ball at the theatre will bring this first edition of the Valletta International Baroque Festival to a close on Saturday night.

Despite the ever present Ghost of Banquo; the looming election, sitting among us, holding out the Sword of Damocles over our hapless heads, people have decided to put their preoccupations aside and for a couple of hours every evening let themselves be engulfed in the elegance of Handel, the exuberances of Vivaldi, the lushness of Corelli and the divinities of Bach to name but a few composers whose works have been performed with such wonderful virtuosity coupled with a deep sense of musicality that cannot but charm if not entrance the listener to gasp for more.

Thank you all.

Kenneth Zammit Tabona is Artistic Director of the Valletta International Baroque Festival.