Our mission is to collect and disseminate information, and to assist with research into the culture and historic heritage of Malta ~ to organize in Malta and overseas, independently or with others, exhibitions, seminars and other activities with the aim of promoting and spreading knowledge of the cultural heritage of Malta ~ to produce publications, catalogues, books, documents and other material that reflect the aim of our Foundation.
· Treasures of Malta 90, Summer 2024
FONDAZZJONI PATRIMONJU MALTI
10 Faith, Glory, and Mystery: The Intriguing History of the Right Hand of St John the Baptist
Through the notes of medieval and modern chroniclers who visited Rhodes and Malta, Thomas Freller adds another chapter to the captivating narrative behind one of the most favoured treasures of the Order of St John
22
European Fortuna of Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John
Giovanni Bonello collates the several tropes and motifs repeated in subsequent paintings of the same biblical episode, all inspired by the blood-stained hand of one infamous artist
32
Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (1713–1772): Views of Europe and Beyond
Nicole Baldacchino brings to light a set of Mexican works found in Malta, and their connection to the Order of St John
46 Guido Lanfranco (1930–2021): His Life and Legacy
David Dandria
54 A Lifetime of Dedication (II): Fascinating Gems in Paul Vella’s Camera Collection
Kevin Casha
Neolithic incised sherd, 4.9 x 4.3cm, excavated at the Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex.
(Courtesy of Heritage Malta – The National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta / Object ID: 9157 / Photo: Lisa Attard)
61 My Favourite Object
Nicholas Joseph Doublet
66
The Prince and the Painter: Identifying the Count of Beaujolais
Intrigued by the captivating portrait of a young man in regency dress, two decades later, Konrad Buhagiar embarks on a search to reveal the identity of the enigmatic sitter
81 Bookshelf
Philip Farrugia Randon; Martin Micallef
83
The Cover Franceen Galea
84 Exhibition Focus
Through numerous interviews recounting Victor Pasmore’s work and his theoretical views on art and practice, exhibition narrator and editor of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, Giulia Privitelli, attempts to reconstruct a conversation with Pasmore on the Foundation’s permanent collection, The Eye & The Symbol.
86 Cultural Review
Cecilia Xuereb
88 Calendar Highlights
Antonia Critien
from the Editor
Creative cultural energies were provided with fitting platforms in Malta through a first Art Biennale. Novel and provocative aesthetic activities took centre-stage in various venues before and throughout May, mostly in Valletta, the three historic harbour cities, and in Gozo. Domestic and foreign inspiration competed on an equal footing to capture public sensitivities and few efforts were spared on the organisational plane. That the impact may not have reached the projected levels, however, is a cause for disappointment and reflection.
In parallel with the Biennale was the opening to the public of the refurbished Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, fifteen years in the making. Overall, the popular response has been highly positive. Over the centuries, the edifice suffered alternate fates—the opulent seat of the sovereign Grand Masters; during the British colonial period parts of its spaces were demeaned to serve as warrens of bureaucratic offices, stores, tennis courts, printing presses, shelters, and makeshift places of worship, apart from suffering widespread and systematic looting. Returning it to its former splendour and dignity called for high levels of professional expertise, passion, and inexhaustible stacks of European Union financing. None were lacking.
In June, the publishing arm of our Foundation organised the launch of the first in a new six-volume series, titled More Histories, following up from the earlier classic, Histories of Malta. However, differently from the previous collection, each of the new volumes will focus on just one theme, starting with criminality and criminals in the annals of Malta. To follow it, but already well in the pipeline, is the second volume, staging women and femininity in the central or marginal history of Malta. Graphically too, this new series varies drastically from the previous one, with our designer Lisa Attard giving free rein to her creativity and the touch of seasoned illustrator and artist, Rebecca Bonaci, giving it a further visual twist. We trust and hope this second set will again reap the popular success the previous twelve-volume series had enjoyed.
Also, at a fast-progressing stage, is another publishing project of our Foundation, a volume by movie historian Charlie Cauchi on films and cinemagoing in Malta, a subject so far only superficially explored. Thanks to more documents recently made available at the national archives, the research stage of the project has reached an exciting point, revealing details which could potentially rewrite parts of the current narrative of the history of film in Malta.
Our Foundation has also recently put on show in the gallery spaces of its new headquarters in St Paul Street, Valletta, its permanent collection of some of Victor Pasmore’s masterpieces, in an exhibition called The Eye & The Symbol, named after one of the works, but also a phrase which tries to capture the philosophies which Pasmore never stopped mining during his long and fecund stay in Malta.
In tandem with the exhibition, we have produced a catalogue that picks up on the series of homemade vlogs about the artist and his output released during the pandemic lockdown, spreading over varied but cognate themes, from poetry to abstraction, from contemporary art in Malta to music. The catalogue also hints at a future publication—a collection of essays aimed at making the great artist and his legacy accessible to all through an engaging and compelling dialogue.
And lively news also on the Palazzo Falson front. The enigmatic exhibition Curious Beauty, created and curated by Francesca Balzan and Caroline Tonna, will long endure as a strong memory of how emotionally evocative alternative visions of costume can be. All the attendant activities remained memorable— the workshops for different age groups, the Prosecco tours, private visits by prominent personalities, and the daily lunchtime appointments.
Palazzo Falson also delivered on its educational commitments. The curator, Abigail Pace held hands-on workshops for children connected with the Curious Beauty exhibition, and light-themed classes for minors of three different age groups during which they experimented with and learned about the science and functions of light. Bright-looking days, past and ahead.
Treasures of Malta is published three times a year, at Christmas, Easter and in the Summer
General Editor: Giovanni Bonello
Senior Editor: Giulia Privitelli
Creative Director: Michael Lowell
Publisher / Editorial Office Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti
All material, pictorial and/or editorial, published in Treasures of Malta is the property of the respective author and/or photographer. Reproduction without the necessary permission in writing from the rightful owner is strictly prohibited.
issn 1028-3013
Fondazzjoni
VO/1762
Conseil d’Honneur
Patrimonju Malti
Her Excellency the President, Ms Myriam Spiteri Debono
The Hon. Prime Minister, Dr Robert Abela
His Grace the Archbishop, Mgr Charles J. Scicluna
Hon. President
The Hon. Dr Owen Bonnici
Minister for National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government
Hon. Life Founder President
Dr Michael Frendo
Life Founder Members
Rita Flamini, the late Maurice de Giorgio
Founder Members
John Lowell, the late John Manduca
Nicholas de Piro
Board of Governors
Joseph Grioli, Chairman
Giovanni Bonello, Deputy Chairman
Francesca Balzan
Joseph V. Bannister
Pascal A. Demajo
Max Ganado
Michael Grech
Matthew von Brockdorff
Michael Lowell, Chief Executive Officer
FONDAZZJONI PATRIMONJU MALTI
Te Chairman and Board of Governors of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti would like to thank the following donors for their support
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FONDAZZJONI PATRIMONJU MALTI
Te Chairman and Board of Governors of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti would like to thank the following donors for their support
PERSONAL SUPPORTERS
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Simon Abrahams & Francesca Del Rio
Mr Neville Agius & Dr Sabine Agius Cabourdin
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Antes Insurance Brokers Ltd – Mr Kevin Galea Pace
Aviaserve – Mr Kenneth De Martino
CamilleriParis Mode – Mr Paul Camilleri
Eden Leisure Group – Mr Ian De Cesare
Eyetech Ltd – Mr Patrick Cutajar
Forestals Group of Companies – Mr Tancred Tabone
Gianpula Village – Dr Roger de Giorgio
Good Earth Distributors Ltd – Mr Nikolai de Giorgio
GVZH Advocates – Dr Michael Grech
IIG Bank (Malta) Ltd – Mr Raymond Busuttil
John Ripard & Son (Shipping) – Mr Joseph Chetcuti
Lombard Bank Malta plc – Mr Joseph Said
Mapfre Middlesea plc – Mr Martin Galea
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Te Gasan Foundation – Ms Sarah Carbonaro
Tug Malta Ltd – Dr George Abela
Virtù Steamship Co. Ltd – Mr Charles A. Portelli
NEW TITLE
Former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, Giovanni Bonello exposes some of Malta’s grimmer and grimier stories. Here is an anthology of anecdotes that presents a potent mix of humanity, crime and creativity, illustrating some of the most haunting (and hopeful) questions concerning the human condition: Why do humans err? What is it that drives a human being over the edge, to think the unthinkable, to carry out the undoable, and to record the unsayable?
