Sunday, November 22, 2009
Culture
Emotions by the sea - Preview
American couple Nancy and Charlie are awaiting retirement. They are also having various problems in their relationship. One day, they are talking...
Kings of Kung Fu - Preview
It's not often that we can be amazed anymore, but hang on to your hat because you're about to be. For after 13 years travelling the world with...
The audience, the music and you - Review
How wonderful to have someone like Igor Stravinsky composing a work to commemorate your wedding anniversary and how even more fabulous to have...
Dazzling Daudet - Review
French pianist Célimène Daudet had a formidable task to carry out in her recital last Friday, when she chose to perform excerpts from the...
Hitting the high Cs - review
St George's Square, Valletta, last Saturday evening looked like the venue for a mega Maltese political mass meeting, with one huge difference -...
Fitting the modern age to the classic Greek form - Review
Passion and power are two elements of Greek drama which have a lasting effect on an audience, in particular when they are personified as the...
The Penis Monologues are coming!
What did you think of The Vagina Monologues? Enjoyed it? Thought it was good fun? Wished for a male counterpart of the play? Well, Trevor Zahra...
Malta Arts Festival - Such overwhelming passion in a little song!
German Lieder is a very specialised genre that is for many an acquired taste. It is overwhelmingly sad, gloomy and fatalistic but, oh, so...
Malta Arts Festival - Poet at the piano
Where were the myriads of Maltese piano students during Pietro De Maria's superb piano recital July 7? And where were all our string players...
Wilde at heart - preview
Curtainraiser's upcoming performance of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is another plunge into the work of the most recognised of Irish...
The stuff nightmares are made of
Wagner's gods have long disappeared into their eternal twilight taking with them the final vestiges of heroism and poetry that in other times and...
Malta Arts Festival - Thoughts on Francis Ebejer
As you entered the beautiful baroque courtyard of the Auberge de Castille you couldn't help feeling somewhat bemused. Everywhere you looked -...
The evolution of the species - preview
What would you do if you were sitting on the sofa with your pets and they started talking to you? Would you just stare at them in disbelief? Would...
Contemporary compositions
The Music Department at the University of Sheffield has enjoyed a long-standing friendship and artistic relationship with Malta thanks to Charles...
Lukewarm pop fever
Icame out at the end of the concert "Pop Fever" performed by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted for the first time by its principal...
Malta Arts Festival - Fascinating array of musical instruments
Surely the Palace Courtyard in Valletta has never been exposed to so many different sounds in so short a timeframe as in this year's Malta Arts...
Malta Arts Festival - Making music happen
WIn half an hour graciously consented exclusively to me, a very accommodating Pietro De Maria, hailed as a poet at the keyboard enthused over the...
Charity with charisma and charm - review
An overwhelming sense of solidarity hallmarked the performance at the Mediterranean Conference Centre held under the distinguished patronage of...
Children's opera
Engelbert Humperdinck's masterpiece Hansel & Gretel was put up by the Drama Troupe in collaboration with the Ian Tomlin School of Music at Napier...
Music from home and abroad
It was a great evening. The sounds of Renzo Spiteri's percussion, of Guo Yue Chinese bamboo flutes (except for one in pure white jade) and Ben...
Maltese novel adapted on stage
If it were ever true that the Maltese theatre community preferred to play it safe and not rock the boat - whether this was due to actual...
Nature through dance
Rhythmic Earth - what an ideal name for Olivia Dow's school show this year. The discipline with which the students danced this year was no...
Malta Arts Festival - Spectacular music-making
Enrico Dindo's performance with the Solisti di Pavia on July 4 played a key note in the Malta Arts Festival and was nothing short of exhilarating....
Malta Arts Festival - Imaginative choreography
Somewhere, choreographed by Julien Lestel, was the opening piece to the Ballet National de Marseille staged as part of the Malta Arts Festival....
Malta Arts Festival - Love to laugh
Anton Chekhov is best known for his dramatic classics. But, as Jo Caruana discovered, his short comedies are a promising blend of laugh-out-loud...
The gods are not mocked - review
One of the very first "serious" plays I remember snatches of was The Bacchae by Euripides performed at the round Greek theatre at what was then St...
Bir Miftuħ Festival - An evening of fine music
The 12th Bir Miftuħ Festival came to an end with a guitar recital by Simon Schembri. The popular guitarist lives in France so it is no...
Movie magic in the air - review
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is certainly being kept on its toes, what with the number of high quality performances and their variety. Within...
Mounting waves of melody - review
There is no doubt that soprano Lydia Caruana has become a star attraction whenever and wherever she performs. The concert held on May 25 was no...
Seriously satirical
Robert Farquhar's seemingly randomly titled play Bad Jazz, as produced by the MADC under the direction of Wesley Ellul, makes for a particularly...
