MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Contents MINISTER’S FOREWORD EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD PROGRAMME OF EVENTS 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 53 57 61
PENDULUM CHOIR MEETING THE ODYSSEY PIXELS WAVE KIBBUTZ ‘IF AT ALL’ THE MUSICAL VOYAGES OF MARCO POLO NORIKO OGAWA ŻFINMALTA ‘JE TIENS LA REINE’ TALICH QUARTET BAR-TO-BAR QUINTET SPINS AND SPELLS FAITH, HOPE U CHARITY STOMP MPO SYMPHONIC DANCES
66
MIAF+
74 77
WORKSHOPS AND MASTER CLASS TICKET INFORMATION MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL TEAM & SPONSORS
Tikka Tabula Rasa Malta Jazz Festival Sliema Arts Festival Connecting Through Culture Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra Romeo and Juliet by MADC Kelma Kelma Nota Nota Joseph Calleja Concert EASA links
|3|
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
MINISTER’S
FOREWORD Since its humble inception a decade ago, the Malta International Arts Festival (MIAF) has come a long way and is now a mainstay on the local cultural calendar. By bringing celebrated performers from every corner of the globe and providing an important platform for local artists to showcase their talents and collaborate together, the festival has been going from strength to strength each year.
Owen Bonnici
Minister for Justice, Culture & Local Government Sa mill-bidu tiegħu għaxar snin ilu, il-Malta International Arts Festival (MIAF) kiber u sar appuntament fiss fil-kalendarju kulturali lokali. Permezz tal-involviment ta’ artisti ċelebri minn madwar id-dinja, kif ukoll billi jipprovdi spazju li jservi ta’ vetrina għall-artisti lokali biex juru t-talenti tagħhom u jikkollaboraw, dan il-festival qiegħed jikber minn sena għall-oħra. L-iktar elementi importanti ta’ dan l-avveniment ta’ kull sena, huma l-varjetà u d-diversità ta’ forom talarti. Fl-okkażjoni tal-10 edizzjoni, dawn l-elementi komplew jissaħħu bit-twaqqif ta’ kumitat artistiku magħmul minn artisti minn oqsma differenti li qed jappoġġja lid-direttur artistiku tal-MIAF. Dan għandu jagħti lill-festival karattru iktar varjat. Minn mużiċisti magħrufa mad-dinja sa installazzjonijiet awdjoviżivi, żfin u xogħlijiet teatrali eċċitanti, il-MIAF jolqot il-gosti ta’ kulħadd b’mod innovattiv u jqajjem l-interess tal-udjenzi tant li jġegħelhom jirritornaw għal aktar. Fil-fatt, din is-sena l-festival se jinkludi attivitajiet f’postijiet tradizzjonali kif ukoll fi spazji miftuħa ġodda bħall-Baċir Nru 1 f’Bormla. Madankollu, il-qofol talattivitajiet se tibqa’ l-Belt Valletta, il-belt storikament u kulturalment rikka li bla dubju, jagħmilha sfond ideali għal dan il-festival, speċjalment minħabba li se jkollha r-rwol ta’ Belt Kulturali Ewropea fl-2018. B’dan il-ħsieb, qed isir sforz biex ikompli jogħla l-livell tal-kultura u l-arti mhux biss billi l-udjenzi jkollhom l-opportunità li jsegwu xogħlijiet u avvenimenti ta’ kalibru għoli iżda wkoll bil-kollaborazjoni ma’ entitajiet oħra permezz tal-inizzjattiva ġdida MIAF+, u permezz tal-’workshops’ u ‘master classes’ bl-għan li jħeġġeġ u jixpruna l-iżvilupp artistiku fost il-pubbliku. Madwar id-dinja kollha, il-festivals dejjem servew bħala xi ħaġa li tgħaqqad u mod kif nies minn sitwazzjonijiet differenti jiltaqgħu u jnebbħu lil xulxin. Biex nilħqu udjenzi aktar wiesgħa u nħajru lil dawk li mhux soltu jipparteċipaw, din is-sena l-MIAF jinkludi numru rekord ta’ avvenimenti bla ħlas. Dan juri l-impenn tagħna li nwasslu l-arti u l-kultura lil kulħadd. Din is-sena, il-festival ġie maħsub bħala esperjenza sħiħa fejn, permezz ta’ preżentazzjonijiet bla ħlas madwar il-Belt li jiġbdu l-attenzjoni u jinvolvu lil min ikun għaddej, il-Belt innifisha tinbidel f’palk.
|4|
The strong point of this annual event has become the remarkable variety and diversity of art forms showcased. Accordingly, on the occasion of the festival’s 10th edition this idea seems to have been emboldened by the fact that the MIAF’s artistic director is now backed by an artistic committee composed of artists with various artistic backgrounds, promising to give the festival an even more diverse character. From world famous musicians to interactive audiovisual installations, touching dance performances to exciting theatrical shows, the MIAF offers something to suit every taste and always brings an element of intrigue and novelty to make one want to come back for more. In fact, this year the festival will feature live performances in traditional venues as well as exciting new open-air spaces like Dock No. 1 in Cospicua. Nevertheless, the focus of activities remains Valletta, the historical and culturally rich city that is undoubtedly the ideal backdrop for this festival considering its forthcoming role as the designated European Capital of Culture in 2018. Bearing this in mind, we are striving to take culture and the arts to the next level not only by entertaining audiences to world class shows and creating high calibre events but also by collaborating with other entities through the newly established MIAF+ and offering workshops and master classes in an effort to spark further cultural consumption and spur on artistic development among the general public. Festivals all around the world have always functioned as a social binder and as a way for people from various backgrounds to interact and inspire each other. In order to reach out to wider audiences and entice the uninitiated to participate, this year’s MIAF features a record number of free events, which stands to show our commitment to making culture and the arts even more accessible to everyone. This year the festival has been conceived as an enveloping experience where, by being immersed in city life with free performances happening throughout the city to enthrall and involve passers-by, the city itself becomes the stage.
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
CHAIRMAN’S
FOREWORD
Albert Marshall Executive Chairman Arts Council Malta
Fl-aħħar snin, programmi tal-arti u l-kultura mwettqa f’oqsma bħall-edukazzjoni, l-għajnuna soċjali, it-tisħiħ tal-komunità, u t-turiżmu kulturali kellhom riżultati sinjifikanti madwar id-dinja, u l-iskala u l-impatt soċjali ta’ dawn il-programmi qed jiġbdu attenzjoni kbira. Il-kunċett ta’ ‘festivals’ kien fundamentali flimplimentazzjoni ta’ din l-iskema kulturali. Il-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti qed iħejji biex jibda x-xogħol fuq pjan strateġiku għal ħames snin (2016 – 2020) u se jkun qed jiżgura li l-festivals iżommu post ċentrali fil-ħidma tagħna biex insaħħu l-kooperazzjoni ma’ aġenziji kulturali u organizzazzjonijiet ewlenin barranin billi nimpenjaw ruħna bis-sħiħ biex nuru lill-udjenzi lokali l-aħjar xogħlijiet fid-dinja tal-arti u l-kultura. Blistess mod impenjattiv, qed infittxu li nesportaw ilprodott kulturali tagħna, billi nidentifikaw festivals internazzjonali fejn artisti u organizzazzjonijiet kulturali Maltin jistgħu jipparteċipaw u jimxu ‘l quddiem. Huwa f’dan l-ispirtu ta’ impenn sħiħ għal viżjoni ta’ ħolqien ta’ inkontri kulturali fuq livell internazzjonali u opportunitajiet artistiċi u ta’ xogħol li qiegħed jiġi ppreżentat il-Malta International Arts Festival ta’ din is-sena.
In recent years, arts and culture programmes implemented in fields such as education, welfare, community revitalisation, and cultural tourism have produced significant results all over the world, and the scale and social impact of these programmes are attracting a great deal of attention. The concept of ‘festivals’ has been seminal in the implementation process of this cultural scheme. Arts Council Malta is about to embark on the design of its five year strategic plan (2016 – 2020) and will be ensuring that festivals occupy centre stage in our quest to strengthen cooperation with major overseas cultural agencies and organisations by aggressively engaging in showcasing the best of what’s on offer in the world of arts and culture for the consumption of local audiences. As aggressively, we seek to export our cultural products, identifying international festivals in which Maltese artists and cultural organisations may participate and flourish. It is in the spirit of this full commitment to a vision of internationalised cultural networking and the creation of exciting artistic and business opportunities that this year’s Malta International Arts Festival is being presented.
|5|
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
DIRECTOR’S
FOREWORD
Annabelle Stivala Attard
Director Festivals and Events Arts Council Malta Il-Malta International Arts Festival illum sar importanti ħafna fir-rwol u l-kontribuzzjoni tal-arti performattiva. B’udjenza dejjem tikber, dan il-festival qiegħed jipprovdi spazju fejn artisti Maltin jistgħu jħaddmu t-talenti tagħhom biswit artisti internazzjonali. Il-festival sar pjattaforma għall-ħolqien artistiku, b’xogħlijiet innovattivi u uniċi. Huwa wkoll bħal tieqa minn fejn jiġu introdotti proġetti li jkunu minn ta’ quddiem biex iwessgħu l-viżjoni artistika u kulturali tal-udjenza. Il-festival għandu l-għan li jippromovi l-apprezzament tal-forom differenti tal-arti u l-kultura u din is-sena, ġie addottat mod differenti fid-direzzjoni tal-ipprogrammar sabiex nipprovdu għażla iktar aċċessibbli ta’ programmi li jappellaw għal udjenza aktar wiesgħa. Din is-sena, il-Malta International Arts Festival flimkien mal-Għanafest, il-Jazz Festival u Notte Bianca, kollha organizzati mill-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti rċieva l-EFFE Label 2015-2016. Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe (EFFE) hija pjattaforma internazzjonali ġdida għall-festivals imnedija mill-European Festivals Association bl-għan li tiżgura viżibilità u possibiltà ta’ inkontri lill-aqwa festivals fl-Ewropa, billi tagħraf liem huma dawk li qed jagħmlu l-iżjed xogħol eċċitanti u innovattiv. Il-Malta International Arts Festival ikompli jagħti kontribut importanti biex jgħaqqad nies differenti flimkien, filwaqt li juri l-belt tagħna b’mod kreattiv u jkabbar spirtu ta’ innovazzjoni b’mod inklużiv.
|6|
The Malta International Arts Festival has grown to become an important flag bearer for the role and contribution of the performing arts. Over the years, the festival has attracted a growing audience and it has significantly created a platform for local artists to showcase their outstanding talent alongside international counterparts. The festival has become a platform for artistic creation, showcasing innovative and outstanding performances. It is also a window to introduce pioneering and cutting-edge projects which widen the audience’s cultural and artistic vision. The festival aims to promote appreciation of different art forms and culture and this year, a different approach in the programming direction was adopted so as to provide a more accessible spectrum of programmes which appeal to a wider audience.
This year, the Malta International Arts Festival together with Għanafest, the Jazz Festival and Notte Bianca, all organized by the Arts Council Malta have been honoured with the EFFE Label 20152016. Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe (EFFE) is an international festival platform initiated by the European Festivals Association that aims to guarantee visibility and exchanges to Europe’s finest festivals by acknowledging those which are doing the most exciting and innovative work. The Malta International Arts Festival continues to make a meaningful contribution to bringing diverse people together, showcasing our city in a creative way and fostering a spirit of innovation and inclusive approach.
