As soprano Gillian Zammit gets ready for a lieder recital at the national theatre, Alexander Vella Gregory finds out more about the unusual programme she has lined up.

If you were ever introduced to Gillian Zammit, you would not say she was a soprano. She is soft-spoken, well-mannered and definitely a far cry from the over-the-top, over-the-average-BMI stereotype operatic diva.

Maltese audiences are not adventurous, and are wary of going beyond their comfort zone

“Are you a diva?”’

Zammit blushes at the question and denies the accusation. I press her a bit more and she admits that there are “good divas” and “bad divas”.

“A diva is someone who is larger than life. I think that when you take it to its extreme, then it becomes bad.”

Zammit’s appeal, not only on a personal level, but also on stage, is her careful balance between the real and the abstract. In a way, this has been reflected in her musical training. She studied with de , who advocated a personal approach to music, and Carlo Bergonzi, who was more rigorous on technique.

Her holistic approach is evident in all her work, both on the concert platform as well as with her own students. She avoids limiting herself to opera and prefers to sing lieder.

“Lieder suits my voice, and it is musically much more intense than opera. Of course, opera is a different genre, but the dialogue between voice and piano in lieder is intimate and intense.’

Her upcoming lieder recital at the Manoel Theatre is a good example of her commitment to this unusual genre, despite the dominance of opera in Malta. The recital consists of art songs by Tosti, Richard Strauss and Rachmaninov, all of which are rarely performed in .

Those who are familiar with Tosti, are probably only aware of the usual five or six songs that are often derided as “Victorian parlour music”. However, there is a lot more to Tosti than that, including some beautiful and rarely performed French songs. Zammit seeks to redress this imbalance.

She has already recorded an album dedicated to his music, called The Love Songs of Paolo Tosti that is available from Claudio Records. Now, she is keen on popularising his works both locally and abroad.

But what of composers like Richard Strauss and Rachmaninov? These are composers who surely require no introduction to music lovers, and yet their songs are often neglected.

“Well, Strauss...” There is a long pause. Zammit tries to describe his songs, but is lost for words. “His music is so intense, yet so accessible,” she continues at last.

The same goes for Rachmaninov, whose songs bring the voice and piano on a level playing stage. “In most of them, the piano part can stand on its own as an independent piece.” Good thing that her pianist is none other than the superb Lucia Micallef.

Zammit and Micallef have been performing together since their student days. Theirs is not just a musical collaboration, but a deep friendship. “I can sing with Lucia without having to rehearse,” says Gillian, “she is a part of me, and I don’t have to think about the pianist.”

Such long artistic collaborations are rare, because so many factors can hinder such a fragile relationship. Therefore, this is truly an opportunity not to be missed, since musical affinity between the performers is an essential prerequisite for lieder.

It is also an opportunity to try out something different from the usual fare. “Maltese audiences are not adventurous, and are wary of going beyond their comfort zone.” Zammit is especially keen on getting younger audiences to explore more this under-rated repertoire.

“Of course, the older generation has supported the musical scene for so long that there is nothing wrong with them having their own preferences. But there is so much music out there, and I feel it is important that the younger generation is exposed to it all.”

She also acknowledges that that commitment has to come from the performers as well. This recital is yet another example of her ongoing commitment to her musical credo. What could be better than some of the finest lieder in the repertoire being performed by some of the finest musicians on the island?

Lieder Recital, featuring soprano Gillian Zammit and pianist Lucia Micallef, is taking place on Tuesday at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, at 8pm.

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