Giovanni Bonello, continues his mission to record and recount Malta’s fascinating microhistory.
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An anthology of stories on crime in Malta, Falling in Eden, More Histories
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Faith, Glory, and Mystery
Fig. 1
Gilded reliquary made to house the relic of St John the Baptist’s hand, commissioned by Grand Master Gregorio Carafa in 1689, cast in bronze and gilt silver by Ciro Ferri. The reliquary would have been displayed in the Oratory of the Beheading of St John the Baptist, as shown here. (Courtesy of St John’s CoCathedral Foundation / Photo: Daniel Cilia)
The Intriguing History of the Right Hand of St John the Baptist
Through the notes of medieval and modern chroniclers who visited Rhodes and Malta, Thomas Freller adds another chapter to the captivating narrative behind one of the most favoured treasures of the Order of St John
In the spring of 1633, the learned Swabian mercenary and officer Hieronymus Welsch sojourned for some weeks in Hospitaller Malta. During his time there, he established close contacts to the Commander and Balí of Brandenburg, Heinrich von Rosenbach, and other high-ranking members of the Order of St John. These contacts enabled him to visit sites which were otherwise not easily accessible to foreigners, and also provided him with detailed information on what to see and learn in Malta. Although Welsch was a Protestant, he showed great interest in the holy treasures of the Conventual Church of the Order in Valletta. Amongst them was the relic of the finger of St John the Baptist.
Thomas Freller currently teaches Cultural Sciences and German Studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Aalen. He has published over thirty books and several papers, and his special areas of research and study are Spanish, Sicilian and Maltese history in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the phenomenon of Christian pilgrimage in early modern times, and literary frauds and charlatanism in early modern Europe.
European Fortuna of Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John
Giovanni Bonello collates the several tropes and motifs repeated in subsequent paintings of the same biblical episode, all inspired by the bloodstained hand of one infamous artist
Mysteries still surround the reasons of how and why an art masterpiece interred in a tiny and peripheral island should turn into an inspiration for artists in distant lands. The shocking verism of the huge Beheading of St John, painted by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in 1608 for the bare Oratory of the Conventual Church of the Order of St John, in Valletta, left an impact on every viewer who fell under its spell. But its ethos and imagery also travelled abroad, outside the confines of the Order’s insular headquarters.
All this happened long before photography was invented in 1839. The only way to ‘record’ and spread an image was to paint or draw a copy of it, or to print reproductions by engraving or etching.1 As far as could be ascertained, there exist no seventeenth- or eighteenth-century prints of Caravaggio’s Maltese masterpiece; foreign painters could not have ‘seen’ the original and drawn inspiration from it through any printed reproduction.
Giovanni Bonello was a Judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for twelve years. He is the General Editor for Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.
Fig. 1
(Detail) Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770), Die Enthauptung Johannes des Täufers, oil on canvas, 1732, National Museum of Sweden, Stockholm. (Courtesy of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm)
Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (1713–1772)
Views of Europe and Beyond
Nicole Baldacchino brings to light a set of Mexican works found in Malta and their connection to the Order of St John
The artistic situation in eighteenth-century Mexico was a lively one. Many Mexican artists strived to be at the same level of European masters and attempted to do so through the circulation of prints. However, many of these artists were either self-taught or received tuition from other local artists. The case was the same with Mexican artist Juan Partricio Morlete Ruiz (1713–1772).
Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz is known for his late eighteenth-century set of paintings which are dispersed between Verdala and San Anton Palace, in Malta. These eighteen works were inspired and based on prints portraying Mediterranean ports as well as views of France and Italy, particularly by the artists Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714–1789) and Giuseppe Zocchi (1711–1767). Ruiz was inspired to such an extent that he created two original cityscape views of his home country.
Nicole Baldacchino has a Diploma in Design Foundation Studies within the Faculty for the Built Environment and a B.A. (Hons) in History of Art (University of Malta). She has interned with the NGO Outdoor Artists, primarily working on promoting local artists and their work.
Fig. 1
(Detail) Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (1713–1772), View of the Entrance to the Port of Marseille, oil on canvas, approx. 99 x 152.5cm, 1770, Verdala Palace, Rabat.
(Courtesy of Heritage Malta / Photo: Steven Psaila)
A Lifetime of Dedication (II)
Fascinating Gems in Paul Vella’s Camera Collection
Kevin Casha
In this two-part appraisal on photography in Malta and the technology that made it possible, Kevin Casha homes in on the collection of one of its leading twentiethcentury protagonists, Paul Vella.
Paul Vella is considered to be the king of Maltese camera collecting.1 Within such a vast collection of over 2,400 cameras, it is no surprise that one can find a number of them which are of the same model as those used by some iconic and influential Maltese photographers. Since photography in Malta appeared in 1840, just one year after its acknowledged invention in Europe, the actual history of local photography and technology are strongly intertwined. Some fascinating facts and anecdotes can be gleaned from Henry Fox Talbot’s online collection of letters2 to various early photographers practising in Malta. The first photographers in Malta were mainly European, but soon, the Maltese started catching on and were swiftly in on the act.
Studios quickly started to mushroom; first in Valletta and the Three City areas and, later, spread on to Sliema, Ħamrun, and, indeed, throughout the rest of the island. Particularly after the Second World War, since finances were not so favourable for early Maltese photographers, they often used to manufacture camera bodies and darkroom accessories themselves whilst buying lenses and shutters from abroad and ingeniously incorporating them in their own ‘creations’. However, as the popularity of photography grew and camera prices decreased, more and more cameras began to be purchased in their entirety from
places such as France, Britain, and Italy. On delving into Paul Vella’s extensive collection,3 I was particularly struck by some of his prized cameras, on which I will elaborate further in this article. These stood out either for their rarity or for their original owners who have some curious link to the island.
Two fascinating wood and brass cameras in the collection belonged to Maltese photographer Emmanuele Sciortino.4 They are a Thornton-Pickard ‘College’5 wood and brass half-plate field camera (Fig. 2) and a John Piggot half-plate model, from around 1900 (Fig. 1).6 The Pickard one was predominantly intended as a beginner’s camera and produced in quarter, half, and full-plate versions whilst the Piggot was a more refined model. The actual models were bought from Sciortino’s descendants in an advanced state of disrepair, but Vella, as is his hallmark, has lovingly restored them to their former glory.