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S
FOREWORD Dr Michelle Castelletti Artistic Director Malta International Arts Festival Artistic Team: Francesca Tranter Riccardo Carbutti Ruben Zahra Inħossni kuntenta, onorata u kburija li qed nippreżenta, flimkien ma’ tim fenomenali ta’ nies, il-Malta International Arts Festival. Il-MIAF 2015 huwa dikjarazzjoni. Huwa t-twaħħid ta’ ħsibijiet, mezzi u kulturi differenti, f’qafas ta’ integrità artistika u eċċellenza. Il-MIAF 2015 jisfida l-perċezzjoni u l-konformità, imma wkoll ifittex li jilħaq lill-pubbliku biex jgħin imexxi lil Malta lejn ir-rwol ta’ Belt Kulturali Ewropea fl-2018. Il-Malta International Arts Festival jaqsam il-konfini u jippromovi espressjoni artistika ħielsa b’mod multidixxiplinarju, bil-ħolqien ta’ programm ta’ attivitajiet eċċitanti u innovattiv. Bittaħlit tal-ħsejjes, noħolqu kalejdoskopju dejjem jinbidel ta’ preżentazzjonijiet, li jvarjaw minn xogħlijiet innovattivi sa kapulavuri impressjonanti, minn dikjarazzjonijiet b’saħħithom sa avvenimenti li jagħtu gost. L-għan tagħna huwa li nnebbħu, inxennqu u nistimolaw billi nippreżentaw programm fejn dinjiet differenti jaħbtu fi splużjoni artistika. Bla mistħija nħajrukom tippruvaw xi ħaġa ġdida. Kull festival huwa uniku u għandu identità. L-aspirazzjoni tagħna hi li Malta ssir destinazzjoni fuq il-mappa kulturali dinjija. Il-viżjoni hi li nilħqu dan l-għan billi nwasslu l-arti lill-poplu, permezz ta’ programm kulturali uniku. Irridu li titkisser ilperċezzjoni tal-elitiżmu, mingħajr ma jintilef ir-rispett lejn l-ogħla forma ta’ arti. Irridu li l-MIAF isir ilqofol tal-arti kif ukoll laboratorju għall-kreattività u xogħlijiet ġodda. Irridu ninvestu fil-futur u fit-talent żagħżugħ, nappoġġjawh u niżviluppawh. Irridu noħolqu ambjent fejn ix-xewqa li wieħed jikber tkun kontinwa, u fejn l-esperimentazzjoni, l-espressività u l-innovazzjoni titwaħħad ma’ dak li hemm diġà. Irridu nisfidaw l-ideat li jeżistu u noffru lill-udjenzi esperjenzi ġodda fuq vjaġġ ta’ skoperta. Irridu li nqanqlu l-kurżità, naħsdu, noħolqu stagħġib imma wkoll ċaħda u kontroversja. Min-naħa l-oħra, irridu wkoll li ninvolvu l-komunità, u li nipprovdu ambjent interattiv fejn kulħadd jista’ jesperjenza l-arti, jitnebbaħ u jinvolvi ruħu biex b’hekk niżviluppaw l-udjenzi talġejjieni, kif ukoll intejbu ħajjet in-nies. Irridu li l-Malta International Arts Festival ikun wieħed mill-festivals fid-dinja li jappoġġja, jippromovi u joħloq, u li jkun fuq quddiem f’dak li qed jiġri fid-dinja tal-arti llum.
I am thrilled, honoured and proud to be presenting, together with a phenomenal team of people, the Malta International Arts Festival 2015 to the Maltese public. MIAF 2015 is a statement. It is a coming together of different muses, different media and different cultures, with a fundamental core of artistic integrity and excellence. MIAF 2015 challenges perception and conformity, but also reaches out to the public and engages with the wider society to help lead Malta towards European Capital of Culture 2018. The Malta International Arts Festival crosses boundaries and promotes freedom of artistic expression in multidisciplinary fashion, creating a programme of events that is colourful, exciting and innovative. In a merging of soundworlds, we create an ever-changing kaleidoscope of performances, ranging from sheer cutting edge to exquisite masterpieces, and powerful assertions to fun and entertainment. We aim to inspire, tantalise and stimulate you by presenting a programme where different worlds collide and artistic explosion occurs. We will unashamedly entice you to try something new.
Every festival is unique and has its own identity. Our aspiration is for Malta to become a destination on the world’s cultural map. Our vision is to achieve this by bringing art to the people, through distinctive programming and creating a unique cultural offer. We want to thrash the perception of elitism, without losing the respect towards the highest form of art. We want the MIAF to become a hub for the arts, and a laboratory for creativity and for commissioning new work. We want to invest in the future, in young talent and to nurture it and support it; and we want to create an environment where the desire to aspire and strive for more is constant, and where experimentation, expressivity and innovation, fused with a celebration of what already is, comes from within. We want to challenge preconceptions and take audiences to new experiences on a journey of discovery. We want to spark curiosity, to shock, to cause wonder, and, yes, even rejection and controversy; but we also want to engage with the community, and provide an interactive environment for everyone to experience the arts, be inspired and become involved, thus nurturing the audiences of the future, as well as enriching people’s lives. We want the Malta International Arts Festival to be seen as one of the festivals in the world that supports, promotes and creates, and to be at the forefront of what is happening in the arts today.
|7|
PROGRAMME of EVENTS 10 July
Pendulum Choir
Venue: Valletta City Gate Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
10 to 12, 16 to 18 July Performances 13 to 15 July Instants
Meeting the Odyssey Venue: Dock No. 1, Bormla Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
10 to 26 July
Pixels Wave
Venue: Valletta City Gate Time: 21:00 onwards Entrance: FREE
11 & 12 July
Kibbutz ‘If At All’
15 & 16 July
ŻfinMalta ‘Je Tiens La Reine’ Venue: Argotti Gardens Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
17 July
Talich Quartet
Venue: Palace Courtyard Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
20 July
Bar-to-Bar Quintet
Venue: Palace Courtyard Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
21 July
Spins and Spells
Venue: St James Cavalier Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
22, 24, 26, 29, 31 July 1 & 2 August
Faith, Hope u Charity
Venue: Argotti Gardens Time: 21:00 Entrance: €25, concessions €20
Venue: Fort St Elmo Time: 21:00 Entrance: €20, concessions €15 Classification: 12+
13 July
23 to 25 July
The Musical Voyages of Marco Polo
Venue: Argotti Gardens Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
14 July
Noriko Ogawa
Venue: Auberge de Castille Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
STOMP
Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal Time: 21:00 Entrance: €30, concessions €25
26 July
MPO Symphonic Dances Supported by Valletta 2018
Venue: St George’s Square, Valletta Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
MIAF+ Events 2 to 8 July
23 July
Venue: MCAST Institute of Art and Design, Mosta Time: 9:00 – 18:00 (weekdays); 14:00 – 20:00 (Saturday & Sunday) Entrance: FREE
Venue: Fort St Elmo Time: 21:00 Entrance: €10, concessions €5
TIKKA - MCAST Art and Design Exhibition
13 July
Tabula Rasa Venue: Blue Box Theatre, M Space, Msida Time: 19:00 and 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10 Tickets at the door
16 to 19 July
Malta Jazz Festival Venue: Ta’ Liesse, Valletta Time: 20:00 Entrance: €20 to €90, concessions €15 to €45 Tickets from www.ticketline.com.mt
17 to 19 July
Sliema Arts Festival Venue: Sliema promenades, gardens and beaches Time: 14:00 – 00:30 Entrance: FREE
18 & 19 July
Connecting Through Culture
Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra
23 - 31 July
Romeo and Juliet by MADC Venue: San Anton Gardens, Attard Time: 20:15 Entrance: €15 and €20
28, 29 & 30 July
Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
3 August
Joseph Calleja Concert Venue: Luxol Grounds Time: 20:30 Entrance: €80, €140 and €200 Tickets from www.ooii.com.mt
3 to 5, 11 to 13 August
EASA links
Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
Venue: Yacht Marina, Ta’ Xbiex Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
|9|
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 10 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
MIAF+ Workshops & Master Class 6 to 10 July
International Contemporary Dance Hybrid Malta 2015
Intensive course with Yen-Ching Lin and Anton Lachky Venue: University Dance Studios, 3rd Floor (Hometrends Building), Ta’ Żwejt Industrial Estate, San Ġwann Time: 10:00 – 11:30; 12:00 – 13:30; 15:00 – 16:30; 16:45 – 18:30 Entrance: Information on: www.dancehybridmalta.com francescatranter@gmail.com
11 July
International Contemporary Dance Hybrid Malta 2015
Informal Performance Sharing Venue: Blue Box Theatre M Space, Msida Time: 17:30 Entrance: €8, concessions €6 Tickets at the door
12 July
Master Class by David Ben Shimon (Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company) Venue: University Dance Studios, 3rd Floor (Hometrends Building), Ta’ Żwejt Industrial Estate, San Ġwann Time: 10:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10
| 11 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 12 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
10 July
Pendulum Choir Event: Music Venue: Valletta City Gate Time: 21.00 Duration: 40min (no interval) Entrance: FREE
Pendulum Choir hija biċċa xogħol oriġinali għal disa’ vuċijiet ‘a cappella’ u tmintax-il ġakk idrawliku. Il-membri tal-kor joqogħdu bilwieqfa fuq pjattaformi li jiċċaqalqu, biex b’hekk il-kor jesprimi ruħu f’diversi forom fiżiċi. Il-plastiċità tvarja skont ir-riżonanza, bejn ħsejjes astratti, ħsejjes repetittivi, u oħrajn liriċi jew narrativi.
Pendulum Choir is an original choral piece for nine a cappella voices and eighteen hydraulic jacks. The choir stands on tilting platforms, constituting a living, sonorous body which expresses itself through various physical states and whose plasticity varies at the mercy of its sonority - be it abstract, repetitive, lyrical or narrative sounds.
Artists
André Décosterd Michel Décosterd
Biography
André Décosterd, born in Le Locle in 1967 is a musician and composer, specializing in computer programming of musical applications. He studies composition systems specific to electroacoustic and contemporary music, in particular algorithmic composition. Following a four-year apprenticeship in organ factoring, he also obtained a Diploma from
the Ecole de Jazz et de Musique Actuelle in Lausanne in 1995. Michel Décosterd, born also in Locle in 1969, is an architect and plastician. In 1994, he obtained a Diploma in Architecture from the Engineering School of Biel, but also developed a thorough knowledge of mechanical engineering and machine construction through personal research and learning. He develops and builds machines in his own mechanical workshop. In 1997, Andre and Michel Décosterd founded the group Cod.Act where they combine their knowhow. They develop performances and interactive installations, reflecting on sound and movement and their possible interaction. Cod.Act creations have been presented in many countries, and have been nominated for various international awards, most recently, the Excellence Award, Art Division of the 18th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2014.
| 13 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
YOUR DREAMS WON’T RETIRE LET’S PLAN FOR THEM TOGETHER
Registered Address: MSV Life p.l.c., Level 7, The Mall, Floriana FRN 1470, Malta. Telephone: (+356) 2590 9000 Freephone: 8007 2220 E-Mail: info@msvlife.com Website: www.msvlife.com
| 14 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 15 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 16 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
10-12, 16-18 July Performances 13-15 July Instants
Meeting the Odyssey Event: Theatre Venue: Dock No. 1 Bormla Performances: 21.00 Duration: 85min (no interval) Instants: 19.00 Duration: 30min (no interval) Entrance: FREE
Meeting the Odyssey huwa xogħol kollaborattiv artistiku u soċjali bbażat fuq vapur bl-isem Hoppet li baħħar mill-Baltiku sal-Mediterran. Kull sajf, mill-2014 sal-2016, artisti u organizzaturi minn pajjiżi differenti Ewropej jivjaġġaw flimkien biex jagħtu ‘workshops’ u jtellgħu xogħlijiet teatrali. Landing_an Odyssey hija n-naħa l-oħra ta’ ‘nostos’ – il-wasla lura d-dar wara żmien ta’ nuqqas. Hija d-diqa f’qalb min hu mbiegħed mid-dar, l-impossibbiltà li tagħraf, li tintgħaraf. Meeting the Odyssey qed tittella’ f’Malta bil-kollaborazzjoni ta’ Transport Malta u l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Bormla.
