Recital
Pierre-Louis Attard, violin; Colin Attard, piano
Ministry for Gozo, Victoria

Twenty-year-old Pierre-Louis Attard has strong musical genes running in his blood. Like his elder brother Jean-Noël, he has revealed himself as a very promising young violinist. Their uncle Stephen is a very accomplished pianist while their father Colin – conductor, pianist and composer – hardly needs any introduction. The older Attards’ uncle, composer Joseph Vella, needs it still less.

With such a genetic music baggage, Attard has a lot of encouragement and perhaps emulation to deal with, while at the same time developing his own personality as performer and even as composer. A combination of talent and hard work has earned him an Ian Tomlin Scholarship at Edinburgh’s Napier University where he is in his third year.

Attard was over from the UK visiting family during the Christmas holidays and one thought it worthwhile crossing over to Gozo for a late morning recital by this young man, who was accompanied by his father and performed to quite as large and very appreciative audience. This writer had only heard him performing intriguingly promising snippets of music quite some time ago.

That promise has developed as was evident in his performance of Primavera from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni. His intonation is nigh impeccable, close to perfect, and his phrasing and interpretation gave the piece all the freshness of spring. He also dealt with apparent ease but far from nonchalant bravura even the most intricate passages.

That same bravura surfaced in that sort of inner cadenza in an arrangement by Remo Giazotto of Albinoni’s very famous Adagio in G minor which is so popular that it is often in danger of it sounding hackneyed. But this was far from being the case as that correctly restrained bravura (maybe a paradox in terms) highlighted even more the quasi-religious atmosphere of the rest of the piece.

Next on the programme were the first three of Four Romantic Pieces Op. 75, by Dvorák. While the music undoubtedly flowed with its innate warmth, a slightly slower approach to the first piece would have fit its Allegro moderato designation.

While correctly sticking to an Allegro maestoso in the second piece, the composer’s designation of it as such is rather puzzling in view of the crisply delivered and very playful nature of the piece. In its delivery, the concluding Allegro appassionato lived up to that description.

More passion abounded in Attard’s own composition Shades of Emotions which he composed about a year ago. Here one would have appreciated it very much had the composer said a few words about this interesting work of his. There was a dominant motif which recurred throughout the piece and which came across in various shapes and moods. There was passion, anger, a questing and questioning and a sonorous range which went from the deepest (especially the piano’s initial booming chords) to the highest form of protest and perhaps eventual resignation. Somehow this range of emotions displayed little tenderness, which one hopes is not some kind of precocious cynicism.

In Bloch’s Nigun (No. 2 from the Baal Shem, 3 Pictures of Hasidic Life) the young violinist found plenty of scope where he could express a very wide variety of emotions and technical skill. The piece is in the nature of an improvisation and far from easy to tackle. The feeling and skill were there and frankly, if it is to be played well, it is very taxing emotionally.

It was performed very well and the Attards deserved a rest afterwards even if one felt disappointed being left without some kind of tiny encore.