Although only in its second edition, the Valletta International Baroque Festival is fast becoming an eagerly anticipated event on the local and international cultural calendars.

The first, held in January this year, hosted some 6,000 people, of whom over 1,000 attended the festival’s main concert by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

Apart form the music, the focal point of the festival is that it is held in Valletta, to give the city its due attention. This time, the festival builds on a successful debut, with an enviable line-up of performers and performances, but also with a string of venues that have never been utilised as concert venues before.

The ornate Grand Salon at the Archaeology Museum and the magnificent Jesuit Church are two such examples. Located in Merchants Street, the church is historically and artistically the most important after St John’s Co-Cathedral.

The grand building, with baroque and doric features, is one of the largest in the diocese and is home to great riches. A highlight of this church is one of its eight side chapels, the Onorati, which is stunningly lovely.

With Valletta set to be the capital of culture in 2018, making use of such venues is important. Indeed, the festival will serve to not only give people the opportunity to hear some great performances but will also help put some perhaps forgotten venues on the map and give the city more prominence and exposure to locals and foreigners alike.

Definitely not to be forgotten is the star venue of the festival: St John’s Co-Cathedral, where Bach’s Mass in B Minor will be performed next year. The cathedral was chosen, as it is an apt venue for such war horses of compositions, which are on a monumental scale, in keeping with St John’s. Bach’s Mass will be performed by The English Concert and directed by the renowned Harry Bicket.

This Roman Catholic Mass was composed by the Lutheran J. S. Bach for Augustus the Strong, when the latter was elected King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.

It is one of the greatest Masses in musical history and one of the most awe-inspiring works from the baroque era. It is so long that Bach himself probably never heard it in its entirety.

In addition to the Bach Mass, the festival will feature two other large, religious works: the Monteverdi Vespers and Handel’s Messiah. Having three big, religious works in a festival is rare. Handel’s Messiah will be performed in its original, baroque idiom. What this means is that the ensemble will comprise a small number of players (15) and the choir will also be on a tiny scale, with around 20 choristers.

Another jewel in this festival will be the five performances featuring Jean-Philippe Rameau’s works – 2014 is the 250th anniversary of this composer’s death. He is one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the baroque era.

What is interesting about these performances is that one will include a parody of the opera by Rameau. Entitled Hippolyte & Aricie, ou La Belle-mère amoureuse, the world premiere will be performed with marionettes, live singers and musicians from Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles.

The original opera is based on Racine’s tragedy Phèdre. Rameau’s premiere created controversy because the music was found to be too bizarre and dissonant. However, the opera then hit the charts big time and this parody commemorates its success.

Schoolchildren are being invited to the performances, some of which will also feature interactive workshops. Starting them young is the best introduction to opera and the fact that it is a parody should attract those who don’t usually go.

One aspect of note is the establishment of the Valletta Baroque Festival Ensemble – Malta’s own baroque project. The ensemble, which consists of predominantly Maltese musicians and guided by foreign, baroque specialists, performs music from the Renaissance and baroque periods in a historically informed way on original instruments.

The Valletta International Baroque Festival is organised by the Manoel Theatre and will run from January 10-26.

www.vallettabaroquefestival.com.mt