Meeting the Odyssey is a social and artistic collaborative project set on the ship named Hoppet that has sailed from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea. Each summer from 2014 to 2016, artists and organizers from different European countries travel together, giving workshops and performing theatre pieces. Landing_an Odyssey is the other side of nostos – being back home after a long absence. It is homesickness, the impossibility of recognizing, of being recognized. Meeting the Odyssey in Malta is being held in collaboration with Transport Malta and Cospicua Local Council.
Artists
Production: Scarlattine Teatro_ Campsirago Residenza In collaboration with: Asterions Hus, Viirus
Theater, Regione Lombardia, MTO project Concept and Direction: Michele Losi Co-director: Peter Kirk Performers: Anna Fascendini, Giulietta Debernardi, Marco Mazza, Martin Ammundsen, Eve Ganneau, Ruth Janssen, Tilde Kundsten, Jaakko Kiljunen, Riccardo Meneghini Dramaturgy: Christoffer Mellgren Choreography: Ruth Janssen Music: Birgit Løkke, Jesper Siberg Costumes: Stefania Coretti, Elena Carozzi Scenography: Anna Turina, David Zuazola Technical Direction and Light Design: Andrea Violato Sound Technician: Björn Karlsson, Francesco Groppo Stagehand: Viviana Rella
| 17 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Technician: Stefano Pirovano Producer: Angelica Maran Producer Assistant: Lisa Dressler
Instant
Director: Tanya Priyatkina-Weinstein Artistic Coordinator: Marc Cabourdin Cast: Members of Aġenzija Żgħażagħ
Biography
Scarlattine Teatro (Italy) Artistic coordinator, hosting the ship in 2015, artistic direction of Landing_an Odyssey Scarlattine Teatro is a Cultural Association founded in 1998. It promotes the fusion of different languages, aiming to create an interlingual code that can be internationally shared. The association also attempts to break barriers between theatre, dance, music and visual art. Since 2004, Scarlattine Teatro has been working both as a Theatre Company, as well as running a theatre residency Campsirago Residenza - in the Lecco Lake District. Campsirago Residenza is a cultural platform which fosters six main actions: the production of theatre performances; training programmes for theatre and performing arts; organisation of festivals and cultural events; networking with other theatre residencies and local, national and international associations and organisations; supporting the production and organisation of national and international artistic companies; and, the creation and implementation of national and international projects. http://www.campsiragoresidenza.it Regione Lombardia - Direzione Generale Culture, Identità e Autonomie (Italy) Hosting the ship in 2015 Regione Lombardia is the regional government of Lombardia, an area of approximately 24, 000 square kilometers in the north of Italy with a population of 10 million inhabitants. | 18 |
The role of the government authority is to plan, coordinate and control the management of the territory. Regione Lombardia has always given particular attention to both the preservation of cultural heritage as well as the promotion of cultural events. In the field of performing arts, Regione Lombardia executes projects and supports activities aimed at strengthening culture in the territory; promoting quality performances among youths; and supporting theatre productions, networking events and opportunities for partnerships. Milan, Lombardia’s capital city is currently hosting the Universal Exposition EXPO with the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. http://www.regione.lombardia.it Asterions Hus (Denmark) Hosting the ship in 2014, co-direction of Landing_an Odyssey Since its foundation in 2003, Asterion Hus has toured Danish theatres, schools and culture houses. With its fresh new form, it has become very popular among theatres playing for young audiences in Denmark. Through the years, it has developed its unique, creative expression, seeking to perform a balancing act on the edge beween the grotesque and realism, the confusing and the readily accessible, comedy and tragedy. The style is raw and extremely physical. Peter Kirk, the company’s artistic director since its foundation, has written and directed eight plays, some of which have been translated into English. http://www.asterionshus.dk Viirus (Finland) Leading the project, hosting the ship in 2014, artistic direction of Memories For Life (2014) and Instant (2015) Viirus, a Swedish-speaking theatre close to the heart of Helsinki, was founded in 1987 by three young actors as an alternative to institutional theatres. Over the years, Viirus has developed into a well-known theatre but has retained its ability to provoke and surprise its audiences.
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
For almost twenty years, Viirus was based in an old water purification plant on the island of Rajasaari, but had to move out in 2007 due to the bad condition of the building. Since 2010, Viirus is situated in Kruununhaka, Helsinki. Viirus has also toured with its performances often with strong visual and physical presence - in Finland and abroad. The theatre has been awarded several prizes and, in 2014, was the Theatre of the Year in Finland. http://www.viirus.fi
With the support of the Culture Programme of the European Union This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
| 19 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 20 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
10-26 July
Pixels Wave Event: Installation Venue: Valletta City Gate Time: 21.00 Entrance: FREE
Pixels Wave 2015, hija installazzjoni virtwali ġenerattiva u interattiva maħluqa mill-artist sperimentali u multidixxiplinarju Miguel Chevalier, li se titnieda fl-10 ta’ Lulju u se tibqa’ miftuħa tul il-festival. L-installazzjoni tieħu forma ta’ tapit ta’ dawl ġgantesk li se jdawwl l-art ta’ quddiem il-bini tal-parlament il-ġdid fi Triq ir-Repubblika, u se tinkludi diversi xeni b’kuluri differenti, kull waħda magħmula minn disinni simboliċi mill-univers diġitali, simboli matematiċi kif ukoll frammenti mill-istorja ta’ Malta.
Experimental and multidisciplinary artist Miguel Chevalier, comes to Malta with a new commission – Pixels Wave 2015, a generative and interactive virtual reality installation with a giant carpet of moving lights that will fill Republic Street at City Gate, in front of Malta’s New Parliament Building. The installation, which will open on July 10th and remain throughout the festival, will consist of various multi-coloured scenes, one following another in random fashion, each composed of symbolic motifs from the digital universe, mathematical symbols, and also fragments of Malta’s history.
Artists
Pixels Wave 2015, Miguel Chevalier Music: Jacopo Baboni Schilingi Generative and interactive virtual reality installation Softwares: Cyrille Henry and Antoine Villeret
Biography Miguel Chevalier Miguel Chevalier was born in Mexico City in 1959, but has been living in Paris, France since 1985. Since 1978, he has focused exclusively on computers as an artistic means of expression, and is recognised internationally as a pioneer of virtual and digital art. Chevalier has proven himself to be one of the most significant artists in the contemporary scene. Miguel Chevalier’s oeuvre is experimental and multidisciplinary. Taking references from history of art and reformulating them using computer tools, his works investigate and explore recurrent themes such as nature and artifice, flows and networks, virtual cities and ornate designs. His images are a rich source of insights into ourselves and our relationship with the world. | 21 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Miguel Chevalier has created many projects incorporating generative and interactive virtual reality installations projected on a large scale, 3D printed sculptures, holographic imagery and other forms. He has also produced exhibitions and installations for museums, art centres, galleries and public spaces all over the world. Miguel Chevalier’s digital works are in constant metamorphosis, plunging us into a magical, poetic, and contemporary universe.
| 23 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Photos by Uri Nevo
| 24 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
11 & 12 July
Kibbutz ‘If at all’
Event: Dance Venue: Argotti Gardens, Floriana Time: 21.00 Duration: 65min (no interval) Entrance: €25, concessions €20
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC), waħda mill-kumpanniji taż-żfin ewlenin fid-dinja, hija spiss identifikata max-xogħol tad-direttur artistiku Rami Be’er, li l-karattru koreografiku esklussiv u uniku tiegħu sar il-marka talkumpannija kemm fl-Iżrael kif ukoll f’pajjiżi oħra. B’kast ta’ żeffiena teknikament b’saħħithom u sensibilità dinamika, KCDC tikkaratterizza ż-żfin fl-Iżrael u regolarment ittella’ xogħlijiet f’teatri importanti u festivals ewlenin madwar iddinja. Ix-xogħol oriġinali If At All huwa avveniment teatrali fi ċrieki astratti u figurattivi, minn sura magħluqa għal struttura miftuħa. Dan ix-xogħol għandu s-sapport tal-Ambaxxata tal-Iżrael.
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC), one of the leading dance companies in the world, is widely identified with the work of Artistic Director Rami Be’er whose exclusive and unique choreographic character has become the company’s trademark both in Israel and abroad. With its technically strong and physically eclectic cast of dancers and its dynamic sensibility, KCDC characterises Israeli dance at its best and performs regularly in the most respected theatres and at leading festivals worldwide. Their original dance piece If At All is a moving theatrical event in figurative and abstract circles, from the closed form to the open structure. This performance is supported by the Israeli Embassy.
Artists
Choreography, Stage Design and Lighting Design: Rami Be’er Music: Volcano Choire, H. Gudnadottir, Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Murcof, Olafur Arnalds, M. Richter, J. Johansson, L. Einaudi, Ophir Leibovitch Sound design: Alex Claude, Rami Be’er Costume Design: Maor Zabar, Rami Be’er Dancers: Ben Bach, Tamar Barlev, David Ben Shimon, Roni Ben Simon, Shani Cohen, Daniel Costa, Eyal Dadon, Frida Dam Seidel, Niv Elbaz, Nadav Gal, Martin Harriague, Sujeong Kim, Ilya Nikurov, Anat Oz, Renana Randy, Hagar Shachal, Olga Stetsyuk
| 25 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Artistic Director: Rami Be’er Executive Director: Amira Teomi International Director: Yoni Avital Technical Director: Diego Fernandez Sound & Lighting: Lior Cohen Technician: Ofer Abramovitz Performance Manager: Zadok Zemach Rehearsal Director: Nitza Gombo Assistant Rehearsal Director: Oz Mulay Wardrobe: Ofra Sharon Heimann
Biography
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) was founded in 1973 by the late Yehudit Arnon. Arnon laid the foundations for today’s thriving International Dance Village which is continuing to evolve into a first-class centre for dance under the leadership of Rami Be’er and KCDC staff. The International Dance Village, in Kibbutz Ga’aton, is the heart and home of the company and is comprised of around 80 Israeli and international dancers. These make up KCDC’s main company, KCDC’s second company (KCDC 2), as well as participants of KCDC’s 5-month and 10-month international Dance Journey programme. KCDC also hosts an annual Summer Intensive for both international and Israeli dancers. The International Dance Village is also open to visitors from around the world. Rami Be’er Artistic Director Rami Be’er was born in a family of musicians in Kibbutz Ga’aton in Israel where he
| 26 |
undertook dance studies with Yehudit Arnon, the founder of KCDC. He joined KCDC as a dancer and choreographer in 1980 and took over the company’s artistic direction in 1996. Since then, he has choreographed over 50 works and has credited the company and himself with an impressive list of original creations, as well as some delightful works for children. Be’er has been awarded prizes for his work in his home country and abroad, and has been commissioned by numerous international companies. Among these, Be’er has created original works for the Gratz Opera Ballet (Austria), Batsheva Dance Company (Israel), Hungarian National Ballet, New Danish Dance Theatre (Denmark), Staatsballet Berlin (Germany), Croatian National Ballet Theatre, Reykjavik National Ballet (Iceland), Tanzcompagnie Oldenburg (Germany), Ballet Basel (Switzerland), Poznan Opera House Ballet (Poland), and the National Theatre Ballet Brno (Czech Republic). For Be’er, a performance is a ‘unity’ composed of various elements. Therefore, apart from his choreographies, he also designs the sets, lighting and at times also the costumes. His work invites viewers to participate in a journey through which they can connect to themselves, leaving them free to interpret his imaginary-real picture of the world, giving it their own meaning through personal experience.