Sciortino was born in Valletta, but moved to Ħamrun when he married. He mainly earned his living through photography by working in an improvised ‘studio’ which he set up within his garden at home. Amongst other subjects, he used to photograph sailors and servicemen when they came to Malta so that they could have a portrait to send back home to their loved ones. Similarly, he took photographs of Maltese wives whose husbands worked abroad. During the summer, he was often commissioned by Maltese parish churches to take photographs of their religious statues. He would then produce small prints so that these would be distributed during the feast. Sciortino also photographed views of Malta for use on cigarette cards and postcards. His casa bottega was situated at 125, Strada Reale, Ħamrun.7
Another exquisite wood and brass camera was the one owned by the first photographer who set up a commercial studio in Sliema, Giustino Vella.8 The quarter-plate model
Fig. 1
A John Piggot half-plate model of Emmanuele Sciortino.
(Courtesy of Paul Vella / Photo: Kevin Casha)
The Prince and the Painter
Identifying the Count of Beaujolais
Intrigued by the captivating portrait of a young man in regency dress, two decades later, Konrad Buhagiar embarks on a search to reveal the identity of the enigmatic sitter
Not long ago, when my thoughts on the Count of Beaujolais (1779–1808) were still scattered and confused, I wrote an article about the painter Charles Allingham (c.1778–1850) and why I think he decided to leave London.1 At that time, my interest in the French prince was only just beginning to take root, but my introduction to the painter dated back to a couple of decades earlier.
The connection between the two, if there was one, was vague, and, as far as I could tell, it existed only in my head. I am sure that still is the case today. I have found no irrevocable evidence that points to the opposite; only details of the whereabouts and personal acquaintances of both men that indicate that their individual lives might have overlapped. They were both born around the same year and were both living in London during the exile of the prince in the first decade of the century. They both frequented the same bohemian milieus, the theatre,2 boxing matches,3 and drinking holes. Did they ever meet, and did they ever find themselves
Konrad Buhagiar is a Founding Partner of AP Valletta. He is responsible for numerous restoration and rehabilitation works in historic buildings and urban sites. He has lectured at the University of Malta and, among others, at Canterbury University College of Creative Arts and at New York University. He has published numerous historical and academic articles. He is the Editor of A Printed Thing, The Founding Myths of Architecture, and, more recently, Breaking the Silence: Homosexuality in Maltese History.
Fig. 1
Anonymous painting of a possible portrait of LouisCharles, the Count of Beaujolais, oil on canvas, Private collection, Malta. (Photo: PrevArti)
25 On the external symptoms of tuberculosis and its infuence on the culture and perception of beauty, see: Carolyn A. Day, Consumptive Chic: A History of Beauty, Fashion and Disease (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017).
26 Te Duc de Montpensier experimented on the lithographic process with Philippe André, one of the inventors of lithography. A number of prints made during the period between 1805 and 1806 survive and are conserved in the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris. See: Henri Bouchot, La Lithographie (Paris: Librairies-Primteries Reunites, 1895).
27 Weymer Mills, One Hundred Silhouette Portraits Selected fom the Collection of Francis Wellesley (Oxford: Te University Press, 1912), Plate VIII. Louis-Philippe remained in touch with Dr Caleb Hillier Parry of Bath who had assisted his brother during his illness. See: Salisbury and Winchester Journal, 30 November 1829, 4.
28 Tomas Moore, ‘Preface’, Te Poetical Works of Tomas Moore, Collected by Himself, Vol. 7 (London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1841), v-vi. Tere is a charming anecdote in Moore’s autobiography which describes the eforts of the Count of Beaujolais to conform, albeit reluctantly, to the rules of the French Ancien Régime residing in London, when protocol required it.
29 Michael Prodger, ‘Man of the People’, Apollo (May 2022), 102-103.
30 Marilyn Butler, Romantics, Rebels, and Revolutionaries: English Literature and its Background, 1760–1830 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985).
31 Picturesque landscape fantasies featuring imagined castles were all the rage at this time. See: Stephen Astley, Robert Adam’s Castles (London: Sir John Soane’s Museum, 2006).
32 See: George Francis Farnham, ‘ Te Castle and Manor of Castle Donington with an Account of the Church by A. Hamilton Tompson’, Transactions of the Leicester Archaeological and Historical Society (Leicester: Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 1925), 30-86, containing a transcript of a survey commissioned by Queen Elisabeth I and carried out by Nicholas Beaumond, Rauf Barton, and Michael Willoighbie, on 16 January 1564, that describes the condition of the castle during her reign (Duchy of Lancaster, Special Commissions, 105): ‘there is nothing standing there worthy of being continued in reparations. But certain walls broken and fallen down of 5 towers, of which 2 are square, 2 round, and the most part fallen down and the ffh part square…’, 67-68.
33 Pamela J. Fisher and J. M. Lee, Te Victoria History of Leicestershire: Castle Donington (London: Victoria County History, 2016), 38-39.
34 Mélanie Waldor, Souvenirs Intimes de M. le Comte de Mesnard, Vol. 1 (Paris: L. De Potter, 1844), 45.
35 Hinckley News, Saturday 2 January 1869, 5.
36 John Nichols, Te History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester, Vol. 3, Part 2 (London: John Nichols, 1804), 770. See also: John Trosby, Select Views in Leicestershire fom Original Drawings combining Seats of the Nobility and Gentry, Town Views and Ruins accompanied by Historical Relations (London: J. Nichols, 1790), 166-167: ‘ Te scenery around is extremely beautiful; Donington-Clif verging on the river Trent, is a fne and marking feature: you see the site of its castle; and you are almost compelled to see, in idea, its lofy towers, touching the passing clouds. Te eminence is luxuriantly clothed with fne hanging wood; and the river below is rich in silver streams, passing along the banks of extensive meadows miles in length … As to the park it is one of the fnest in picturesque beauty I ever beheld, its gentle swells, its verdure, and the beauteous assemblage of trees thereon, are splendid charms to the amateurs of natural pictures’.
37 Stuart Bennett, ‘Lord Moira and the Austens’, Persuasions: Te Jane Austen Journal, Vol. 35 (2013), 129 et seq
38 Te engraving in the frontispiece of the book is from a portrait by Charles Allingham. See: James Grant Raymond, Te Life of Tomas Dermody (London: William Miller, 1806).
39 Jefrey W. Vail, Te Unpublished Letters of Tomas Moore, Vol. 1 (Letters 1797–1827) (London and New York: Routledge, 2016), 7.
40 Donnington Castle in Berkshire, also known as Chaucer’s Tower, is still standing and has a similar structure except that it is not on a clif as in the painting. It could have served as a model especially because it was sited close to the residence of Allingham’s sister Catherine, whose daughter, Frances Minto Elliot, was a well-known writer and described picnics she used to have around the castle as a child. It is very likely that Charles Allingham knew it and painted it. It is also plausible to believe that Count Beaujolais knew it too since his brother AntoinePhilippe had drawn the castle as well.
41 George N. Wright, Life and Times of Louis Philippe, King of the French, Vol. 1 (London: Fisher, Son and Co., 1842), 354.
42 London Chronicle, Monday 4 April 1808, 8; Exeter Flying Post, Tursday 7 April 1808, 4; General Evening Post, Tuesday 5 April 1808, 2.
43 Lord Moira may not have been able to be present at the funeral, but he certainly was there in spirit as can be noted by the overwhelming presence of the 27th Regiment of Foot, also known as the Inniskilling Regiment or Moira’s Regiment, that escorted the funeral cortège. See: Cesare Vassallo, Catalogo dei Codici e dei Manoscritti Inediti che si Conservano nelle Pubblica Biblioteca di Malta (Malta: Stamperia del Governo, 1856), No. 797.
