The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing a selection of works for chamber orchestra by its compo- ser-in-residence Joseph Vella at the Robert Samut Hall, Floriana on Friday.
Vella’s works have been commissioned and performed by leading musicians and ensembles in prestigious venues both in Malta and abroad.
His oeuvre covers several genres, from song cycles to choral cantatas, from instrumental miniatures to his monumental Third Symphony for tenor soloist, choir and large orchestra.
Since Vella’s appointment as composer-in-residence in 2009, he has written two new works especially for performance by the MPO. His Concerto for Clarinet will be premiered in May.
This month’s all-Vella concert will feature smaller-scale works spanning a number of decades.
One of the earliest featured works – the ballet scene Għalenija – dates from 1979 and was performed that year to Tanya Bayona’s choreography at the Manoel Theatre and at Ħaġar Qim. This is one of the few works in which Vella explicitly makes reference to Maltese folk music.
Many of the pieces performed during this concert were inspired by a particular event or written for a special occasion.
For instance, Romanza for violin, violincello and strings was originally meant to be played during the Nuptial Mass of the composer’s son, giving it a personal significance reflected in its lyrical, ethereal style.
Lament was written as an elegy for the victims of the September 11 attacks, while Music for a White Dove was commissioned and composed for a concert in memory of Pope John Paul II, which was held in April 2009 in Palermo and transmitted on Italian national television.
In Memoriam op 96 for string orchestra is a moving tribute for Prof. Guzé Aquilina.
The MPO will also perform the Overture alla Concertante Op 23, the Jubilo overture and two of the most ‘tonal’ and haunting of Vella’s works – the Elegy for Violoncello and Orchestra and the Sarabanda for Strings.
This concert will showcase the individual talents of a number of soloists from the orchestra, including Marcelline Agius, Angelica Galea, Stephen Galea and Yaroslav Miklukho.
Entry to this event, which will start at 7.30 p.m., is free.