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 27 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Photos by Vanias Xydas
| 28 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
13 July
The Musical Voyages of Marco Polo Event: Music Venue: Argotti Gardens, Floriana Time: 21.00 Duration: 85min (no interval) Entrance: €15, concessions €10
Tnejn mill-iktar ‘ensembles’ rispettati fit-tradizzjoni mużikali Mediterranja, En Chordais u Constantinople, se jingħaqdu biex joħolqu vjaġġ mużikali b’tislima lil Marco Polo. Ikkummissjonat mis-Silk Road Art Music Festival ta’ Hong Kong, dan ix-xogħol multidixxiplinarju joffri rappreżentazzjoni unika ta’ materjali storiċi, mużikali u viżivi flimkien ma’ kompożizzjonijiet ġodda.
Two of the most respected ensembles of Mediterranean musical tradition, En Chordais and Constantinople, join forces to recreate a colourful musical journey in tribute to Marco Polo. Commissioned by the Silk Road Art Music Festival of Hong Kong, this multidisciplinary performance offers a unique tableau of historical, musical and visual materials as well as new compositions.
Artistic Direction: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis with the cooperation of Kiya Tabassian Projection: Nikos Terpsiadis Texts: Vasiliki Nevrokopli Sound Supervision: Leonidas Palaskas
Artists
En Chordais successfuly combines Byzantine and Mediterranean music with Greek regional idioms and contemporary music. Collaborating with virtuosi from all over the world, the ensemble presents a multimedia mosaic dating from the 13th century to today, resulting in a timeless dialogue between different cultures and eras.
Lingling Yu (China): pipa Marco Rosa Salva (Italy): recorder Amartuvshin Baasandorj (Mongolia): vocals Kiya Tabassian (Iran): setar Ziya Tabassian (Iran): tombak, daff Kyriakos Petras: violin Kyriakos Kalaitizidis: oud, vocals Drosos Koutsokostas: vocals Petros Papageorgiou: toumpeleki, defi, bendir Alkis Zopoglou: qanun Pierre-Yves Martel: viola da gamba
Biography
En Chordais Music Ensemble
Renowned for extensive research on the musical legacy of the East Mediterranean, En Chordais has enthralled audiences all over the world. The ensemble has performed | 29 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
in several important concert halls, such as the Library of Alexandria, the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Institut du Monde Arabe and Theatre de la Ville, Les Abbesses in Paris, Palais de Bozar in Brussels, Carl-Orff - Saal Gasteig in Munich, Saint Mark in Venice, Parcel Room of South Bank in London, and City Hall Concert Hall in Hong Kong. The group has also collaborated with top musicians from Greece, the Arab world, Iran, Turkey, Israel, China and Canada. En Chordais recieved the Prix France Musique des Musiques du Monde in 2008. Constantinople Drawing inspiration from the city of Constantinople, the ensemble, founded in 1998 in Montreal by Kiya and Ziya Tabassian was conceived as a forum for encounter. Kiya plays the setar, sings and composes, while Ziya explores the infinite possibilities of the tombac and other percussive instruments. Pierre-Yves Martel, a viola da gamba player, joined the ensemble in 2008. Since then, as seasoned travellers, the trio has ceaselessly explored a wide range of musical avenues: from medieval manuscripts to contemporary aesthetics, from Mediterranean Europe to the East and New World Baroque. In its research and creative work, Constantinople joins forces with other leading figures on the international scene, and is regularly invited to international festivals where it is acclaimed by the public, music professionals and critics alike. It has performed on many of the world’s major stages, including the Festival d’Aix-enProvence (France), the World Sacred Music Festival of Fez (Morocco), the Festival d’Île de France (Paris), the Onassis Centre (Athens), the Festival de México en el Centro Histórico (Mexico), the Festival de Lanaudière (Quebec), and the MusicFest Vancouver (Canada).
Programme Part I Marco’s Dream Music: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis Arrangements: Yiorgos Kokkinakis and Kyriakos Kalaitzidis Gallop Music: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis Arrangements: Daniel Barbas and Kyriakos Kalaitzidis Lamento di Tristano Italian Anonymous comp, XIV c., MS British Museum, add. 29987. Holy Oil Music and arrangements: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis The Golden Sheaf Of Time Music and arrangements by Kyriakos Kalaitzidis, lyrics by Vasiliki Nevrokopli inspired from Adonis’ poem, translated into Greek by Marcel Pirard. Jeopardy Music and arrangements: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis Migrants Circles Music and arrangements by Kiya Tabassian, lyrics by Hâfez, great Iranian poet of the 14th Century. The music is inspired by a melody from Xinjiang. In Xanadu Music and arrangements: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis
| 30 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Part II Five Steps / Cinq Marches Music and arrangements: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis Chandmani Nutag Music and lyrics by Amartuvshin Baasandorj, inspired by a traditional Mongolian song. Yi Zu Wu Qu (Dance of Yi nation) Music by Huiran Wang for solo pipa. Engareh Music and arrangements: Kiya Tabassian Akritas Traditional Greek Akritic song from the Black Sea (Pontos) tradition The Stranger Music: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis, lyrics by Vasiliki Nevrokopli. Arrangements: Yiorgos Kokkinakis and Kyriakos Kalaitzidis The Musical Voyages of Marco Polo Music: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis
Programme Notes What would we hear today had Marco Polo recorded the sounds and music he encountered on his legendary journeys? Inspired by reports from the famous Venetian about his travels through the countries of the Silk Road, a splendid mosaic of musical traditions will be revealed on this concert evening: classical Chinese music, Mongolian songs, Indian melodies, music from the Persian court, Byzantine melos, and medieval music from Venice. Kyriakos Kalaitzidis, virtuoso oud player and artistic director and founding member of the award-winning Greek ensemble En Chordais, who also trained as a musicologist specialising in Byzantine music, has gathered musicians from Italy, Greece, Iran, China and Mongolia to musically trace one of the most eventful epochs in history.
a musician himself?” Instead of maneuvering down the tightrope of Marco Polo’s hypothetical musical memories, he decided to go one step further, and composed Marco Polo’s musical journeys himself. What you will hear is an impressive musical encounter between the globalized 21st century and the sound landscapes of Marco Polo’s Middle Ages - on traditional instruments like the oud, kanun, setar, tobshur and pipa - which shape an almost unchanged musical environment through the present day. From the heart of Europe to the Far East, the performance of The Musical Voyages of Marco Polo traces an important part of our universal musical civilization. Through our familiarization with the music, distant lands appear as neighboring lands and unknown cultures become friendly cultures, while the voyage becomes an initiation into the hidden beauty of the world. The performance The Musical Voyages of Marco Polo was commissioned by the Silk Road Art Music Festival of Hong Kong (organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong) and opened on 31st October 2009 at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. Subsequently, it has been presented in eminent festival and venues all around the world such as Thessaloniki Music Hall, Beiteddine Festival (Beirut), Onassis Cultural Center (Athens), Trinity St. Paul’s Center (Toronto), Palais Montcalm (Quebec), Maison Symphonique (Montreal), Salle Pleyel (Paris) and Berlin Philharmonic Hall. The Musical Voyages of Marco Polo is available on CD distributed by World Village - Harmonia Mundi and has been awarded the “Prix Academie Charles Cros” 2014.
Kalaitzidis very quickly transformed his initial question to a creative approach: “What if Marco Polo had been a composer or at least | 31 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 32 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
14 July
Noriko Ogawa Event: Music Venue: Auberge de Castille, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 40min, interval, 30min Entrance: FREE
“daqq poetiku li jsaħħar” - Telegraph Noriko Ogawa hija waħda mill-pjanisti klassiċi ewlenin fid-dinja, li kisbet fama konsiderevoli wara s-suċċess tagħha filLeeds International Piano Competition fl-1987. Ogawa tirrekordja esklussivament mal-BIS Records, u s-serje ta’ xogħlijiet ta’ Debussy kisbitilha ħafna tifħir u stabbilietha bħala speċjalista tax-xogħlijiet ta’ dan il-kompożitur. Dan il-kunċert se joħodna fuq vjaġġ sabiħ u maġiku mal-mużika ta’ Ravel, Kanno, Debussy u Takemitsu.
“ravishingly poetic playing” Telegraph
Noriko Ogawa is one of the world’s leading classical pianists who achieved considerable renown since her success at the 1987 Leeds International Piano Competition. Recording exclusively for BIS Records, her complete Debussy series has earned her much acclaim and has established her as a fine Debussy specialist. The performance will be taking us on a beautiful and magical soundworld journey with the music of Ravel, Kanno, Debussy and Takemitsu.
Biography
Since achieving her first great success at the Leeds International Piano Competition, Noriko
Ogawa has worked with leading orchestras and conductors such as Dutoit, Vanska, Slatkin and Otaka. Ogawa is also renowned as a recitalist and chamber musician, performing with artists such as Evelyn Glennie. She regularly commissions new works and has performed premieres of works by Fujikura and Kanno. Ogawa has received the Japanese Ministry of Education’s Art Prize in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the global cultural profile of Japan. Since 2004, she has acted as artistic advisor for the MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall. As a writer, Ogawa has completed her first book and is currently working on a Japanese translation of Susan Tomes’ book Out of Silence - A Pianist’s Yearbook. Ogawa is passionate about charity work, particularly after the earthquake and tsunami which devastated Japan in early 2011. Since | 33 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
then, she has raised money for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Fund and is keen to keep fundraising, also working with the Japan Society through 2012. Ogawa also founded Jamie’s Concerts - a series for autistic children and their parents.
Programme
Ravel: Oiseaux Tristes [from Miroirs] Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin Kanno: Particle of Water, for piano and Myochin Hibashi Chopsticks Interval Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch 1 & 2 Debussy: Images Book I Debussy: La Cathédrale Engloutie Debussy: L’Isle Joyeuse
Programme Notes
Maurice Ravel: Oiseaux Tristes [from Miroirs] “Oiseaux tristes is the most typical of my way of thinking [...] It evokes birds lost in the oppressiveness of a very dark forest during the hottest hours of summer.” Ravel, 1928 The piano suite Miroirs (1904 – 1905), was inspired by Debussy’s description of his own work D’un Cahier d’Esquisses, as a form so free that it seemed like improvised sketches torn out of a sketchbook. This was related by Ricardo Viñes during a meeting of the group of radical painters, writers and musicians, Les Apaches, of which Ravel was also a member. Ravel captured this in Miroirs, by creating a quasi-transcription of a blackbird’s poetic and melancholic song he heard at Fontainebleau forest. This piece was dedicated to Viñes, who considered it “a Japanese print”. Michelle Castelletti Maurice Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infant Défunte Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte was Maurice Ravel’s young wistful daydream of a slow Spanish dance to which a little princess was dancing. Ravel was only 24 when he wrote this delicate, moving piano solo which he later orchestrated for full orchestra, when the Impressionist Movement was in full bloom. | 34 |
This work is structured around a hauntingly beautiful expressive melody, and takes the shape of a courtly dance from the Renaissance period. It is elegant and poised, imbued with impressionst colour. The work was premiered three years after it was written by Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes, and was immediately successful. Michelle Castelletti Maurice Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin Prélude – dedicated to Jacques Charlot Fugue – dedicated to Jean Cruppi Forlane – dedicated to Gabriel Deluc Rigaudon – dedicated to Pierre & Pascal Gaudin Menuet – dedicated to Jean Dreyfus Toccata – dedicated to Joseph de Marliave Each movement of this work is dedicated to the memory of a friend killed during the First World War. It is written as an homage to François Couperin, but even more than that, a tribute to French Baroque keyboard music. He decided to retain the beauty, reflection and elegance in his writing, saying: the dead are sad enough, in their eternal silence. Musicologist Gerard McBurney points out, “beneath the formality of this music is an elegy for French culture, which was being deeply threatened and might well have been destroyed by a world of war which was turning the north of France into a blood bath...” Michelle Castelletti Yoshihiro Kanno: A Particle of Water for piano and Myochin hibashi (2010) The ancient pond A frog leaps in The sound of the water. Matsuo Basho 1644-94, English translation by Donald Keene This famous haiku by Matsuo Basho (164494) depicts a frog leaping into water. The tiny sound of the splash seems to create an entire world. The leap of the frog sets off ripples that spread through the water, a three-dimensional movement that expands below the surface. Above it, surrounding the ancient pond, is silent space. For Basho’s contemporaries, his
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
chosen subject will have been unexpected and unconventional. The way he expresses the movement of the water and the atmosphere is such that the poem encapsulates infinity. As I began composing A Particle of Water, these lines didn’t leave me alone: a piece of programme music depicting a movement in the water caused by a leaping frog, and quite literally the movement never-ending chain reaction, an image which is closely reflected by the sound of the Myochin hibashi. These chopsticks are made of tamahagane, the pure steel used to make traditional swords, and forged of an ancient metal they amplify the acoustical chain reaction further. Yoshihiro Kanno Toru Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch I & II Rain Tree Sketch I (1982) and Rain Tree Sketch II (1992), as well as Rain Tree for percussionists, were inspired by Nobel Prize winner (1994) Kenzaburo Oé’s series of short stories of the same title. The rain tree’s small leaves store the falling rain and continue to spread the water well after the rain has stopped. “What an ingenious tree, isn’t it?” The Rain Tree Sketches are the most rhythmic of Takemitsu’s piano works, featuring almost minimalist sections with lilting, irregular dance-like rhythms. Rain Tree Sketch was dedicated to Maurice Fleuret and premiered by Kasuoki Fujii in 1983. Rain Tree Sketch II was composed in memory of Oliver Messiaen (1909-1992) and premiered by Alain Neneux. Perhaps to an even greater extent than the other piano pieces Rain Tree Sketch II features rather limited thematic material. It consists of two major sections: the rhythmic introduction – Celestially Light – followed by chords and a melancholy, refrain-like ascending gesture consisting of three notes slowly arpeggiated upward – and a Debussy-like melodic section, Joyful, interrupted by the chordal refrain. A shortened version of the first section concludes Takemitsu’s last piano piece. Per F. Broman
Claude Debussy: Images Book 1 “Have you played the Images...? Without false pride, I feel that these three pieces hold together well, and that they will find their place in the literature of the piano... to the left
of Shumann, or to the right of Chopin... as you like it.” Debussy Three of the most iconic of the impressionistic movement appear in Debussy’s first book of Images, with Reflets dans l’Eau, Hommage a Rameau and Mouvement. Parallel unresolved chords, virtuosic pianism, exquisite colours and timbres, elegance and poise, rhythmic articulation and use of harmonic modal lanuage help depict these beautiful images, hypnotising the listener into a sense of mysterious infinity. Michelle Castelletti Claude Debussy: La Cathédrale Engloutie La Cathédrale Engloutie continues the beauty of miniature impressionism in this concert tonight. This prelude was published in 1910 and epitomises the soundworld and imagery of the impressionistic movement. The work is based on the legend of the island of Ys – the sunken cathedral which allegedly rises up from the sea at dawn. Debussy paints the image of a cathedral rising slowly from the depths of the sea: clear, transparent water, chiming bells, organ sounds, and monastic singing, with a beautiful pentatonic harmonic language that captures Eastern Javanese gamelan music influences and medieval chant. Michelle Castelletti Claude Debussy: L’Isle Joyeuse Composed in 1904, L’Isle Joyeuse must be one of Debussy’s brightest piano works, at a time when the exciting gossip about the Debussy and Emma Bardac scandal was going on in Paris. There is probably no better way to describe this impressionistic work, than by quoting the reputed art historian, H.W. Janson in his description of the famous painting of the French artist Jean Antoine Watteau [The Pilgrimage to Cythera], which inspired its creation and is what the work captures and portrays: “These young couples [in voluptuously elegant 18th-century dress] have come to Cythera, the island of love [in Greek mythology], to pay homage to Venus, whose garlanded image appears in the painting. As the enchanted day draws to a close, they are about to board the boat, accompanied by swarms of cupids, to be transported back to the everyday world.” Michelle Castelletti | 35 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Photo by N. Plotard
| 36 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
15 & 16 July
ZfinMalta ’Je Tiens La Reine’
Event: Dance Venue: Argotti Gardens, Floriana Time: 21.00 Duration: 70min (no interval) Entrance: €15, concessions €10
Photo by N. Plotard
X’jiġri lil art u l-kreaturi tagħha meta l-enerġiji ewlenin li jgħaddu minnha jitheżżu u jiċċaqalqu? X’jiġri meta l-ħolm imwaħħax tagħna jsir realtà? F’Je Tiens La Reine, il-faxxinu u s-senswalità ta’ Kalipso u ħutha n-ninfi jisseduċu ġemgħa fawni, li jinġibdu lejn fejn l-art tiltaqa’ mal-baħar, u bla ebda ħsieb iċedu għax-xewqat u x-xenqiet tagħhom. Il-fawni jġibu ruħhom bl-addoċċ u joħolqu kaos u taħwid filwaqt li n-ninfi, meta jagħrfu n-natura distruttiva tagħhom, jirreżistuhom u b’mod kuraġġuż jippruvaw jipproteġu lil arthom u r-ritwali qodma tagħhom. Venere tintervjeni biex terġa’ ġġib l-ordni. Rappreżentata mill-imħabba, il-ħolqien u l-prosperità, is-setgħa divina ta’ Venere ġġiegħel lil kulħadd, speċjalment lil Kalipso u l-fawnu protagonista, biex iwettqu d-destin tagħhom ikun xi jkun il-ħlas. Jistgħu l-fawni jreġġgħu lura lil Venere fuq in-naħa tagħhom? Terġa’ ssaltan il-paċi f’din l-art? Kalipso terġa’ lura fis-solitudni tal-għar tagħha ddiżappuntata jew tħaddan ukoll in-natura divina tagħha? Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, x’se jkun sagrifikat biex tkun sodisfatta Venere? Bħal kull ħrafa ta’ dat-tip, Je Tiens La Reine toħodna f’post maġiku filwaqt li tfakkarna fil-vjaġġi li nagħmlu fil-ħajja tagħna. Je Tiens La Reine huwa adattament kontemporanju ta’ L’Après-midi d’un Faune ta’ Mallarmé (1876) u Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un Faune ta’ Debussy (1894).
What happens to a land and its creatures when the primal energies that run through it are shaken and shifted? What happens when the horror of our dreams becomes reality? In Je Tiens La Reine, a band of fauns are seduced by the allure and sensuality of Calypso and her nymph sisters, drawn to the border where the earth meets the sea impulsively giving in to their darkest longings and desires. The fauns behave recklessly and their actions cause chaos and disruption as the nymphs, recognising their destructive nature, resist their hold and courageously attempt to protect their land and rituals of old. Intervening to restore order, the goddess Venus appears. Representing love, creation and prosperity, Venus’ divine power forces
everyone, especially Calypso and the protagonist faun, to honour their destiny no matter what price there is to pay. Can the fauns redeem favour with Venus? Can peace be restored to this troubled land? Will Calypso return to the solitude of her cave unsatisfied or will she embrace her divine nature too? What, in the end, will be sacrificed in order to satisfy Venus? Like all tales of this kind, Je Tiens La Reine transports us to a magical place whilst reminding us of the journeys we take in our own lives. Je Tiens La Reine is a contemporary adaptation of Mallarmé’s 1876 L’Après-midi d’un Faune and Debussy’s 1894 Prélude à L’Après-midi d’un Faune. | 37 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Photo by N. Plotard
| 38 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Creative Team
Photos by E. Tranter
Artistic Director: Mavin Khoo Choreography: Mavin Khoo Commissioned Composition: Renzo Spiteri Dramaturgy: Giuliana Fenech Choreographic Assistance and Rehearsal Direction: Athanasia Kanellopoulou, Samuel Guist, Nico Monaco Production and Lighting Design: Moritz Zavan Stoeckle Creative Development: Sandra Mifsud Photography and Film: Niels Plotard Design: Anthony Galea Seamstress: Simona Mamo
Artists
The dancers of ĹťfinMalta Dance Ensemble: Christina Aquilina, Florinda Camilleri, Gabin Corredor, Keith Micallef, Caroline Mougenot, Kostas Papamatthaiakis, Niels Plotard, Martina Zammit, Mavin Khoo
Administrative Team
Agency Administrator: Marco Montalto Administrator: Stefanelle Cachia
Biography
ĹťfinMalta Dance Ensemble is the repertory national company of Malta that aims to thrive in the sharing and employment of a wide range of repertoire ranging from new works created in Malta by both local and international choreographers (upcoming and established) as well as the re-staging of renowned works from all over the world, thus creating a company of versatility, whilst maintaining a clear identity with its Euro-Mediterranean roots. Underpinning this vision is the desire to inspire, excite and most importantly, include audiences in the ideas and constant developments evident in the nature of the contemporary arts internationally today.
| 39 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 40 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
17 July
Talich Quartet Event: Music Venue: Palace Courtyard, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 45min, interval, 40min Entrance: €15, concessions: €10
Għal dawn l-aħħar ħamsin sena, l-‘ensemble’ magħruf mad-dinja Talich Quartet, kompla jevolvi bħala ‘ensemble’ ewlieni tal-mużika ‘da camera’ li jippromovi l-mużika Ċeka madwar id-dinja. Il-kwartett twaqqaf minn Jan Talich fl-1964, waqt li kien qed jistudja fil-konservatorju ta’ Praga, u ssemma’ għal zijuh Vaclav Talich, is-surmast ewlieni magħruf tal-Orkestra Filarmonika Ċeka. Illum, huwa wieħed mill-aqwa kwartetti tal-korda fid-dinja. Talich Quartet se jdoqqu l-Grosse Fuge ta’ Beethoven, kif ukoll il-kwartett għall-kordi ta’ Ravel u Intimate Letters ta’ Janáček.
Over the last fifty years internationallyrenowned Talich Quartet has continued to evolve as a leading chamber music ensemble that has championed Czech musical art throughout the world. The Quartet was founded in 1964 by Jan Talich, during his studies at the Prague Conservatory, and named after his uncle Vaclav Talich, the renowned chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. It is today one of the world’s finest string quartets. Talich Quartet will be performing Beethoven’s immortal Grosse Fuge, together with Ravel’s sublime string quartet and Janáček’s exquisite Intimate Letters.
