Recital
Arianna Art Ensemble
Santa Marija Chapel, Bir Miftuħ
Din l-Art Ħelwa scored yet another success with the third and last concert of this 19th edition of the Bir Miftuħ International Music Festival. It was dubbed Concerto all’italiana and turned into a chiusura in bellezza.
The highly accomplished performers in this evening formed part of the Palermo-based Arianna Art Ensemble. This evening’s formation was part of a larger pool of musicians who use period instruments but also use them to interpret contemporary works.
The concert was in the main devoted to works by Antonio Vivaldi, with halfway through two sonatas by Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, performed with supreme skill and artistry by Cinzia Guarino at the harpsichord. Her combination of dexterity and articulation was striking. She also very clearly projected the differences between the easily flowing A Major K. 533 with the far more agitated and almost aggressively assertive G Major K. 427. With cellist Andrea Rigano, she was part of the continuo element in all the other works. The lady was definitely the busiest member of the ensemble.
The programme had started with Vivaldi’s Sonata for two violins and continuo in D Minor, RV 64 in four alternating slow/fast movements with a prelude and three dance movements. Violinists Francesco Colletti and Federico Brigantino performed splendidly in this work as they did in a supportive manner in the three-movement Concerto in D Major for lute, violins and continuo, RV 93.
The soloist was Paolo Rigano, who gave a lovely performance. This was most evident in the central largo where the lute is accompanied by very subdued violins and continuo. It could bring out the movement’s highly cantabile nature. Besides, whereas one often hears this work in a transcription for guitar, the original version for lute calls for several embellishments missing in the other version(s). After the Scarlatti interlude, Vivaldi was summoned and came back with the Sonata in G minor for two violins and continuo, Op1, No. 1, RV 73. This comes in five alternating movements as regards tempi, three of them being dance movements. The Allemanda was particularly energetic with a very busy cello part of virtuoso proportions. This was later echoed if to a smaller extent in the Capriccio, a movement which led straight into the concluding Gavotta.
By then the humidity prevailing last Saturday had taken its toll of the strings, which explains certain obvious glitches. Instruments had to be tuned again as well as during the following and more familiar Trio Sonata in G minor for violin lute and continuo, RV 85. The violin part here was taken by Francesco Colletti, and rather unusually, its first two movements (andante molto and larghetto) are of a more relaxed nature than the concluding allegro. The larghetto started with a longish introduction for lute and as in the opening movement shared everything with the violin in the final one.
The Trio Sonata in D minor for two violins and continuo, Op. 1, No. 12, RV 63 had the ensemble launching the theme of La Follia di Spagna, followed by almost 20 variations which increased in intricacy and difficulty as the work progressed. The variety of moods and contrasts were amply projected and ranged from the very fast No. 4 to the languid Nos. 8 and 11, the cello was riding the stars in No. 13 and as if the fast and furious No. 16 were not enough, the following three movements increased in intensity before coming to the finale.
The well-deserved reaction of the audience reaped benefits in the shape of an encore. Rigano presented his own Wayward Thoughts for the whole ensemble. Specially written for this festival, it is inspired by the text of a song by John Dowland. Rigano said his work, of which this was a world premiere performance, that it is an encounter between two currents.
Even though performed by period instruments, it is not in the Elizabethan style but comes along in more modern writing for the instruments. The effect was highly interesting and pleasant.
Thus ended yet another Bir Miftuħ Festival. Next year’s edition will be the 20th and coincides with DLĦ’s 50th anniversary. There were times when four, perhaps even five foreign embassies, sponsored this festival’s concerts. One hopes that next year DLĦ could muster the necessary sponsorships to put on that extra one or two for the special occasion. Such activities and generous sponsors help raise funds which enable DLĦ’s priceless work in protecting Malta’s cultural heritage.
• This recital was sponsored by the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute.