To celebrate its 50th anniversary since it was set up by Judge Maurice Caruana Curran, Din L-Art Ħelwa presented a vocal recital by Israeli-born mezzo-soprano Hadar Halevy (wife of the Italian Ambassador for Malta) and Charlene Farrugia, the Maltese pianist of note who accompanied her on the piano. The recital was held in the Tapestry Chamber at the President’s Palace in Valletta.

The repertoire chosen took the audience on a musical journey meant to illustrate the various changes that occurred over the years in the musical world. Thus, the first work was from the Baroque era, a beautiful composition by C. W. Gluck.

This composition – Amour, viens render a` mon ame, from his famous opera Orpheus and Eurydice – complemented the mezzo’s strong voice, in line with Gluck’s idea that opera should focus on human drama and passion and not on goings-on in ancient Greek mythologies. Halevy certainly did transmit this aria with passion and drama. These feelings were present also in the work that followed – an 1832 cantata composed by Rossini showing the young Joan of Arc (Cantata for MezzoSoprano ) sadly bidding her mother a pitiful farewell, before leading the French army against the English. Many emotions were transmitted in this aria, with sadness and drama overpowering all else.

It was then Farrugia’s turn to present Two Études – Op 111 Nos 1 & 4 – by Camille Saint-Saens, the French composer who lived between 1835 and 1921. Farrugia’s ability is well-known not only in Malta, but also abroad where she has won several prizes and where she is asked frequently to participate in festivals or in concerts in several countries.

Charlene Farrugia and Halevy at the end of the recital.

She has the ability to transmit her emotions softly, especially when she sings arias from the Romantic period

Her clear touch is unmistakable and listening to her interpretation is always a pleasure; she prepares well, both technically and emotionally. Every étude in this opus has a sub-title which illustrates its meaning. In Étude No 1, the pianist brought out the beauty of the Thirds major and minors over an underlying beautiful melody, while Étude No 4 has a sub-title – Les Cloches de Las Palmas. This piece went down very well with the audience, bringing to mind the happy atmosphere one finds in the Canary Islands. This was a wise decision, as the chromatic character prevailing in the previous works was never abandoned, thus linking different musical eras together.

The two female artists worked very well together when Halevy sang the next works, which incorporated Bizet’s Chanson Bohemienne from Carmen; Mon coeur s’ouvre a` ta voix from Saint–Saens’ opera Samson et Dalila; Stride la Vampa from Verdi’s Il Trovatore; and Gershwin’s My man’s gone now, from Porgy and Bess, which brought us back to the 20th century. As encore, Halevy sang the ever-popular Habanera from Carmen, Bizet’s opera from the Romantic period.

Halevy has a wide-ranging, strong voice. Yet, she has the ability to transmit her emotions softly, especially when she sings arias from the Romantic period. But no matter what emotions she transmits, passion and love come first with her. And the world is in need of such emotions. May she continue advancing in her singing career.