Artists
Jan Talich Jr - Violin 1 Roman Patočka - Violin 2 Vladimír Bukač – Viola Petr Prause – Cello
Biography
For several decades, the Talich Quartet has been recognized internationally as one of Europe’s finest chamber ensembles, and as the embodiment of the great Czech musical tradition. The Quartet was founded in 1964 by Jan Talich, during his studies at the Prague Conservatory, and named for his uncle Vaclav Talich, the renowned chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. During the 1990s, there was a gradual and complete change in personnel, rejuvenating the Quartet while continuing the tradition of its predecessors through involvement in a wide spectrum of musical engagements and recording activities. Jan Talich, the current first violinist, is the son of the Quartet’s founder. The Talich Quartet is regularly invited to prestigious chamber music festivals such as the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, Prague Spring | 41 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Music Festival, Europalia Festival, Printemps des Arts in Monte Carlo, Tibor Varga Festival of Music, and the International String Quartet Festival in Ottawa; and frequently visits such venues as New York’s Carnegie Hall, le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Salle Gaveau in Paris, and London’s Wigmore Hall. The Talich’s recordings of the complete string quartets by Felix Mendelssohn, released on the Calliope label between 2001 and 2004, have been widely praised. Other recording projects include, also for Calliope, Dvorak’s American quartet and viola quintet (2003), Smetana’s two string quartets (2003), and a live recording of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and the Dvorák Quintet (2004). The Quartet’s Janácek recording was honoured by Gramophone with a nomination for the best chamber recording of 2006—the only recording by a string quartet to be selected. La Dolce Volta label has acquired the entire back catalogue of the Talich Quartet from the prestigious French label Calliope, and is continuing to work with the current line-up. http://quatuortalich.com/
Programme
Beethoven – Grosse Fuge Ravel – String Quartet in F Major Janáček – String Quartet No. 2 “Listy Důvěrné” (Intimate Letters)
Programme Notes
Ludwig van Beethoven: Grosse Fuge, Op. 133 The Grosse Fuge, Op. 133, is a singlemovement composition for string quartet by Ludwig van Beethoven. A massive double fugue, it was universally condemned by contemporary critics. A reviewer writing for Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung in 1826 described the fugue as “incomprehensible, like Chinese” and “a confusion of Babel”. However, critical opinion of the work has risen steadily since the beginning of the 20th century. The work is now considered among Beethoven’s greatest achievements. Igor Stravinsky said
| 42 |
of it, “[it is] an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever.” The Grosse Fuge originally served as the final movement of his Quartet No. 13 in B flat major (Op. 130), written in 1825. But Beethoven’s publisher, who was concerned about the dismal commercial prospects of the piece, urged Beethoven to replace the fugue with a new finale. Beethoven complied, and the Grosse Fuge was published separately in 1827 as Op. 133. It was composed when Beethoven was almost completely deaf, and is considered to be part of his set of late quartets. It was first performed in 1826, as the finale of the B flat quartet, by the Schuppanzigh Quartet. Analysts describe the Grosse Fuge as “inaccessible”, “eccentric”, “filled with paradoxes” and “Armaggedon”. “[It] stands out as the most problematic single work in Beethoven’s output and … doubtless in the entire literature of music,” writes Joseph Kerman of the fugue. It is also notoriously difficult to play. Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F Major Allegro moderato (très doux) Assez vif – (très rythmé) Très lent Vif et agité Ravel’s only string quartet was completed in 1903 at the age of twenty-seven while he was still a student at the conservatory, and was dedicated to his teacher Gabriel Fauré who had proven to be a sensitive and sympathetic mentor. Claude Debussy had written his sole string quartet nine years earlier and the influence both of Debussy and Fauré are evident in Ravel’s quartet – iridescent pizzicato, trill effects, passages instructed to be played on the fingerboard, thematic cross-references between movements, and influences from the Far East. Regarding the similarities, Ravel was quoted as saying, “For Debussy the musician and man, I felt a profound admiration, but I differ from him by nature.” Whereas Debussy made prominent use of musical colours and textures, Ravel’s music remained somewhat closer to traditional structure and thematic development while he experimented with individualized harmonies.
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Leoš Janáček: String Quartet No. 2, “Intimate Letters” Andante Adagio Moderato Allegro In the summer of 1917, when Leoš Janáček was 63, he fell in love with Kamila Stösslová, the 25-year-old wife of a Jewish antiques dealer from Písek. They first met in a town in central Moravia during World War I, but, as he lived in Brno with Zdenka, his wife of 37 years, and she lived with her husband in Písek, they saw each other only infrequently and remained in touch mostly by letter. The true passion seems to have been entirely on his side but Kamila did not reject his company, apparently feeling admiration rather than love for the man who, at that time was acquiring an international reputation as a master composer. On August 12, 1928, five weeks after his 74th birthday, he died in the hospital at Ostrava. His last composition, his testament to the love that had renewed his passions and fired his creative spirit, “Intimate Letters”, was premiered just a month later in Brno by the Moravian String Quartet.
| 43 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 44 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
20 July
Bar-to-Bar Quintet Event: Music Venue: Palace Courtyard, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 35min, interval, 45min Entrance: €15, concessions €10
Bar-to-Bar Quintet jieħdu gost b’kull opportunità li jdoqqu f’din il-formazzjoni aktar intima. Il-kwintett hu magħmul mill-vjolinisti Marcelline Agius u Klara Nazaj, id-daqqaqa tal-vjola Nadia Debono, il-vjolinċellista Akos Kertesz u l-pjanista Joanne Camilleri, li waqqfet dan l-‘ensemble’. F’dan il-kunċert se jdoqqu xogħlijiet ta’ Bartók u Shostakovich.
Bar-to-Bar Quintet relishes every opportunity to perform as part of this more intimate formation. The quintet is made up of violinists Marcelline Agius and Klara Nazaj, viola player Nadia Debono, cellist Akos Kertesz, and pianist Joanne Camilleri who also founded this ensemble. This exciting concert will be featuring Bartók and Shostakovich.
Artists Marcelline Agius & Klara Nazaj: violins Nadia Debono: viola Akos Kertesz: cello Joanne Camilleri: piano
Biography Bar-to-Bar Quintet consists of members of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) who are also deeply passionate about chamber music. Throughout their individual careers,
they have collaborated with many renowned orchestras around the world including the World Philharmonic Orchestra, New Century Baroque Orchestra, Orquesta de Extremadura, Valletta International Baroque Ensemble, Orquesta do Algarve, Orquesta de Gran Canaria, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Hungarian State Opera, Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Orchestra, Limburgs Symfonie Orkest, and Het Residentie Orkest. Furthermore, they are regular members of other chamber ensembles: Maltese violinist Marcelline Agius and viola player Nadia Debono, who are both section leaders of the MPO, together with pianist Joanne Camilleri are members of the Goldberg Ensemble Malta, while Joanne is also founding member of the Camilleri Trio. Albanian-Italian violinist Klara Nazaj and Hungarian cellist Akos Kertesz are founding members of the Kalypso Ensemble. The string players together also form the MPO Quartet.
| 45 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
On top of their busy schedule, they are also active as soloists, performing a range of works from the Baroque to the Contemporary repertoire both in Malta and around Europe. All musicians have several recordings in their various capacities to their credit. Bar-to-Bar Quintet brings a wealth of experience and passionate commitment to the chamber music genre and their performances promise to be an unforgettable occasion.
Programme Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57 I. Prelude. Lento - Poco più mosso – Lento II. Fugue. Adagio III. Scherzo. Allegretto IV. Intermezzo. Lento – Appassionato V. Finale. Allegretto Bartók: Piano Quintet I. Andante II. Vivace (Scherzando) III. Scherzo. Allegretto IV. Adagio V. Poco a poco più vivace
Programme Notes Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57 I. Prelude. Lento - Poco più mosso – Lento II. Fugue. Adagio III. Scherzo. Allegretto IV. Intermezzo. Lento – Appassionato V. Finale. Allegretto In spite of his early modernist inclination and a distinctively contemporary and personal sound, Shostakovich primarily worked with traditional classical forms and techniques in a largely tonal harmonic sound-world. This sense of a modern voice within an ancient tradition is nowhere more apparent than in his celebrated Piano Quintet of 1940. It was written for the Moscow-based Beethoven Quartet who premiered it with Shostakovich | 46 |
playing the piano part. It was an immense success, earning Shostakovich the Stalin Prize. The entire Quintet is based on traditional forms and modes of expression. The first two movements are in the form of a Prelude and Fugue which shows Bach’s influence on Shostakovich. Directly inspired by Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Shostakovich wrote his own substantial set of 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano, which display his very skilful and artistic contrapuntal technique. In the G minor Quintet, the prelude and fugue acquire an extra dimension since the strings and piano are each capable of multi-part textures on their own as well as combining for a unified ensemble. The third movement is the high point of the work. It is a fantastic Scherzo which provides a huge contrast to the poise and grandeur of the previous two movements. It dances with wild rustic abandon, infused with colourful parody and dark sarcasm, which are typical of Shostakovich. Less traditional is the inclusion of another slow movement, a ponderous Intermezzo placed between the Scherzo and Finale. This reveals another aspect of Shostakovich so vivid throughout his work: an intimate sorrow that rises to a peak of anguish. But it is only a glimpse, an Intermezzo that quickly fades into the relaxed, uplifting conclusion of the work, the Finale, which is a clearly articulated classical sonata form. A march-like feel is always beneath the surface here, occasionally swelling into a full-blown grand feeling, while in between a brief reference to the Intermezzo temporarily clouds an otherwise sunny end. Throughout the Quintet, Shostakovich maintains a remarkable clarity of texture, avoiding the dense or quasi-orchestral grandiosity towards which piano quintets usually tend. Joanne Camilleri Bartók: Piano Quintet I. Andante II. Vivace (Scherzando) III. Scherzo. Allegretto IV. Adagio V. Poco a poco piu vivace The Piano Quintet (1904) is the last major
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
work from Bartók’s first creative period and sums up the artistic achievements of the young Bartók. Indeed, shortly afterwards the composer fell in a personal and artistic crisis from which he only emerged a few years later when he found new inspiration from the “pure source” of genuine folk music, a revelation which transformed his compositional style and aesthetics completely. This, however, does not diminish the merits of this youthful piece. In fact, Bartók himself regarded it highly enough to include it in a 1910 concert, together with his more avant-garde First String Quartet. Moreover, he revised the work multiple times throughout the years and even featured it in a concert in 1920. Legend has it that the success of this early piece (to the expense of the more mature works performed in the same concert) enraged the composer so much that he nearly destroyed the score. The Quintet follows the Romantic tradition of Brahms, Liszt and Richard Strauss who were the greatest influences for the young Bartók. It is composed in four movements. The majestic opening Andante starts out like something from Brahms but with a more daring harmonic world. Though always tonal, it frequently stretches the boundaries of tonal music. The sound, in contrast with the more skeletal Shostakovich Quintet, is rich,
often orchestral. The second movement is a playful, rhythmically sophisticated Vivace (Scherzando). It shows Bartók’s keen interest in rhythm, so evident in his later works. In contrast, the following Adagio is extremely serious and passionate. The musical language is similar to that of Strauss, the texture is dense, almost on a symphonic scale. The Finale brings to mind Brahms and Liszt again. The Hungarian flavour, which is already detectable in the first movement, becomes dominant in this light-hearted movement. It is important to note that this is not the Hungarian folk music discovered by Bartók only a few years later but rather the Hungarian Gipsy music that influenced Brahms and Liszt and many of their contemporaries. Bartók later distanced himself from this tradition, trying to draw attention to the “real” folk music which was already becoming extinct at his time. Nevertheless, the Piano Quintet is one of Bartók’s early attempts to organically incorporate folk elements in his music. Other qualities of the piece, such as a thematic connection between the movements; a very clear structure; the imaginative use of rhythm; and a rich harmonic world - trademarks of the mature Bartók - make the Piano Quintet a legitimate part of the oeuvre. Akos Kertesz
| 47 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
21 July
Spins & Spells Event: Music & Literature Venue: St James Cavalier, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 60min Entrance: €15, concessions €10
Programm intimu, iżda b’saħħtu fejn xogħlijiet ta’ Bach se jinstemgħu ma’ oħrajn kontemporanji kif ukoll mal-poeżija Maltija. B’biċċiet magħżula biex juru kuntrast, il-vjolinċellista dinamika Gabriella Swallow turi l-enerġija drammatika tal-ħoss tal-Furji u l-ħlewwa sublimi ta’ Bach f’esperjenza waħda li ma tintesiex. Il-parti letterarja ta’ dan il-programm se tinkludi għażla ta’ poeżiji magħżula mill-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb. Il-programm se jinseġ Suite in G ta’ Bach malpoeżija u l-kelma flimkien ma’ wħud mill-iktar xogħlijiet li jsaħħru għall-vjolinċell, bħal Kaija Saariaho: Spins and Spells, Oliver Knussen: Eccentric Melody, Edwin Roxburgh: Partita for Solo Cello, Hans Werner Henze: Serenade, Xenakis: Kottos, u xogħol ta’ Ben Foskett li se jindaqq għall-ewwel darba.