Visions of humanity
Art historian and connoisseur, Dame Françoise Tempra organises several art exhibitions in Malta and abroad. The Tempra Academy is currently...
Moodily classic
This evening, the Casino Maltese, in Valletta, will host the concert Sigmund in a Classical Mood. During the last years we have seen Sigmund...
Happy birthday Infanta!
Teatru Qroqq recently put up a very entertaining children's show, guided and directed by Isabelle Gatt, who is a lecturer for the expressive arts...
A new twist on the classics
The weekend before Easter has become synonymous with the annual dance show by The Dance Workshop. This year's performance, entitled Verve 08, will...
Superb grand concert
The newly fledged National Philharmonic Orchestra, freshly augmented from the National Orchestra treated audiences to a superb grand concert in...
National Orchestra at choir festival
Late last week a very well-attended concert was that featuring the National Orchestra, directed by Michael Laus at the Mediterranean Conference...
Egyptian insights
The presence of Egyptian traditional musicians at The Palace Courtyard in the first half of this month was another valuable contribution to the...
Four actors go mad at the Manoel
Two guitarists walk onto the Manoel Theatre stage for Malta's top guitarist contest. And in vying for the top prize they are prepared to go...
Evenings on Campus
The 16th edition of Evenings on Campus has reached its third week. This year, all activities are being held at the Old University Courtyard in...
Convincingly excellent interpretations
A recital sponsored by MIA was held in the delightful courtyard of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Palazzo Parisio, Valletta on the occasion of...
Victoria Arts Festival - Mainly Puccini evening
The festival has grown and from what I hear there have been some pretty outstanding events in this year's edition and with still more to come. The...
Malta Arts Festival - Don't cry for them Argentina
There must be an explicable reason why Maltese theatre works in English very often sound a lot more convincing when they tell a story that unfolds...
A highly successful evening - review
It had been some time since I heard this duo in action. Although with any live performance nothing is to be taken for granted, there are certain...
The Bard's dark side - preview
Once in a while a piece of theatre guarantees to really grab your attention for all the right reasons and, as Jo Caruana discovered, the MADC's...
A witting, slightly twisted, fast moving play - review
We never cease to be amazed by what the human condition can allow us to do. By human condition, of course, I mean our ability to put reason and...
Bir Miftuħ Festival - Exquisite entertainment
I can hardly think of a more pleasant way of being entertained on a cool summer evening than to be couched in the uniquely welcoming ambience of...
Pianistic bravura - review
Following the marvellous performance by cellist Emilio Colon and pianist Nariagi Sugiura, it was the turn of Matt Rubinstein to wow audiences with...
Pounding sounds of our times - review
The characteristic sound of the music of the 20th and 21st centuries were the essential ingredients of a compelling programme performed by the...
The human condition of displacement - review
The intimacy of Sophie's Space at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, was enhanced by the small number of spectators, as well as the minimal approach...
Review - Wonka world
Teatru Qroqq's educational plays continue this time with an excerpt of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The play explored scenes...
Flute and piano in a cool mood - review
Versatility is one of the attributes any musician could master and muster. This is very much the case with the popular husband and wife duo Silvio...
Grieg, Saint-Saëns and Dvorak
The orchestral concert presented by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Michael Laus - the latest in the series of concerts held...
Supreme voice
Because of an erratic bus service which ill-serves commuters along "my" very busy route, a half-hour wait almost made me miss soprano Claudia...
For adults only!
Minn wara Ż-Żipp, Manoel Theatre
If the saying about women, men, fish and bicycles and their need for each other holds true, then a...
Christ on the Cross
This year I was initiated into the Easter spirit in novel and very rewarding circumstances. The venue provided the setting for a unique event...
BOV Opera Festival - Opera buffa, but where was the fun?
One thing that struck me while watching Rossini's Cenerentola on the opening night of the BOV Opera Festival was the rather cold atmosphere...
A bit of light entertainment
Two couples and no less than eight different situations, in which they acted, interacted and generally kept the audience in fits. Michael Frayn's...
Form over (dys)function
In 2004, I had played the part of Belinda in a Masquerade production of Michael Frayn's Noises Off at the Manoel Theatre. It was a glorious romp...
Passages...
Sinuous... sensuous... seductive... not merely a play on words or obvious alliteration - but words which I find describe the curving contours and...
Chamber music with relish
The Sala Isouard recently provided the venue for the coming together of six highly talented musicians in a programme consisting of two outstanding...
A memorably pleasant evening
I am sure many of you still remember the spectacular Stanley Kubrick film Barry Lyndon, starring Ryan O Neal and Marisa Berenson, way back in...
As good as Goldoni!
I've always wanted to use the word "swashbuckling hero" in an article. But the opportunity has only presented itself now, as I write about the...
