Albert Storace reviews the final three concerts of this year’s edition of the Valletta International Baroque Music Festival, experiencing a glorious rendition of well-loved and more obscure classics.

Like all good things, it had to come to an end. Two weeks of lovely music, slowly but surely, drew to a close with the last three concerts taking place at three different venues.

The first of these was also the last held at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta. The performance featured the European Union Baroque Orchestra, a 16-strong, multi-national formation led by Huw Daniel and directed from the harpsichord by Lars Ulrik Mortensen.

These musicians are young but directed and guided by a mature director whose zest and energy are akin to those of a much younger person.

The relationship works very well as could be seen in the crisp and elegantly phrased music.

Although the concert was dubbed Handel and his London friends, one of the great highlights of the evening was Geminiani’s re-working of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso Op, 5, N. 12 as ‘his own’ Concerto Grosso La Follia, Op. 3, N.12.

This was a tour de force for Daniel, who dominated certain variations with his virtuosity as did, to a lesser extent, cellist Guillermo Turina Serrano.

A highly-fitting end

Handel, of course, was represented by his own Concerti Grossi in B flat Major Op. 3, N. 2, HWV 313 and in D Major Op. 6, N.5, HWV 323 respectively.

These are among two of the best in both sets. There was also the brief Overture HWV 336, immediately followed by the Sonata a 5 in B flat Major, HWV 228.

This was another splendid occasion for Daniel to display his prowess and also for all performers to exploit the strong interplay in some distinctly forceful passages.

Less familiar, but nonetheless pleasant and well-honed, was the performance of Johan Heinrich Roman’s Golovinsmusiken Suite and a rare performance (for Malta) of one of William Boyce’s chamber symphonies. This was N. 2 in A Major, performed with the same panache that characterised this concert.

The second of two concerts held at St Publius parish church, Floriana, was presented by a formidable ensemble of musicians from France.

Le Concert Spirituel, directed by Hervé Niquet, was performed brilliantly, one would say despite what must have been an uncomfortable situation.

The musicians’ flight had been delayed by a couple of hours and they started rehearsing almost at once upon arrival. Moreover, they were leaving rather early the following morning.

But as with all true professionals, all this did not detract in any way from the way they performed, beginning with the rare Missa ad Majorem Dei Gloriam by André Campra.

One presumes that this was the first performance of this work in Malta and a very polished one it was.

Its mellifluous melodic lines and wide range of emotions and contrasts projected by the orchestra and all-female chorus augured well for the remaining works in the programme, all of which were by Vivaldi.

In the first two of the latter, Psalms 121 Laetatus sum RV 607 and 113 In exitu Israel RV 604, there was no mistaking that verve and energy which distinguishes Vivaldi, ever fresh and joyous.

Then came the first of the major works by the so-called ‘Red Priest’, a very fine Magnificat, RV 610 which represents Vivaldi as still very much in an older style of choral/orchestral composition.

A third psalm, N. 147, RV 609 Lauda Jerusalem, was a continuation of the brisk and fine singing and playing, which was to culminate with the famous Gloria in D Major, RV 589. In the original version this was all-female.

Most performances are for the soprano/alto/tenor/bass (SATB) chorus and soprano and alto solos.

The latter version of this Gloria has been performed locally, but the same cannot be said of the original. The Psalm was beautifully rendered and even the orchestra was almost in the formation that it would have been when first performed, seeing that most of the members are female too.

A rousing Domine Fili from this Gloria was given as an encore.

The European Union Baroque Orchestra.

The festival ended at St Paul’s Anglican pro-Cathedral. The Valletta International Baroque Ensemble, with vocal director Eamonn Dougan, performed mostly music by Giovanni Gabrieli and Monteverdi.

After a brief Intonazione on organ by Gabrieli, there was the motet Sancte Paule Apostole by the Flemish composer Willaert, who had his own connections with Venice’s basilica of San Marco.

Again this work was like a window to what one was to expect for the highly accomplished and stylish performance. The Toccata from Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, resounding from behind the audience and continuing along the way to the presbytery, never loses its inherent excitement.

Neither does the Psalm Beatus Vir, one of Monteverdi’s most popular settings of a sacred text, lose any of its perennial charm. It certainly found worthy interpreters here.

The now rather obscure Francesco Usper was no mean composer, as was evidenced by his Sonata a 8. The only other sonata in the programme was Gabrieli’s work for three violins in a continuous movement in which the three lady violinists (Catherine Martin, Nadia Debono and Sarah Spiteri) excelled themselves.

Fine a cappella singing was heard in Giovanni Croce’s laudatory and joyous Cantate Domino. There was more Monteverdi in the motets Adoramus te Christe, Christe Adoramus Te and Laetatus Sum. The composer’s inventiveness and search for different tonal effects is borne by the vocal scoring with the first being for SSATTB chorus, the second for SSATB and the last one for SSTTBB.

The singers left nothing to be desired in these works and neither did the added complement of 11 very well-trained children from Gillian Zammit’s Music Studio Vocal Ensemble in Monteverdi’s Iste Confessor II.

The concert, and with it the festival, came to an end with two Gabrieli works: first the richly sonorous and happy Canzona XVI a 12 and all singers (children included) and instruments in the very grand motet In Ecclesiis a 4.

It was a highly-fitting end and one looks forward to next year’s fourth edition, which will be running a bit later than usual from January 16 to 30.

Well done to artistic director Kenneth Zammit Tabona and his very hard-working team.