An intimate, yet powerful programme in which Bach is juxtaposed with gritty contemporary works as well as Maltese poetry. Curated to depict contrast, dynamic cellist Gabriella Swallow portrays the dramatic power of sound of the furies and the sublime sweetness of Bach’s Suite in G, together, in one unforgettable experience. The literary strand of this programme features a selection of poetry readings curated by the Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb. The programme will intertwine the exquisite Bach Suite in G with poetry and word and some of the most riveting works written for violoncello, including, Kaija Saariaho: Spins and Spells, Oliver Knussen: Eccentric Melody, Edwin Roxburgh’s Partita for Solo Cello, Hans Werner Henze: Serenade, Xenakis’ Kottos, and a World Premiere by Ben Foskett.
Biography
Gabriella Swallow has emerged as one of the most versatile and exciting cellists of her generation. She studied at The Royal College of Music with Jerome Pernoo, where she was awarded the coveted Tagore Gold Medal and performed the Hugh Wood Cello Concerto in her final year. As a soloist Gabriella went on to make her South Bank debut with the London Sinfonietta in the world premiere of ‘About Water’ by Mark-Anthony Turnage. In the same year she performed Paul Max Edlin’s Cello Concerto with the South Bank Sinfonia, which firmly launched her place as a leading performer of contemporary music. This has led her to commission and work with many of the major living composers of today.
| 49 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
In 2013 she made her Wigmore Hall debut with the soprano Ruby Hughes and in the same season performed at the La Jolla SummerFest in San Diego, the Aldeburgh Festival with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and the Cambridge Jazz Festival as a member of the Gwilym Simcock Quintet. As a recording artist she has recorded all the chamber music of Hugh Wood for Toccata Classics with the London Archduke Piano Trio, which was released to critical acclaim in 2009. 2012 saw the release of ‘Ivr d’amour’, a disc of Massenet Songs where she appeared with soprano Sally Silver and celebrated pianist Richard Bonynge for the Guild label and also soprano Lucy Shaufer’s debut disc ‘Carpentersville’ for ABC Classics where Gabriella features as soloist. This CD was launched with a concert at The Aldeburgh Festival 2013. In 2010 she co-founded the duo ‘G Project’ with percussionist Genevieve Wilkins. They made their debut with a sellout concert at The Forge in Camden and continue to perform regularly in the UK and Europe. Alongside her classical career she regularly crosses over in the fields of jazz and pop and is a sought after session musician appearing on many movie and television scores. She has recorded with many of the leading Jazz musicians on the UK scene including Ian Shaw, Barb Jungr, Liane Carroll, Guy Barker, Laurence Cottle, Pedro Segundo, Graeme Flowers, Jannette Mason and Claire Martin OBE. She has performed and recorded with Skunk Anansie, Sade, Dionne Warwick, Charlotte Church and has been a member of Judith Owen’s band since 2007. This year she continues her collaboration with Gwilym Simcock’s Quintet, whose members include the violinist Thomas Gould. Gabriella plays a cello by Charles Harris Senior built in 1820 and an electric cello by Starfish Designs.
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in G - first movement
| 50 |
Kaija Saariaho: Spins and Spells Hemm Talba Siekta – Kit Azzopardi Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in G - second movement Oliver Knussen: Eccentric Melody Meta konna tfal – Kit Azzopardi Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in G - third movement Linka Kull Darba – Dorianne Bonnello Iannis Xenakis: Kottos Interval Bħal f’Klessidra – Clifford Jo Zahra Ben Foskett: Three Cello Studies (World Premiere) Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in G - fourth movement Tlieta-u-Għoxrin – Marie Gion Hans Werne Henze: Serenade Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in G - fifth movement Il-Baħar Iħarisli – Leanne Ellul Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite in G - sixth movement Edwin Roxburgh: Partita
Programme Notes
J.S Bach (1685-1750):
Suite no.1 in G – c.1720 An extremely well-known work for cello, this six-movement suite begins with the famous Prelude which is immediately recognisable due to its extensive television and film use. Bach’s arpeggiated lines take full advantage of the vast natural resonating chamber that makes the main body of the instrument. The second movement, the Allemande, is a typical German dance, followed by the ‘spirited and lively’ Courante. The Sarabande follows, presenting a relaxing atmosphere without proving passive, with a gentle lilt on the second
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
of the three beats per bar. Two Menuetts follow, the first being a traditional style dance, whilst the second holds a darker quality. The last movement is the Gigue, another dance rhythm which has a lively and energetic feel, similar to an Irish “jig”. With rich harmonic texture, the complete suite takes us on a tonal journey, and turns full circle back to G major. The timbre of the solo instrument blended with the melodic lines and sweeping phrases leads the piece to be noted for its beauty, purity and warmth. Bach most likely composed the suites whilst he was Kapellmeister in Köthen, around the same time as he wrote the Brandenburg concertos. There are six suites in total, all with six movements that act like components of a music conversation. Bach owes the survival of these manuscripts to his second wife and scribe, Anna Magdelena. Charlotte Silver Kaija Saariaho (b.1952): Spins and Spells – 1997 This piece, composed by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, charms the listener with its ‘otherwordly’ qualities. In the composer’s own words, ‘The title of this piece refers to the two gestures that are the basis of the piece: on one hand the motives I call “Spins”, turning on themselves or going through transformations and, on the other hand, timeless moments, centered on colors and sound textures. The whole piece develops around or between these two gestures. I have chosen to tune the cello in an unusual way in order to personalize the harmonic language: the fifths are here replaced by structures that favor major sixths and minor thirds. Marked by this scordatura, the sonority of Spins and Spells reminds me of the music and instrumental colors of another time, well before the times of the cello that we know today, albeit seen through and transformed by my own universe’. Saariaho was born in Helsinki and studied at
the Sibelius Academy, where she co-founded the ‘Ears Open’ group. She now lives in Paris after she completed her studies at the IRCAM research institute. Charlotte Silver Oliver Knussen (b.1952): Eccentric Melody – 1998 Knussen wrote this piece for cellist Fred Sherry’s performance at Elliot Carter’s 90th birthday celebration. Amongst Knussen’s two-minute piece were compositions from other colleagues of Carter, including Harrison Birtwistle and Pierre Boulez. With score markings such as ‘majestic’ and ‘heavy’, Knussen uses harmonics and the full range of the instrument. The composer was born in Glasgow and comes from a musical family. At the age of 15, he stepped in to conduct the premiere of first symphony at the Royal Festival Hall after István Kertész fell ill. He went on to become principal guest conductor of The Hague’s Het Residentie Orkest between 1992-1996 and music director of London Sinfonietta between 1998-2002. Notable influences include Britten, Berg and many mid-century American symphonic composers. He continues to write as well as conduct, and amongst many compositions, wrote Where the Wild Things Are, a well-known children’s opera. Charlotte Silver Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001): Kottos - 1977 Kottos was written for the Rostropovich competition at La Rochelle in France as the required performance piece. With its extensive use of unusual techniques, the work is best known for its unique polyphony created by the solo instrument. Based on a Greek myth, Kottos is a legendary creature with a hundred arms and fifty legs, illustrated by the ‘beating and slashing’ of the bow on the strings. Xenakis himself writes in the score: ‘In general: the sounds, except for the harmonics, should not be beautiful or nice | 51 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
in the usual sense, but rough, harsh and full of noise’. Born in Romania, Xenakis moved to Greece at a young age, and studied in Athens. He became active in the anti-fascist movement and was subsequently sentenced to death. On his escape to Paris, he started studying with Messiaen in 1949, and by 1977 was a professor of Music at Sorbonne University of Paris and City University of London. Charlotte Silver Ben Foskett: Three Cello Studies (World Premiere) These cello pieces are three studies based around three chords. Each is explored and developed in quite an obsessive way without straying too far from the initial premise. The first develops harmonically but rhythmically it rests on a cycling lilting rhythm. The second doesn’t move at all but is the basis for many rhythmical variations of the initial statement. The final is perhaps the most static, repetitions of the same idea interrupted by pauses. Ben Foskett is a composer and orchestrator. As a concert composer he has been commissioned by, amongst others, the London Sinfonietta, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Psappha. He has worked extensively in theatre and dance with companies such as the BalletBoyz, Thresh, London Children’s Ballet and Les Desespérantes Idiotes to name a few. Foskett is well sought after as an orchestrator and is currently working for some of the foremost film composers in the UK including Christian Henson, Joby Talbot and Dan Jones as well as companies such as the Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet and Spitfire Audio.
caused him to leave Germany, his home country, in 1953. He relocated to Italy where he had contact with the composer William Walton and spent most of his adult life there. He was an avid supporter of Che Guevara, and sometimes played under a portrait of the activist. In his early life he spent a year in Cuba, possibly facilitating Cuban styles into his compositions. The Serenade was written shortly after Sadler’s Wells Ballet visited Hamburg, and at only 23, Henze was still living in Germany at the time. In 1975 he became an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, London and in 2004 he received an honorary doctorate from the University for Music and Performing Arts, Munich. Charlotte Silver Edwin Roxburgh (b.1937): Partita – 1970 Partita was written for the cellist Ross Pople as a test piece for his performance in the 1972 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Its four concise movements make effective use of a wide range of cello techniques that have been described as ‘cello gymnastics’. Roxburgh himself is an English conductor, composer and oboist. After studying at the Royal College of Music, he then studied in Paris under Nadia Boulanger. He became principal oboist at Sadler’s Wells Opera and then went on to teach composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music in London, where he founded the RCM’s Twentieth Century Ensemble. In 2004 Roxburgh took up the post of acting Head of Composition at Birmingham Conservatoire. Charlotte Silver
Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012): Serenade – 1949 This piece consists of nine short sections, each with a unique theme. Henze stands out as a composer for his wide ranging influences including jazz, pop, neo-classicism, serialism and atonality. He has written for theatre, opera, ballet and instrumental works. His far-left political views and support for homosexuality | 53 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 54 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
22, 24, 25, 26, 29, 31 July 1, 2 August
Faith, Hope u Charity Event: Theatre Venue: Fort St Elmo, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 2hrs 30min (including interval) Entrance: €20, concessions €15
Miktub mill-awtur u poeta magħruf Immanuel Mifsud, u bbażat fuq storja ta’ Mario Philip Azzopardi, Faith, Hope u Charity huwa dramm epiku li jseħħ f’Malta fil-bidu tat-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija. Taħt id-direzzjoni ta’ Josette Ciappara, iddramm isegwi lil Marija, tfajla ta’ għoxrin, infermiera volontarja li kienet tgħin lis-suldati midruba. Hawnhekk tiltaqa’ ma’ żewġ ġuvintur li jissaħħru warajha.
