Recital
Carmine Lauri, Emanuela Buta and members of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
President’s Palace, Valletta
This long-awaited festival, brainchild of artistic director Kenneth Zammit Tabona, got off with two performances of the same programme in the Throne Room of the Palace. Under review here is the second one of them.
In total harmony and intimately attuned in fine rapport with the orchestra, their display of musicianship was memorable
Last Thursday’s performance may have been better because of the highly successful combination of superb soloists and equally well-honed strings of the MPO under the fine direction of Michael Laus, who did so from the harpsichord.
Carmine Lauri and Emanuela Buta were simply great in J.S. Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, BWV 1043. In total harmony and intimately attuned in fine rapport with the orchestra, their display of musicianship was memorable.
Difficult though it may be to say where and how the work’s peak was reached, one would have to opt for the central Largo ma non tanto, in which there was a continuous flow of beautiful music with themes worked upon and recurring with a few subtle differences.
However, the beauty and the impact this movement produces is all the more appreciated when contrasted with the vigorously crisply performed outer movements of what is a perfect structure.
Afterwards, an air of peace and serenity was amply projected in Gluck’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits from his Orfeo et Euridice in which the music ebbed and flowed smoothly. Here the strings were joined by the MPO’s leading flautist Rebecca Hall as well as Fiorella Camilleri, second flute. The former lady played the bulk of the flute writing, at times also in tandem with the other flautist.
Lauri’s performance of Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni was a highly acclaimed one. This was thanks to all the forces involved and for which the soloist was also a veritable tour de force. All the characteristics of the four seasons were musically brought alive in the best way possible. It turned out to be a great collaboration between soloist, strings and continuo/direction. Spring (in E, RV 269) was refreshing and generally full of vigour and bursting with life. Summer (in G minor), with its aptly enervating heat and resulting thunderstorm, could almost be felt in the hall. Autumn (in F, RV 293) tends to be my favourite season of the set and it moved smoothly.
The peasants celebrated the harvest in the opening allegro and the harpsichord alone with strings dominated the adagio molto. As the country folk were merrily dancing in the closing allegro, one of the soloist’s strings snapped.
Like a true professional and quite unperturbed, Lauri left the podium, replaced the string and started the finale afresh, bringing Autumn to an accomplished finish.
High on my list of favourite excerpts is the Largo from Winter (in F minor, RV 297) which was simply exquisite and where one could easily imagine the falling snowflakes just as the patter of rain had been so clearly evoked in the opening allegro. A final burst of energy then brought the cycle to an end.