44 Bonello (1999), 188.
The last volume in Giovanni Bonello’s Histories of Malta series was published by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti in 2013. This prolific author’s work needed to be further collated in more volumes, so this new series, freshly titled More Histories was most welcome. This new Patrimonju book contains fourteen articles that have been separately published before but have now been revised and augmented.
Giovanni Bonello is a ground-zero historian. Rather than hovering high for panoramic views, he glides low and offers a close-up approach to history based on documents he unearths and relates in his typical manner that is highly learned and informative, sometimes casual, occasionally tongue-in-cheek, and always enjoyable. His writings contain a goldmine of information that sheds light on everyday life in Malta. The protagonists are knights, bishops, inquisitors, or ordinary laypeople. The editor of this book, Giulia Privitelli, insightfully refers to Bonello’s work as ‘feeding and shaping that microscopic narrative’.
This publication deals with a good number of crimes committed in Malta. That is not an easy task since information on crimes by or against the Knights of Malta hits a brick wall. The once well-documented Sguardio archives have been mysteriously depleted, leaving only sparse final deliberations of the adjudicating councils. So, Dr Bonello had a tough time giving flesh to details through his side-alley research.
A classic example is the crime committed on 12 July 1588 by Knight of Malta Fra' Andrea de Ciambanin, who murdered the Maltese Cola Borg. Only the verdict survives: guilty and condemned to five years imprisonment. By good luck, historian Joan Abela spotted a misplaced petition connected with this murder’s investigation in the Notarial Archives and showed it to Vanni, who collated the details of the Ciambanin case like a Maltese Sherlock Holmes. Conclusion: the arrogant knight provoked poor Borg, who was forced to act in self-defence.
More Histories (I) Falling in Eden: An Anthology of Stories on Crime in Malta
reviewed by Philip Farrugia Randon
Author: Giovanni Bonello
Published by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti and Kite Group, 2024
240 pages, illustrated
ISBN 978-9918-23-141-6
€50
Available from several local, foreign, and online bookstores
Bonello’s extraordinary detective work on lawyers and lawyering in Malta before 1600 is commendable cum laude. This was virgin land before Bonello discerningly spoiled that virginity. Interesting is the use of the letters UJD or IUD following the names of some lawyers. These letters stand for Utriusque Juris Doctor, a doctorate in both Canon law and Civil Law. That is why today we still say Doctor of Laws, not Doctor of Law. He offers short bios of forty-six Maltese lawyers, starting with Dr Giovanni Calava, who was most likely the first Maltese lawyer to become a judge after the Order arrived in Malta in 1530. Interestingly, Bonello notes that this lawyer is reputed to have advised the Grand Master in his negotiations with Charles V to draft the deed of cession of Malta.
All Birgu was shocked in 1636 with the news that Nicolò Ciardi, a Sicilian, had brutally killed his benefactor Francesco Scarletta to steal his belongings. I was stunned to read that, in those days, a knight killed or was killed every week. And this is not counting non-knights. Once again, the details of the Ciardi case have survived by pure chance in a 61-folio transcript, purposely left for safekeeping in the Notarial records by the prosecutors to protect their findings against the bishop’s threats. Why? Ciardi had taken refuge in a Birgu church. The civil police lured him out and detained him when crossing the harbour, much to the bishop’s chagrin, who considered that allurement in contravention of ecclesiastical immunity.
A riveting essay deals with the 1609 burning of books in Birgu under Inquisitor Carbonesi’s orders. Included in the 52 books was De Humani Corporis Fabrica, by Vesalius. Though this book was not initially entirely forbidden, it was subject to expurgation, that is, part of it was censored. The censored parts varied according to where the censor was stationed. So, one edition attracted covering of the private parts whilst another had the printer’s name Optimus blotted out … because he was Protestant. But that burning was a complete and drastic action. This makes me
wonder how St John’s Co-Cathedral has an almost complete replica of one of Vesalius’ engravings on the tombstone of Fra' Stephane de Ricard (d.1716). Rather an intriguing leap from the burning flames to a church burial slab!
The tragic story of Prince Alamayou, son of the Emperor of Abyssinia saddened me. He arrived in Malta on 25 June 1868 and was photographed by Leandro Preziosi on his way to Queen Victoria, who wanted to have him educated in England. His father had committed suicide after the British attacked and conquered Abyssinia with some 37,000 soldiers. The young prince died in England at the tender age of eighteen and was buried in Windsor Castle. The Ethiopian government’s request in 2007 to have the prince’s remains repatriated was not acceded to. Any comment is superfluous.
Writing on homophobia in pre-1850 Malta is unprecedented. Giovanni Bonello records the earliest mention of the crimen nefandum in 1428. Sodomy was not merely unmentionable but also unpardonable except by the highest authorities. This crime was first considered a basis for expulsion from the Order of St John in the times of Grand Master Nicholas Lorgne (1277–1284). Bonello prays an abundant series of cases and surprisingly notes that ‘the overwhelming number of cases were Italians’, even though they were not the most numerous in the Order.
In 1584, Dominican Padre Pasquale Vassallo was found guilty and exiled for having sex with youths and writing lewd poems in Maltese to young lads. Sadly, the inquisition destroyed all the poems, which would have been the second oldest set of poems in Maltese after the verses of Caxaro.
What a pleasure to seep through the pages written by such a formidable man who has generously shared his clear and erudite mind for so many years, sprouting surprises, overcoming prejudices and enlightening obscure documents and bigoted minds.
I earnestly await the subsequent volume in this series.
Bookshelf
The first part of the title of the book, ‘Fuga Mundi’, refers to the first two studies that deal with the origins of monasticism related to the practice of secluding oneself away from worldly environments. The fact that a number of ascetics went to live in deserted environments to live in greater union with God, promoted monasticism as the most perfect expression of Christian living. The second part of the title of this book, ‘Studies on Monasticism in Late Antiquity and Early Modern Malta’, relates to the latest research which helps the reader to be aware of the presence of female monasticism in Hospitaller Malta.
The first two studies are penned by Rev. Dr Jonathan Farrugia, who is also the editor of the publication. The first—‘The Origins of Monasticism: A Brief Overview’—shows the erudition of this patristic scholar who presents a concise history of the origins of fuga mundi, with its beginnings in the third century in Lower Egypt. The second— ‘Outlines of Cappadocian Monasticism: Continuity and Originality’—deals with the three great Cappadocian theologians, starting with Basil’s views on monasticism, namely the disapproval of solitary monasticism, substituted by a common regulated life. Farrugia presents a sharp contrast between the ideals of Pachomius and Basil, with an emphasis on the study of theology as promoted by Basil, and the arguments that underline the social aspect of human beings.
Farrugia then presents Gregory of Nazianzus’ idea of monasticism as an intimate vocation, namely, that of solitude in order to contemplate the word of God and to become a true disciple of Jesus. Farrugia manages to bring out some of the main striking differences between Nazianzen’s and Basil’s teachings on monasticism. Special emphasis is laid on monastic ideals in Gregory of Nyssa’s texts, most of which are made up of biblical
Fuga Mundi: Studies on Monasticism in Late Antiquity and Early Modern Malta
reviewed by Martin Micallef
Editor: Jonathan Farrugia
Published by the Department of Church History Patrology and Palaeochristian Archaeology, Faculty of Theology, University of Malta, 2024 99 pages, illustrated ISBN 978-9918-0-0807-0
€15
Available from several local, foreign, and online bookstores
commentaries in homily form, and to his treatise On Virginity. An epilogue on Evagrius of Pontus follows, a theologian of the late fourth century who introduced the stream of monastic intellectual spirituality that was conceived by the Cappadocians to the Egyptian desert. This study is enriched by four original icons written by iconographer Mr Aleksandre Iashagashvili for this article.
