Alex Vella Gregory finds a recital by Simon Schembri and the Parisii Quartet just the thing for a balmy summer’s eve.

Pity musicians in this weather! The humidity and the heat not only wreak havoc with tuning, but the general oppressive atmosphere makes playing unbearable. It is thus an even more admirable feat for musicians to deliver a fantastic performance under such conditions.

The ensemble work was tight, and Schembri brought a lot of pathos and lyricism- Alex Vella Gregory

This is exactly what the audience was presented with for guitarist Simon Schembri’s recital with the Parisii Quartet as part of the Malta Arts Festival programme. The evening took place in the splendid setting of the Auberge de Castille courtyard in Valletta.

The only thing I would fault the programme for is its length. That same heat that makes it difficult for the musicians, makes it doubly more difficult for the audience. It was indeed a real pity to see quite a few members of the audience walk out before the end. Well, it was truly their loss, as the last two pieces were undoubtedly the best.

The programme opened with an interesting work by Hugo Wolf, the Serenade Italien for quartet. It was a perfect concert opener, with a combination of lyricism and energy that set the mood well. It also established the quartet as a unified body, and the homogeneity of the sound was impressive.

The next piece was an arrangement of Alessandro Marcello’s famous Oboe Concerto in D minor for guitar and quartet. To be perfectly honest I found this item irrelevant to the programme. Although the delivery was impeccable, a lot of the original was lost in the transcription.

The concerto’s first two movements thrive on long sostenuto lines which cannot be matched by the guitar. I wonder why, with so much repertoire that can be more easily transcribed for the guitar (such as harpsichord, lute or even mandolin concertos), they opted to include this in the programme.

Next up was one of the staple items for the guitar quintet, Guiliani’s Guitar Concerto in A. The work’s central movement might be familiar to those who remember funeral announcements on PBS radio. The ensemble work was tight, and Schembri brought a lot of pathos and lyricism to the Siciliana.

The next item was a virtuoso showcase for the quartet. Joseph Vella’s String Quartet, Op. 33 is a very intense and unforgiving work. It was rather unfortunate to have it placed between Giuliani and Boccherini on the programme. Vella’s barren musical landscape was too much of a contrast with the sweetness of its neighbouring works.

The quartet performed this with great feeling, and an incredible unity of sound and purpose. They also displayed great versatility, and it is not easy to switch from the lightness of the classical style to such an involving work. The work also shows how important Vella is in the development of the post-Modern idiom in Maltese music.

The last two items on the programme paid homage to Hispanic culture, a culture that is inextricably linked to the guitar. The first was Boccherini’s Fandango Quintet. This charming work brings together the grace of the classical style with the vibrant rhythms of Spain. The ensemble gave a fantastic rendition of the final movement, subtitled Fandango, with Schembri on top form.

The concert concluded with a contemporary piece called Nazca by Erik Marchelie. The work is a mixture of Latin American music and a purely classical idiom. It is without any doubt a beautiful work, if slightly too long considering the length of the programme. Once more the ensemble work was divine.

The programme finished off with an encore by Piazzolla by Schembri, much to the delight of all present. Despite the long programming, this was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of great music performed by great musicians.