The Kantilena document represents the earliest attempt to establish Maltese as a proper language and dates back to around 1450.
Although the document is over 500 years old, it was only discovered as recently as 1966, by Godfrey Wettinger and Fr Mikiel Fsadni at the Notarial Archives in Valletta in one of their notarial registers.
Pietru Caxaro’s nephew, Brandano Caxaro, used to work as a notary and it seems the poem had been inserted in the document around 1450.
This attempt at establishing the Maltese language must not have been an easy task for Caxaro, since he was trying to notate a semitic language using a Latin alphabet. Just to give you an idea these are the first two lines of the poem:
“Xideu il cada ye gireni tale nichadithicumMensab fil gueri uele nisab fo homorcom”
Although written in Maltese, in Latin script, it was a very early Maltese that had not yet been influenced much by Italian or English. The poem deals with the notion of loss and the hope to gain, about finding something or someone and the emotions derived by this loss. This issue is as valid today as it was in Caxaro’s time 500 years ago.
This historical work will be brought into a modern day context using modern Maltese poetry, contemporary art music and choreography on Saturday. The music, original concept and production are by Reuben Pace. The poetry is by Charles Flores and Simone Inguanez with choreography by Francesca Tranter, artistic director of Contact Dance Company.
Because the actual poem is the focus of the whole work, the original words will be used both in the acoustic and the electronic medium and also as a visual element. “The old Maltese sounds very different from the modern Maltese and listening to the poem by itself is already an experience,” explains Pace.
Despite Pace’s comment, one cannot ignore the fact that poetry is not exactly the most popular literary medium today. What has been the driving force behind bringing this poem to life?
The actual poem is the focus of the whole work
“As a contemporary composer I do not thrive on popularity nor do I seek it,” answers Pace. “I always aim at sincere and personal artistic creations.” While not wanting to get into arguments about whether poetry is the most popular literary medium or not, Pace makes a poignant comment: “The fact that a person who lived more than 500 years ago is talking and communicating to us through poetry beyond death is a driving force in itself.”
Through its intrinsic allegory, Caxaro’s Kantilena has been given a parallel with a particular modern day issue. Pace explains how all the material in the different art forms use some kind of element from the Kantilena.
The modern Maltese poems, which have been written specifically for this production, link the allegory of the Kantilena to the modern day. The poems also retain some words from the original Kantilena.
The music has been composed in the electro-acoustic medium, that is, there is an instrumental ensemble (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, flute, clarinet, French horn, string quartet, piano, percussion) and a quadrophonic (four channels of audio) electronic part.
The raw material for the electronic part is the spoken and sung old and modern Maltese which is then manipulated. The acoustic part of the music uses a wide range of idioms from medieval to contemporary.
The choreography is inspired by the sound of the spoken old Maltese, which is intriguing to listen to even by itself. The photography and videography also uses material from the Kantilena but elaborates them in the visual medium.
The allegory presented in the Kantilena has a particular personal meaning to Pace, specifically because of a line that states: “Where I thought I had found solid rock, I found loose clay.” As for the rest of us, the poem translates to modern day issues that many of us can relate to in our own way.
Il-Kantilena Karba ta’ 500 sena, Karba ta’ Żmienna will be performed at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, on Saturday at 8pm.