The second related study, ‘Fuga Mundi and its application to female monastic life in seventeenth-century Malta’, is written by the well-established local historian, Rev. Dr Nicholas Joseph Doublet. By way of introducing the subject matter, he keenly remarks that the earliest documentary sources on the origins of monasticism in Malta known to date are the letters of Gregory the Great, concerning the Maltese See, written between July 592 and January 603. Doublet refers to monastic life in texts concerning the church in Malta in the Late Medieval period. He studies the well-documented case of the legacy left by Ysolda de Landolina of Noto in her will of 17 June 1363, and how the Benedictines, who were reluctant to set foot in Malta, fulfilled Ysolda’s inheritance by offering up prayers for her from Catania. Doublet follows this case by the deed of St Peter’s monastery in Mdina and the foundation of the female Benedictine monastery at Birgu.
The nucleus of the study probes a number of archival sources relating to monastic life in the Maltese Diocese following the Tridentine Reform. This scholarly exercise comprises cases related to the five existing monastery foundations of cloistered nuns in Malta during the seventeenth century, starting with the monastery of St Mary Magdalene located in Valletta, known as the Convertite, as its aim was to receive women who converted from a sinful life. The author shows how this monastery often depended on the generosity of
many, including legacies left by the prostitutes who sought refuge within this monastery which played a key role in safeguarding women. As for St Catherine’s monastery, also located in Valletta, Doublet deals with the issue of the parlatorio as a means or space that the nuns could use to make contact with the outside world.
A short presentation of the third monastery located also in Valletta follows, namely, St Ursula’s monastery. The issue of jurisdiction is tackled here, specifically whether the local bishop had any right to visit this monastery, which was a female branch of the Knights of St John.
Doublet continues his study with the two remaining Benedictine monasteries, the first one situated in Mdina. The author shows how St Peter’s monastery was afflicted by internal conflicts and, thus, necessitating the bishop to impose discipline. The correspondence between Rome and the bishop on this matter provides a broader understanding of the daily life in this monastery.
The study on the second Benedictine monastery, that of St Scholastica in Birgu, contains documentation revealing how this was a place of education and formation for girls who were entrusted to the community. It mentions the transfer of the monastery from its original quarters at Birgu, unsuitable for a community which had reached a considerable size by the seventeenth century, to a more suitable building: the former Sacra Infermeria of the Order within the same city. Doublet’s study includes images of the seventeenth-century letters discussed here, as well as pictures of the monasteries from which they originated.
The fourth study, ‘Between Malta and Palermo: Re-creating the life story of Geltruda Cumbo (1613–1656)’, is written by Prof. Petra Caruana Dingli, renowned for her long-standing experience within the
This artefact is a pottery sherd discovered at Ħal Tarxien prehistoric complex. Excavations at Ħal Tarxien began in 1915 under the direction of Sir Temi Zammit (1864–1935). This specific potsherd was unearthed in 1922 from a layer attributed to the Temple Period phase.
The Temple Period in Malta, dating back to around 4000 BC, is distinguished by its remarkable megalithic structures spread across the Maltese islands. From these structures, excavations yielded a number of human and animal representations sculpted or moulded from various materials, providing a window into the artistic and cultural expressions of the time.
This artefact, made from dark brown, well-baked clay typical of Neolithic Maltese pottery, features a human figure and is decorated with a style resembling scratches rather than deep incisions. The figure depicted on the sherd exhibits distinctive characteristics often associated with human representations excavated from other megalithic sites such as Ħaġ ar Qim, Mnajdra, and Ġgantija. These features include prominent thighs that taper to smaller ankles, a small thorax relative to the thighs, a well-defined waist, and a head with indications of hair.
The human figure remains a valuable representation of the motifs prevalent during Malta’s Temple Period. Human representations from both above-ground megalithic sites and underground burial places vary in size and material. The largest, nearly two metres high, is made of stone and found in a prominent position at the Ħal Tarxien prehistoric complex, while the smallest is a four-millimeter bone figurine from the Xag ħra Circle, an underground burial site in Gozo. These human representations provide insights into their values, beliefs, and daily activities through the artistic consistency in depicting certain features as the corpulent figure, possibly suggesting a symbolic significance.
Franceen Galea
Curator, National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta
cultural heritage and environmental sectors. In this study, Caruana Dingli explores a rare biography of Suor Geltruda Cumbo (1613–1656) who was seen as a holy woman. In doing so, this study explores the genre of hagiography and the distinction for historiography as a modern construct. It scrutinises how the writings of St Teresa of Avila had a deep and widespread impact on the lives and aspirations of many women throughout Europe, such as on a young Maltese woman, Catarina D’Anastasio. She was professed as a nun in 1616, taking on the religious name of Suor Chiara, at the Benedictine monastery in Birgu.
Biographical details of Suor Chiara highlight how she pleaded with her mother Marietta to set up a monastery in line with the example of St Teresa. Following the permission granted by Bishop Cagliares, Marietta, together with her daughters and granddaughter Timothea (later Geltruda di Gesù Maria) moved into a house in Valletta, named Casa San Giuseppe, asking to officially establish a new female monastery. In 1628, the D’Anastasio family obtained consent from the Vatican, however the establishment of a Discalced Carmelite monastery for women
Neolithic incised sherd, 4.9 x 4.3cm, excavated at the Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex.
(Courtesy of Heritage Malta – The National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta / Object ID: 9157 / Photo: Lisa Attard)
was strongly opposed by Bishop Cagliares. Due to this, in 1632, four women of the D’Anastasio family left Malta to join the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Palermo.
The study shows how after Geltruda’s death, on 20 May 1656, a cult began to form around her memory, especially by means of narratives concerning miraculous events through her intercession. This cult was promoted by a network of women in Malta who were closely related to her, as having a holy or saint in the family was a source of great prestige.
Caruana Dingli brings to light the forgotten written biographies of Geltruda Cumbo. The first one was written by the Sicilian Discalced Carmelite Fra' Angelo Maria. The second text was completed by Fra' Gio Andrea della Croce, also a Discalced Carmelite from Sicily. Printed in Rome, in 1671, it refers to Geltruda with the title Venerabile, and gathers testimonies indicating an attempt to put her case forward for canonisation. A third and shorter version of Geltruda’s story was published in 1672 in a history of the monastery of St Teresa, written by Suor Maria Maddalena di S. Agostino, a contemporary of Suor Geltruda.
Caruana Dingli keenly illustrates how these hagiographical narratives provide some background on the literacy of women in seventeenth-century Malta, including rare evidence attesting to personal letter-writing between Maltese women and accessing books in monasteries, which influenced the female religious experience during that period. This study includes pictures of a number of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century engravings and manuscripts related to Cumbo and even a portrait of Suor Geltruda housed in the monastery of St Margherita in Bormla. This groundbreaking academic work opens new perspectives, not only on the origins of monastic life and its theological impact on Christian tradition, but also on its emergence and development in Malta. The four studies are rigorous, scholarly, and fundamentally help readers to correct perspectives on the hidden world behind this kind of religious lifestyle. The concept of fuga mundi raises important questions about the nature of this lifestyle, encouraging readers to approach this forgotten notion with a critical mindset that should stimulate further academic and historical debate on subsequent studies in the field.
