What a splendid Rigoletto! During this year’s edition of the Gaulitana International Music Festival, the title role on which the entire opera hinges was excellently portrayed and sung by Piero Terranova in a role that brings out the best and the worst in the character.
Equally convincing was the Gilda of Natalia Roman: fluid, crystalline, effortless singing and supported very well by secondary characters such as the hit-man Emanuele Cordaro’s Sparafucile and Agata Bienkowska as his sister Maddalena.
One would have preferred a vocally more authoritative and menacing Monterone, here performed by Salvatore di Salvo.
It is sad that an important role such as that of the lecherous and cynical Duke of Mantua, taken by tenor Giorgio Casciarri was so disappointing.
His was initially rather convincing acting, even if a small physique unmatched by vocal prowess eventually rendered attempts at being the ideal Don Juan rather hollow.
His only feat, by then quite unexpected, was his rendering of La Donna è Mobile, oddly enough while lying supine on a tavern table. After all, the duke is always very proud of his horizontal escapades.
May Caruana’s Giovanna was carried off well as were other roles as the courtiers Borsa (Dave Monaco), Marullo (Alberto Munafò), Count Ceprano (Marco Tinnirello) and Countess Ceprano (Patricia Buttigieg). Minor roles were carried off by Annabelle Zammit’s Page and David Debono’s Herald.
Enrico Castiglione’s artistic direction was straightforward, traditional as far as the lovely period costumes were concerned but not his minimalist set design, which I liked as all eyes and ears were on the singers and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
The latter was directed with great ability by Colin Attard.
The day after the above performance saw the continuation of the Gaulitana Festival, which had been going on since mid-April. During a late morning recital at the Gozo Seminary chapel, the Coro Lirico Siciliano directed by Francesco Costa presented a series of works which were revealing in more ways than one.
It began with seven sacred works by Bellini, a composer who is mainly known for his immortal opera-tic gems. His Pange Lingua, Cor Mundum Crea and Canone a Due Voci were fine, well-controlled, aptly reverential pieces.
Very beautiful were the solos Gallus Cantavit and O Salutaris Hostia, the second one even better and interpreted by counter tenor Alberto Munafò Siragusa.
A great revelation was baritone Riccardo Bosco whose gorgeously full, warm voice was quite incredible for one so young (a mere 23). Later, he sang solo parts in Giuseppe Ramella’s Le Sette Parole di Gesù Sulla Croce. This was introduced by the choir who shared the rest of this fine work with the soloist.
It was very well-rendered, as was for the most part the Missa Brevis by Carlo Maria Magno.
The surprise here was that in the Gloria some solo passages were sung by Alberto Munafò Siragusa in what sounded like a low tenor high baritone voice: very versatile indeed.
One just wished that given the smallness of the chapel, the deafening parts marked fortissimo could have been toned down.
The choir was accompanied throughout at the organ by Stephen Attard who, half way through the recital, performed Bellini’s charming Sonata in G Major to great effect.
This recital was presented in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and the Italian Cultural Institute.
Charming contrasts
Lord Chambray and Victoria council collaborated in the Satruday evening recital held at the Gozo Ministry.
This featured a trio of well-known Maltese musicians: pianist Michael Laus, violinist Marcelline Agius and viola player Nadya Debono.
These need no introduction, only that I for one, after many years of enjoying the conducting gifts of Laus was very glad to be reminded what a really fine pianist he is.
He also introduced each work with brief and interesting information. Pianist and ladies made a formidable trio and it was a very welcome and happy choice that the recital opened with Ignaz Lachner’s Piano Trio in B Flat Major, Op. 37, a fine 19th century Austrian composer overshadowed by greater contemporary giants.
In a lighter vein, yet still with various nuances, were the three Kreisler waltzes arranged by Michael Laus.
The happiness in Liebesfreud perforce contrasted with the wistful Liebesleid, which was followed by the folksy Schön Rosmarin. The evening ended with three pieces by Shostakovich, arranged by Levon Atovmyan: Präludium, Gavotte and Waltz from the Gadfly Suite. These were pleasantly rendered and amusingly ironic pieces.
Promising talent
A number of recitals featured promising young musicians. The last in this series, in collaboration with Prada Perfumes at the Gozo Ministry Hall, was that with Pierre-Louis Attard on the violin, accompanied at the piano by his father Colin.
The undoubtedly talented youngster grows in musical stature as could already be seen in his handling of Wieniawski’s Legende, Op. 17. He was no less assertive in two short pieces taken from Bach’s Partita N. 2 in D Minor. The sombrely sedate Sarabande was offset by a really sprightly Gigue.
My favourite pieces for the evening, in which the violinist put in a lot of soul, was in Vidui (Contrition) and Ningun (Improvisation) from Bloch’s Baal Shem Suite.
In the highly exotic, seductive Roxane’s Song from Szymanowski’s Król Roger, mostly muted, trouble struck when a string snapped. But it was replaced in due course and re-started to the best, dreamy effect.
Following a pretty brilliant allegro non troppo from Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, another acclaimed performance had to end in an encore: Karl Bohm’s Introduction and Polonaise.
A great conclusion
The festival ended with a performance at Xagħra’s basilica by the Wycliffe Choral Society from Stonehurst, England. Directed by Christopher Swain and with Josef Laming on the organ, the works performed were Beethoven’s Mass in C, Op. 86 and Poulenc’s Gloria. The soloists in the Beethoven Mass were soprano Mary Morgan, alto Fiona Henderson, tenor Roland Kitchen and bass Andrew Hopwood.
Morgan also handled very well the only solo part in Poulenc’s work. Both works are rarities in our islands.
It is a pity that the apparently more numerous society at home was not in full force here, and there were some passages in both works during which the male choral sections sounded too weak and hesitant.
There were fine moments as well and the solo parts and interaction in the Mass worked best. What one could say was that the stylistic differences between the two works were well-projected.
At the end of the concert, Attard said that the Gaulitana Festival was awarded the Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe label.