Concert
Classics under the Stars
Hadar Halevy, mezzo-soprano;
Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. Brian Schembri
Girgenti Palace

This concert, hosted by the Prime Minister and Mrs Muscat, was in aid of one of the charities they support, one which looks after abandoned animals.

Inquisitors once spent their summers in what is one of Malta’s most beautiful spots, Girgenti. They could also keep an eye on the grandmasters in the neighbouring valley and it is comforting to know that compared to those days, when not even humans had certain rights, music is serving a good purpose to protect those of animals.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra was out in full force under the usual dynamic and zestful direction of Brian Schembri, which made up for the great irritation of having to wait almost half an hour for the concert to begin. Indeed it was beautiful music which wafted across that enchanted spot, the nine-movement Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky being the first on the programme.

The tension and excitement gathered momentum until it exploded in the fiery concluding jota

It was sparkling, colourful and richly rhythmic. After getting attuned to amplification, one could enjoy the music. However, the magic was broken too often as there was misguided and ill-timed applause after every movement. If an audiences need to be spoon-fed, then let the audience be fed.

At least there was nothing ill-timed about the very warm applause accorded to mezzo-soprano Hadar Halevy, who sang two of the most famous pieces for mezzo-soprano from French opera.

The lady has a rich, very mellow voice which she uses extremely well. Her commanding presence, very clear diction and interpretation are very convincing. It was so in the Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen: cynical, flighty, provocative, a free spirit. There was a touch of vibrato here and there which did not surface in the second piece, the maliciously seductive and enchanting Mon Cœeur s’ouvre à ta voix, from Samson et Dalila by Saint-Saëns which sparked off an even warmer round of well-merited applause.

Six movements of a suite from Manuel de Falla’s El Sombrero de Tres Picos concluded the concert, with applause after every movement.

Halevy easily changed style and idiom in her brief solo within the introduction of the suite. The latter went from dance to dance in different times and styles, based on various Spanish dances with all of them brilliantly orchestrated. The tension and excitement gathered momentum until it exploded in the fiery concluding jota.

With the audience calling for more, an encore followed, namely the finale of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.