The Cover
The Eye & The Symbol
The Victor Pasmore Gallery Permanent Collection
an exhibition by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti
275, APS House, St Paul Street, Valletta open since 6 June 2024
Through numerous interviews recounting Victor Pasmore’s work and his theoretical views on art and practice, exhibition narrator and editor of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, Giulia Privitelli, attempts to reconstruct a conversation with Pasmore on the Foundation’s permanent collection, The Eye & The Symbol.
I recall coming across a comment by your good friend and peer, Richard England, whose deep appreciation of your work led him to see in it something of the timeless qualities one would associate with the classical tradition; yours is an ‘art where nothing was superfluous, nothing could be added, nothing subtracted—no more and no less’. But then, he goes on to say that ‘at the same time, it was constantly in a state of flux; renewing itself with echoes and preechoes in a metamorphosis of meanderings towards the ultimate goal of complete subjective freedom.’ Alright, help me unpack this a little… Well, in contrast to the measurable world of the Renaissance and classical science, the modern world presents a process of opposing forces, evolutionary developments and ambiguous relationships. Attempts to rationalise this in philosophy have been echoed in the abstract, conceptual, and ambiguous imagery of modern art.1
The evolution of modern scientific development has naturally affected the imagery of naturalist art, similarly to how it has altered the concepts of naturalist philosophy. So, where does subjective freedom come into it, say, in terms of the medium and content of the painting? A change in attitude to a given content can alter its image as radically as a change in the content itself.2 Furthermore, abstract work will be unable to find its most powerful form in the surface-bound medium of painting alone. Because of its inherent nature, abstract painting cannot revert to conceptual illusionism. Consequently, it is confined to a two-dimensional format.
The abstract painter, therefore, inevitably found his path of development blocked. But the cause of this blockage is not the idea of abstraction itself, but the physical limitation of pictorial material.3 The loss of
material “reality” involved in the reflection of visual imitation is a serious obstacle in the execution of a purely subjective painting.4 This suggested that the surface format of painting could not provide the conditions necessary for complete independence unless combined with sculpture or architecture.5
Some of the works in the permanent collection reveal how you tried to address this limitation, so to speak—with constructions, projections, and painted reliefs. [Yes,] the idea of pure painting involves certain limitations which prevent it from attaining this relationship in full; it is two-dimensional … In terms of pure form, therefore, painting falls short of the means of attaining full realisation. If the artist wishes to seek development, he must do so in actual dimensions. In pure form, it is sculpture which really becomes supreme.6
The quest for this pictorial development, however, seems to imply a disconnection with the visible, natural world. Is this the cost of abstract art, or indeed, what you so often refer to as ‘the independence of painting’? Art imitates nature in the manner of her operation … like nature, painting is solid and made up of parts; the same eye that looks at it, looks at nature. [And] the act of drawing a spiral in a variety of ways will evoke emotions similar to those associated with the spiral movements of nature.7 But what I have done [or tried to do] is not the process of abstraction from nature but a method of constructing from within.8
From inside out and beyond, then. This brings us to the title of this exhibition, The Eye & The Symbol. To me, this represents something of a tension, between things seen and not seen, perceived and conceived, finite and infinite. At some level, I would even say it has a hopeful ring to it; for to have hope is to have hope in things unseen after all, is it not? Between the visible and symbolic world, thus, opens up such a vast space of potentiality and the imagination. Only during the process of painting and representing objects of the visual world has the pictorial image become something else; that is to say, “what it actually is”, an independent thing with its own image. But now, in our
century, the reverse condition has evolved by which we can start with “what the painting is” and finish with something else—a symbol of “what it is not”, a thing of the spirit.9
Once independent, a painting becomes the sole visual object so that its content becomes totally immanent in its form and image, a condition which renders its meaning essentially potential.10 If we take a sheet of paper, for example, and scribble on it vigorously, we become involved in the process of bringing into being something concrete and visible which was not there before … What mattered initially was not what our scribble would represent, but what it might become.11
Emerging in anonymity, therefore, the new painting can become a sign or symbol of infinite extension, directly finding its place in the eye and mind of the spectator.12
Notes
1 Te Artist’s Eye (London: National Gallery, 1990).
2 ‘ Te Transformation of Naturalist and Humanist Art and Te Independence of Painting’, in Te Image Within: Victor Pasmore, Recent Works, 1974–1977, exhibition catalogue (London: Marlborough Fine Art, 1977).
3 ‘What is Abstract Art?’, Te Sunday Times (5 February 1961).
4 Quoted in a letter to Kenneth Clark, 1952.
5 ‘ Te Transformation of Naturalist Art and Te Independence of Painting’, (1977).
6 Nine Abstract Artists: Teir Work and Teory (1954).
7 ‘ Te Artist Speaks’, Art News and Review, Vol. 3 No. 2 (24 February 1951), 3.
8 Te Artist Speaks, BBC, aired on 15 August 1950.
9 ‘ Te Ambiguous Art’, 1986.
10 Images of Colour, 1980–1983, exhibition catalogue (London: Marlborough Fine Art, 1983).
11 Te Space Within. New Paintings, 1968–1969, exhibition catalogue (London: Marlborough Fine Art, 1969).
12 Images of Colour (1983).
Cultural Review
Cecilia Xuereb takes stock of the 2023–2024 opera season, uniquely remembered for three productions that hit the Malta stage for the first time
The 2023–2024 music season will undoubtedly be remembered for the staging of three operas that had never been performed before in Malta. The first was a production of Mozart’s Intermezzo in three acts, Apollo et Hyacinthus, presented by Festivals Malta and Teatru Manoel, and performed by the Arianna Art Ensemble, which specialises in Renaissance and Baroque music, in November 2023. Though only eleven years old, Mozart was commissioned to write this Intermezzo for the students of the Benedictine University of Salzburg. This was to be performed between the acts of a larger play, a five-act tragedy, Clementia Croesi, written by Rufinus Widl, Professor of Philosophy at the same university, who also wrote the libretto in Latin for Mozart.
Clementia Croesi deals with the accidental death of the son of the King of Lydia by a misplaced spear. Apollo et Hyacinthus parallelled this theme by mounting a story first told by Euripides. In the original story, Apollo accidentally kills his lover, a boy named Hyacinthus, with one of his stray discus throws, encouraged by his rival Zephyrus who was jealous of his affair with Hyacinthus. Grief-stricken Apollo causes a gorgeous flower to bloom from Hyacinthus’ grave. Rufinus retained the outline of this plot but removed the controversial themes of a homosexual love triangle by adding two new characters: Hyacinthus’ father, Oebalus, and his sister Melia, the new source of Apollo’s love and the jealousy of Zephyrus. Hyacinthus is murdered by Zephyrus to incriminate Apollo, his rival for the hand of Melia. The dying Hyacinthus reveals the truth. Zephyrus is banished; Apollo and Melia marry, and the god turns Hyacinthus into the flower that bears his name.
Fabio Ceresa, director of Apollo et Hyacinthus, viewed the story as one that invites the audience ‘to reflect on diversity, freedom of expression, and love in all its facets’ regarding ‘the difficulty of coming out and asserting one’s gender identity [as] the central theme of the opera’—topics that sound very contemporary. Melia and Hyacinthus, the objects of Apollo’s love are identical twins but they are female and male respectively.
