The second concert at this year’s Bir Miftuħ Festival features the String Ensemble Cincievski, made up of Vincenzo Picone and Matteo Colombo on violin, Matthew Fenech on the viola, Mario Psaila on the violoncello and Gjorgji Cincievski on the double-bass.
All highly-skilled musicians, the five provide their special input to give the ensemble its unique character, that of a newly founded music group focusing on the research, presentation and performance of musical pieces which have been either forgotten with time or simply neglected by other performers.
Another characteristic element of the ensemble is their wish to premiere contemporary works that were originally written for them. In line with the bringing back to life of forgotten pieces, the Cincievski Ensemble will provide a novel performance of George Onslow’s String Quintet Opus 33 and Opus 34.
Onslow (1784-1853) certainly illustrates the fickleness of fame, a perfect example of a great composer whose works have gone into oblivion. He was born to a wealthy family, the son of an English nobleman and French lady.
By many nicknamed ‘The French Beethoven’ , his vast opus of 36 string quartets and 34 string quintets were, during his own lifetime and up to the end of the 19th century, held in the highest regard, particularly in Germany, Austria, France and England where he was regularly placed in the front rank of composers.
His work was admired by both Beethoven and Schubert, the latter modelling his own two cello quintet (D.956) on those of Onslow and not, as is so often claimed, on those of Boccherini.
Schumann and Mendelssohn ranked Onslow’s chamber music with that of the same mastery as Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn.As musical tastes changed after World War I, Onslow’s music, along with that of so many other fine composers, fell into oblivion. He remained virtually unknown up until 1984, the bicentennial of his birth. Since then, his music is slowly being rediscovered, played and recorded.
Onslow’s writing was unique in that he was successfully able to merge the drama of the opera into the chamber music idiom perfected by the Vienna masters. Artists rediscovering his opus, very often place his string quintets among some of the best written in all times.
During the concert, the String Quintet No. 11 in B Flat, Opus 33 and String Quintet No. 12, Opus 34 will be performed.