Elements developed with passion
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73, known affectionately as "The Emperor", reigns supreme over all Piano Concertos. Coupled...
Laugh out as loud as you can
Witty and swift in responding to my questions, stand-up comedian Silky claims that to be a comedian, "You need a face and a voice. If you haven't...
AFM band performs in international arts festival
The military band of the Armed Forces of Malta took the stage at the prestigious festival of Montepulciano in Italy late last month. The programme...
Cinderella and her match
It is not surprising that after a year of hard work the cast of Cinderella put up a high standard show. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the...
Evenings on Campus goes to Valletta
Evenings on Campus, the summer festival for cultural events, is in its 16th edition.
It comprises five films, two literary evenings, one Italian...
Hitting the mystical spot
The allure of the East has remained strong, as across the water they certainly seem to be on to something. Their cuisine, their lifestyle and -...
Victoria Arts Festival - Waking the dead
It was a very hot and humid night as we made our way through the twisted narrow streets leading to the Basilica of St George for the final concert...
Malta Arts Festival - Powerful festival opener
This year's long-awaited Malta Arts Festival kicked off to a good start albeit not to a full house on Wednesday, July 2 with a chamber music...
A glimpse into the creativity of an endearing personality - review
For those of us who were so dedicatedly and painstakingly taught the principles of harmony by the late Carmelo Pace, the concert held on Tuesday,...
Beggars can't be choosers - preview
The shocking crimes perpetrated by the fascist and dictatorial regimes of the 20th and 21st centuries have found a reflection in a considerable...
Twilight of the gods
Grandmaster Fra Hughes Loubenx de Verdalle was indeed one of the grandest of the frightfully grand rulers of The Sovereign, Military and...
Bir Miftuħ Festival - Mediterranean music of the Middle Ages
This year the 12th edition of the annual Bir Miftuħ International Music Festival held at the Church of Santa Marija of Bir Miftuħ (the...
A formidable performing duo - review
Presented in collaboration with the American Embassy, the performance by cellist Emilio Colon and pianist Nariaki Sugiura held at the Manoel...
Paying tribute to Puccini - review
The Manoel Theatre has been inundated with a spate of excellent concerts, all marking the end of its theatrical season before summer sets...
Riparian entertainment - review
What happens when a human couple, ostensibly relaxing on a beach, is confronted by a pair of giant lizards? When these lizards that materialise...
Review - Picture age
Idon't consider myself to be a narcissist, although I do admit to being tempted by vanity every now and then. However, I'm sure that if we were to...
A story of disgruntled love - preview
After four years going strong, the all female group Dù are working on a new production to be performed at MITP. The Dù theatre girls are the...
Thematically overloaded Olympian strife
Mor, a play in two acts written and directed by Lino Farrugia is being put up on the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Talenti Drama...
Quintessential Monteverdi
Pathos, sorrow, bereavement, the ecstasy of love, war, death: all were present in abundance, and what is more projected with style, verve and...
Dancing with verve
Verve'08 St, Agatha's Auditorium
The Dance Workshop presented its ninth annual dance production in Rabat on March 18 and 19. Entitled Verve '08,...
Going against the norm
Theatrencore's production, In Search of Simone, proved to be an interesting, if not quite elating experience. Writer and director Tyrone Grima has...
BOV Opera Festival - Great one-act plays
The brief BOV Opera Festival ended with a double-bill which included what was a first performance in Malta. This was Nino Rota's La Notte di un...
Taking dance to new levels
Dance Beyond, Dance Council Malta's latest project was innovative in many more ways than one. The event brought together a significant number of...
One is not born a woman, one becomes one
Simone de Beauvoir, one of the most prominent French existentialist philosophers and writers who produced a rich body of writings including works...
Romance and laughter in opera
It is likely that at this moment, somewhere in the world, an audience is watching an opera heroine sing herself to death. She's being stabbed,...
Gloriously entertaining
Have you ever been assailed by a volley of screeches emanating from a singer whose none-too accurate sense of pitch and tone has left you...
A first impression in monochrome
Heritage Malta is currently hosting an exhibition of monochrome works by a newcomer to the art scene. Daniel Spiteri's very first exposure to the...
All about Joey
When a play that nobody had ever seen but that has been whispered about for the last 30 years is finally put up at the Manoel Theatre, people are...
Nutcracker's universal appeal
If there were a ballet that I would unhesitatingly recommend children to be taken to it would definitely be Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Its music...
Great exhibitions revisited
When, way back in 1992, it was felt that enough time had passed to sublimate the paranoia that had been engendered by a socialist regime that was...
All-English fare
For all our close ties with the UK it is very rarely that in the field of classical music local bodies go in for an all-English or British event...
Great script justice
Man has a deep and natural desire to believe in a creator and this need for belief gives us purpose in life. Peter Schaffer's 1973 play, Equus,...
RSS