This view of plot, the duality of Apollo’s sexual love, the parallel worlds of the real and the supernatural, was expressed in Giuseppe Palella’s set showing a bedroom, with twin beds separated by a grand wardrobe that serves as a gateway between the real and the supernatural worlds through which Apollo made his entrance. The abstract costumes inspired by the vibrant colours of oriental silks lit up the practical set design.
The eleven-year-old’s music is not yet characteristic of the Mozartian idiom, but it is no less expressive. Each character gets a solo aria, while the two duets and the trio already show Mozart’s firm grasp of the techniques of eighteenth-century dramatic composition. These can easily be regarded as the precursors of the Mozart’s famous vocal operatic ensembles. Although written for singers aged between twelve and twenty-three, the solo numbers, mostly da capo arias, are neither short nor particularly easy. The score also includes a single-movement overture and two choruses. The nineteen-piece instrumental ensemble was conducted by Giulio Prandi, well known in Malta for his participation in past editions of the Valletta Baroque and Bir Miftuħ Festivals, in what music critic Albert Storace described as a ‘well-paced’ performance.
The title roles were interpreted by counter-tenor Filippo Mineccia and male soprano Federico Fiorio. The latter was described by Storace as having a ‘most amazing voice who sang with clarity and agility besides being a natural actor’.
Maltese soprano Claire Debono in the part of Melia, the female protagonist, came in for special praise for her aria in Act 2 and her two duets with Hyacinthus and her father, performed by tenor Raffaele Giordani, as well as for her characterisation. The villain was sung by counter-tenor Danilo Pastore, while bass Albert Buttigieg had a cameo role, that of the priest.
Gioachino Rossini was eighteen years old when he started writing his first opera, but he then went on to produce an oeuvre of no fewer than forty-two operas. Over twenty-two of these were performed over the years in Malta, the most popular being his Il Barbiere di Siviglia that keeps making it to our stage every few years or so. One of his operas that had never been performed, possibly because it is by no means an easy opera to produce and, moreover, turned away from the bel canto of popular Italian opera, was Armida, which he wrote at the age of twenty-five. This was commissioned by the Neapolitan impresario Barbaia who presented Rossini with a very trivial plot taken from an episode in Tasso’s Gerusalemme Liberata Armida requires no fewer than five first-class singers—a spectacularly agile soprano actress, three extremely accomplished tenors, and an equally able bass. Besides this, and as originally written, its staging called for an enchanted garden, with demons, furies, spectres appearing and disappearing, ascending and descending from artificial clouds, chariots pulled by dragons, and the dances of nymphs and amorini—a complex affair.
It was very brave of the Teatru Manoel to choose it for its annual opera production in March 2024 on its tiny stage. With a team of first-class singers and the imaginative
production of Paul Carr, who ‘had no interest in doing a “traditional operatic” staging of the piece’, both problems were overcome in the most satisfactory of ways. Soprano Elisa Balbo, tenors Nico Darmanin, Cliff Zammit Stevens and Anle Gou, and bass Albert Buttigieg, dealt easily with the coloratura writing of their arias and the dense harmonies of the ensembles. Their stage presence, too, was very good, responding with ease to the artistic direction of Paul Carr. Balbo’s beautiful voice wedded vocal artistry with profound musicianship. Stevens’ and Gou’s tenor voices, both elegant and virile, balanced that of Darmanin, whose full sensuous tone and fiery coloratura easily avoided the trap of mooning passivity. They were complemented by KorMalta’s equally responsive and characterful singing of the elaborate choruses. Under the baton of Davide Levi, who was throughout in perfect control of both stage and pit, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra gave one of its finest performances. Paul Carr, the artistic director, did away with all the original panoply. He brought the plot closer to our time by turning Tasso’s paladins into museum visitors wearing tuxedos, against which Armida’s costumes—a bright lime green in the first act, earthy colours in the second, and a brilliant white in the third act—stood out with striking brilliance. The demons and spirits were female visitors wearing evening gowns, and the scenery was a large ‘painting’ making use of old Teatru Manoel back cloths that changed from one act to the other into a country scene, a palatial chamber, and a forest projecting outward.
The main part of the stage represented a hall in a museum with various plinths on which the actors and exhibits transformed into participants and more often into dancers. Chris Gatt’s lighting design and Luke Azzopardi’s costumes emphasised and brought together the various elements of the production. The long ballet of the second
Soprano Claire Debono as Melia, and tenor Raffaele Giordani as Oebalus, in Apollo et Hyacinthus. (Photo: Rob Matthew Golfeo)
act was replaced by six dancers who moved in a contemporary style throughout the production to highlight the emotions, mostly erotic, of the main characters.
While Apollo et Hyacinthus must have been one of Mozart’s first compositions, Valeriana, an opera unfortunately left unfinished, was to be Joseph Vella’s last composition. Joseph Vella is undoubtedly one of the most prolific (Valeriana is his Opus 155) and influential Maltese composers of the last hundred years. His compositions embraced a wide variety of genres written for a vast range of instruments or groups of instruments, but not opera. This was his great ambition in his later years, throughout which he occupied himself with searching for a libretto that fulfilled his vision of what his opera should be. Shortly before his unexpected demise, in 2018, he discovered the operatic potential of the play Valeriana. Its author, Vincent Vella, agreed to adapt into an opera libretto.
Vella did not want to write a ‘nationalistic’ opera but one that touched the hearts and minds of people in general. And Valeriana is very much of a moral story about vengeance as opposed to justice, the power of love, the desire for freedom, and the fall of tyrants. Valeriana is a fictitious island that is governed during the Second World War by a fascist dictator in the image of Mussolini. The unhappy islanders only get their freedom with the fall of the Duce. Unlike any other opera previously written by a Maltese composer, the libretto is in English and written in prose.
Vella died just after having completed the vocal and piano score of the first two acts and only left a few sketchy notes for the last two acts. His family, however, decided that Vella’s dream of writing an opera should be realised and commissioned Christopher Muscat to orchestrate the first two acts and compose the music for the last two acts.
Very wisely, Muscat did not try to imitate Vella’s compositional style but adapted his own style in such a way that it ‘sits well with Vella’s music’. Thus, although the hand of a different composer is clear as soon as the third act starts, the overall effect is in no way patchy. One can follow the hand of the same orchestrator and there are echoes of Vella’s music in Muscat’s writing. While melodious, Vella’s music tends to be abstract. He uses various harmonic elements which, although easily acceptable by the ear to move human emotions, probe and ask troubled questions about man and his destiny. His writing for Valeriana is far from the bel canto tradition and devoid of big arias for the main characters who are traditionally the protagonists of the drama. Rather, the singers and the orchestra move together to relate the emotions—the anger, the despair, the human solidarity—of the persons who inhabit the island and who are the real protagonists of the opera.
On the other hand, Muscat’s music is more traditional. Though the idiom is definitely contemporary, the vocal lines are more melodious and the main characters, the soprano, the tenor, the mezzo, and the bass are given their arias so that they stand out as the protagonists. The music depicts the emotions of the characters more than those of the island(ers), and the romantic subplot of the Maltese fisherman who has married one of the local girls is given greater importance.
Following the completion of the score, Festivals Malta agreed to stage the opera which was presented at Teatru Astra in Gozo in May 2024. This was indeed a very lavish production, and no pains were spared to produce a show that, both musically and visually, would have made Joseph Vella proud. The main parts were sung by five very fine singers: soprano Miriam Cauchi, mezzo Marvic Monreal, tenors Andrés Moreno García and Brian Cefai, baritone Lewis Andrew Cassar, and basses Noel Galea and Pau Armengol Torella, all of whom were also excellent actors. These were bolstered by an
adult choir directed by Mariella Spiteri Cefai and a children’s choir directed by Sylvana Cini. Christopher Muscat, at the helm of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, held together the various elements.
The visual aspect of the opera was as brilliant as the musical one. Director Denise Mulholland opted for a minimalist set consisting of a rock placed roughly in the middle of the stage, symbolising the island, plus a minimum of furniture where this was necessary. The frequent changes of scene were provided by projections created by video artist Anthony Mizzi. At times these showed actual scenes, while at others they were meant to set the mood. In turn, these were aided by the brilliant lighting design, complemented by Luke Azzopardi’s costumes. This was a lavish production, to say the least, difficult to equal in any future production of the opera.
Along with the production of the other two operas, Apollo et Hyacinthus and Armida, these will certainly hold pride of place in the history of opera in Malta.
Soprano Miriam Cauchi and tenor Andrés Moreno García, the principal characters in Valeriana, with boy soprano Ilyas Ige Sultana. (Photo: Marija Grech)
Armida (Elisa Balbi) and Rinaldo (Nico Darmanin) surrounded by the visitors at the museum. (Photo: Sebio Aquilina)
Calendar Highlights
A selection of upcoming events happening around Malta and Gozo over the next few months
Festivals
Notte Bianca
For one special night the Valletta cityscape lights up with a spectacular celebration of the arts that is open to the public free of charge. Valletta’s streets, churches, state palaces, and museums are transformed into venues for live performances and concerts.
Around Valletta 5 October 2024 www.festivals.mt
FESTIVAL PICK
Various locations, Malta and Gozo 30 October –3 November 2024
Audiences experience intimate performances in the grandeur of some of Malta’s finest palaces and indulge in forms of artistic expression that reflect the identity of the nation and beyond. Emerging artists perform alongside the finest established artists in Malta and internationally. www.festivals.mt
Valletta International Baroque Festival
Since its launch in 2013, this festival has treated audiences to a unique event featuring some of the best soloists and ensembles in the Baroque music scene. The festival offers a quintessential experience of all that is Baroque as it takes place in exquisite venues.
Various locations around Malta 9–25 January 2025 www.festivals.mt
Performing Arts
Il Trittico (Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicci) What better way to mark the centenary death of Puccini than with his most ambitious project? The three single-act operas are directed by Colin Attard, and performed by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Aurora Opera Chorus.
Teatru Aurora, Gozo 12 October 2024
www.teatruaurora.com
Ċetta from Valletta Sit back and enjoy this musical about Malta in the 1950s, which follows Ċetta and her dreams from the Mandraġġ in Valletta to Sliema.
Teatru Manoel, Valletta 12–20 October 2024
www.teatrumanoel.mt
THEATRE PICK
Brighton Beach Memiors
MADC Playhouse, Santa Venera 18–27 October 2024
Tyrone Grima directs American playwright Neil Simon’s autobiographical bittersweet memoir as a young teen in 1937, living with his family in a crowded lower middleclass Brooklyn apartment. www.madc.com.mt
than twenty years captivating audiences with his performances. He is particularly drawn to the music of Ludovico Einaudi, aiming to convey feelings of peace, beauty, and deep emotion through his renditions.
Palazzo de La Salle, Valletta 26 October, 1–2 November 2024 www.artsmalta.or
MUISIC PICK
Puccini 100th Anniversary Concert
Teatru Astra, Gozo 16 November 2024
The Classique Foundation is celebrating the centenary death of opera composer Giacomo Puccini with a concert of famous arias, duets and orchestral music from Puccini’s operatic oeuvre. This concert will feature internationally renowned singers and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Joseph Debrincat, artistic director and founder of the Foundation.
www.teatruastra.org.mt
Visual Arts
An Island at the Crossroads
This immersive exhibition delves into Malta’s strategic location in the Mediterranean, revealing a tapestry of tales shaped by the sea’s impact on the island nation and its identity. The artefacts on display tell a compelling story about love, conflict, and the difficulties experienced by those who crossed the sea in search of a fresh start, and range from ex-voto paintings to antique seafaring instruments.
Under Einaudi’s Wings Dutch Pianist Frank Oppedijk has spent more
Maritime Museum, Birgu Until 9 February 2025 www.heritagemalta.mt
The Three Palaces Festival
I Will Follow The Ship
At a time of climate change, rising sea levels, and questions of people’s place in a hyper technological world, these humble marks of hope, take on a new symbolic meaning within the human consciousness. With I Will Follow the Ship, the Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024 presents a platform to discuss notions of authorship and image-making in art, all while critically rethinking forms of agency and cohabitation to navigate the uncharted waters of the information society. The installation consists of a newly commissioned artwork weaving together cultural heritage and cutting-edge AI-driven technology. The Malta Pavilion is co-curated by Maltese curator Elyse Tonna and Italian American curator Sara Dolfi Agostini, while Maria Galea and Galleria Michela Rizzo are managing the project .
Malta Pavilion, Arsenale, Venice Biennale Until 24 November 2024 www.labiennale.org
EXHIBITION PICK
Clay / Craft / Concept
Malta Society of Arts, Valletta 22 August – 26 September 2024
What is the difference between a sculpture and a beautifully crafted functional object such as a mug or a vase? Curated by Gabriel Zammit, this exhibition will frame functional clay objects alongside sculpture and ancient pottery in order to prompt questions around craft-oriented practice. Clay / Craft / Concept follows the MSA’s legacy of supporting the crafts, while also bringing the Society’s activity into dialogue with contemporary currents of thought. www.artsmalta.org
Far from Somewhere
An interdisciplinary project which seeks to explore the challenges presented by ever-
increasing changes to our physical and urban contexts, and how environmental and social transformations can influence our state of mind and our sense of wellbeing in the world. A collective exhibition curated by Elyse Tonna and Margerita Pulè.
Malta Postal Museum and Arts Hub, Valletta 10–24 October 2024 www.maltapostalmuseum.com
Dicere Verum
Gabriel Spiteri first exhibited solo in 2021 and soon after participated in a collective exhibition in 2022. With a keen interest in figurative realism he has experimented with a variety of mediums. His next exhibition, Dicere Verum, is all about still-lifes.
Malta Postal Museum and Arts Hub, Valletta 31 October – 15 November 2024 www.maltapostalmuseum.com
On Screen
André Rieu
André Rieu is ready to blow you away with his cinema concert Power of Love. From his picturesque hometown of Maastricht, Rieu presents a must-see, big-screen spectacle, accompanied by his world-famous Johann Strauss Orchestra and a cast of hundreds.
Spazju Kreattiv Cinema, Valletta 31 August, and 1, 6, 8, 12 September 2024 www.kreattivita.org
The Marriage of Figaro Figaro’s eventful wedding day is Mozart’s wellknown comic opera, bursting with plot twists, scandals, and a rollercoaster of emotions that has something for everyone to relate to.
Eden Century Cinemas, St Julian’s 10, 15 September 2024 www.edencinemas.com
SCREENING PICK
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Eden Century Cinemas, St Julian’s 15, 20 October 2024
Directed by Christopher Wheeldon, with music by Joby Talbot and stage design by Bob Crowley, this spectacular ballet is the ulimate treat for a wonderland experience. Based on the novel by Lewis Carroll. www.edencinemas.com