Scripted by the renowned local author and poet Immanuel Mifsud and based on a story by Mario Philip Azzopardi, Faith, Hope u Charity is an epic play set in Malta at the start of the Second World War. Under the direction of Josette Ciappara, the play follows Marija, a young woman of twenty, as she volunteers as a nurse to help the wounded soldiers and casualties of war where she meets two young men who become enchanted by her.
Production
Script: Immanuel Mifsud Story: Mario Philip Azzopardi Direction: Josette Ciappara Executive Producer: Mario Philip Azzopardi Producer: Sean Buhagiar Production Manager: Anton Pisani Production Coordinator: Marvic Okoh Set Designer: Adrian Mamo Stage Manager: Antoine Farrugia Composer and Live Music: Dominic Galea
Cast
Monica Attard: Kontessa Fiorini Sacco Sarah Camilleri: Marija Fiorini Sacco Karmen Azzopardi: Marija Fiorini Sacco Davide Tucci: Francesco Cavalli Narcy Calamatta: Raġel Carlos Farrugia: William Timber Woods Justin Sean Grech: Anton Fiorini Sacco Edmond Vassallo: Corrado Gatt d’Alessi Marvic Cordina: Matilde Inguanez/Moira Kim Dalli: Gladys Crowe Godwin Scerri: Gvernatur ta’ Malta John Suda: Reginald Crowe Mark Mifsud: Peter Staines Marceline Galea: Sunta Simon Curmi: Gawdenz Mario Micallef: Piju Clive Piscopo: Stejfen Nathalie Micallef: Delina Lorraine D’Ugo: Clare Sean Briffa: Surġent Michael Close James Sultana: Tabib Jamie Cardona: Tifel | 55 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Biography
Sta치un Teatru Malti (STM) STM is dedicated to foster theatrical arts by the direct commissioning of works for the theatre. Furthermore STM provides development support by providing writers with a comprehensive support system made up of leading theatrical critics, assigned directors and actors to create workshop environments over a minimum of four drafts of the commissioned play. This tough process of experimentation, endless rewriting and testing produced some of the finest scripts ever written in the history of original Maltese theatrical works under the banner Sta치un Teatru Malti, which has become synonymous with excellence in local indigenous original theatre art. Sta치un Teatru Malti produced seven original Maltese productions in the past six years. All works are in Maltese, about the Maltese and specifically aimed to tickle our funny bone with satirical, dramatic and fantastical exercises aimed at dismantling our sanctimonious prejudices and pull our obstinate leg. Sta치un Teatru Malti is led by Mario Philip Azzopardi together with Sean Buhagiar.
| 56 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 57 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 58 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
23 - 24 July
STOMP Event: Percussion / Movement Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 1hr 40min (no interval) Entrance: €30, concessions €25
Wara li daqqew f’iktar minn 20,000 kunċert għal iktar minn 12-il miljun ruħ madwar id-dinja, il-fenomenu STOMP, grupp tal-perkussjoni li rebaħ diversi unuri, se jagħmel id-debutt tiegħu f’Malta dan is-sajf. Imwaqqaf fi Brighton, STOMP ikompli jgħaġġeb udjenzi madwar id-dinja bil-lingwa universali tar-ritmu, teatru, umoriżmu u żfin.
After having performed to more than 12 million people around the globe in over 20,000 performances, the multi awardwinning phenomenon STOMP makes its debut appearance in Malta this summer. STOMP is a percussion group originating in Brighton that continues to astound audiences across the world with its universal language of rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance.
Artists
Performers: Shae Carroll Louise Durand Emma King Angus H Little Guido Mandozzi Fraser Morrison Andrew Patrick Adrien Rako Ian Vincent Simon Watts
Directors: Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas Lighting Designer: Steve McNicholas Technical Supervisor and Sound Design: Mike Roberts Company Manager: Mark Vince Production Manager: Paul Hennessy Tour Lighting Director: Paul Emery Tour Lighting Technician: Etienne Suisse Technical Stage Manager: Steve Draper Technical Stage Manager: Michael O’Leary Sound: Rebecca Richardson
Biography
STOMP was created in Brighton, UK, in the summer of 1991. It was the result of a tenyear collaboration between Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. Between 1991 and 1994, the original cast of STOMP played to capacity audiences around the world: from Hong Kong to Barcelona, from Dublin to Sydney. The touring culminated in a sell-out | 59 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
season at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre in January 1994, where STOMP received an Olivier nomination for Best Entertainment and won Best Choreography in a West End Show. STOMP began its run at the Orpheum Theatre in New York in February 1994 and quickly went on to win both an Obie and a Drama Desk Award for Most Unique Theatre Experience. By the summer of 1994, the first American cast was in place at the Orpheum, freeing the original cast for sell-out tours of North America and Japan.
mix of percussion and traditional orchestra in the soundtrack. In September of the same year, Wild Ocean won two awards at the Giant Screen Cinema Association for Best Sound and Best Original Score at their annual conference held in New York. The Lost and Found Orchestra reunited in 2010 for a new show, PANDEMONIUM, which appeared in several US cities throughout the Autumn. In 2011 STOMP celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special celebration at the Ambassadors Theatre.
In the summer of 1995, two more American productions were created for the sole purpose of US touring, which continues to this day. In the summer of 1997, Steve and Luke created and directed STOMP Out Loud, a 45-minute television special for HBO, which combined stage material with new pieces created for TV. It was premiered in the USA in December 97 and subsequently received four Emmy nominations, for direction, sound mixing, multi-camera editing and art direction.
In May 2014, Luke and Steve celebrated the three year anniversary of The Old Market Theatre, which, having renovated it back in 2011, they now run as a full time venue, bringing music, theatre, dance, comedy and visual arts to the UK’s south coast.
Luke and Steve began production of their IMAX movie Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey in Brazil during Carnival 2000 and completed it in the summer of 2002. Pulse takes the IMAX audience on a spectacular global journey, featuring performances from Kodo, Timbalada and Eva Yerbabuena. It was released to critical acclaim in New York in the autumn of 2002, and went on to win two major awards at the International Festival of La Géode in Paris.
Luke Cresswell (Director)
In 2006, STOMP’s New York production passed its 5,000th performance mark. In the same year, Luke and Steve were commissioned to create and produce The Lost and Found Orchestra (LFO), which takes the ideas behind STOMP to a symphonic level, in celebration of 40 years of the Brighton Festival. The LFO subsequently performed at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Sydney Festival early in 2007, was seen at the Royal Festival Hall in London at Christmas 2008 and the Theater Carré in Amsterdam in February 2009. 2008 saw Steve and Luke expand into new areas with the release of their IMAX 3D nature documentary Wild Ocean, with a symphonic | 60 |
STOMP was created with the original UK cast: Luke Cresswell, Nick Dwyer, Sarah Eddy, Theseus Gerard, Fraser Morrison, David Olrod, Carl Smith and Fiona Wilkes.
Luke Cresswell is a self-taught percussionist from Brighton, UK. His session work as a drummer and rhythm programmer includes Beats International, Bette Midler, Elvis Costello and Bryan Ferry. He created STOMP in 1991, after working for several years as a street musician and performer. His work as a performer in STOMP includes the Oscars, the Emmys and Quincy Jones’ album, Q’s Jook Joint. Together with Steve McNicholas, he has directed several award-winning commercials and short films. He received an Oscar nomination for the film Brooms, and an Emmy nomination for STOMP Out Loud. He has co-directed the award-winning giant screen films Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey, Wild Ocean 3D, The Last Reef 3D and Great White Shark 3D, as well as the STOMP inspired feature Vacuums. He has also received a special achievement award from the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. More recently, Cresswell and Steve McNicholas have created The Lost and Found Orchestra (LFO), which explores found sound and the concepts behind STOMP on an orchestral level. In November 2013, the LFO
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
performed at Theatre CarrĂŠ in Amsterdam, before returning home for Christmas to perform at the Brighton Dome. In 2014, the LFO played for the first time in France and Germany. Steve McNicholas (Director) Steve McNicholas, from Yorkshire in the UK, has worked as an actor, singer, musician, and writer with various theatrical and musical groups, starting out with the Bradford Theatre Group in 1973. Through the eighties he worked with Cliff Hanger, Covent Garden Community Theatre and Pookiesnackenburger. Despite also being an original member of the a
cappella group The Flying Pickets, and a final appearance in Mr Bean, Steve no longer performs. He shares directorial credits with Luke Cresswell on STOMP based films and commercials and their new show, The Lost and Found Orchestra. With Luke, he composed the soundrack to the Showtime movie Riot, and shares the Oscar and Emmy nominations for his work on Brooms and STOMP Out Loud. He has also co-directed the award-winning giant-screen film Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey and the underwater giant-screen film trilogy: Wild Ocean 3D, The Last Reef 3D and Great White Shark 3D. | 61 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 62 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
26 July
MPO Symphonic Dances Event: Music Venue: St. George’s Square, Valletta Time: 21.00 Duration: 75 mins (no interval) Entrance: FREE
Aħseb fis-sajf Mediterranju, fil-festa Maltija, fil-beraħ... B’rinkonoxximent lejn Charles Camilleri li kien strumentali biex jinfetaħ il-ħsieb, għall-produzzjoni ta’ kompożizzjonijiet Maltin, u għall-kultura f’Malta, filwaqt li rnexxielu jżewweġ qawmien mill-ġdid ta’ stili folk tradizzjonali u Mediterranji mal-mużika kontemporanja, il-kunċett ta’ dan il-kunċert jieħu l-għeruq minn hawn. Fil-beraħ u bla ħlas, il-festa tiftaħ bil-Malta Suite ta’ Camilleri, segwita minn Dances from Galánta ta’ Zoltán Kodály. Il-kunċert jagħlaq bis-seħer ta’ Symphonic Dances ta’ Rachmaninov. Miftuħ għal kulħadd... bilqiegħda, bilwieqfa, tippassiġġa, tiekol... ejja u gawdi l-ħoss sabiħ u eċċitanti ta’ orkestra. L-Orkestra Filarmonika ta’ Malta se ttik pjaċir bil-kuluri, sbuħija u l-eżotiku fuq naħa, filwaqt li titfa’ seħer fuq saqajk! Id-direttur tal-orkestra Franċiż Jean Marc Burfin se jidderieġi dan il-kunċert.
Think Mediterranean summer, think Maltese feast, think outdoors... With a nod to Charles Camilleri who was instrumental in broadening mindsets, Maltese compositional output, the cultural offer in Malta, while also successfuly marrying a revival of traditional and Mediterranean folk styles with contemporary music, the concept of this concert takes its roots from here. Open air and free to the general public, the feast opens with Camilleri’s colourful Malta Suite. This is followed by the wonderfully energetic Dances from Galánta by Zoltán Kodály and comes to a close with Rachmaninov’s ravishing Symphonic Dances. It is free and it is for all... seated, standing, roaming, picnicking... Just come along and enjoy the beautiful and exciting soundworld of an orchestra. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will have you wallow in colour, beauty and the exotic on the one hand, and
cast a dancing spell on your feet on the other! This concert will be conducted By French conductor Jean-Marc Burfin.
Biography
Malta Philharmonic Orchestra The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) is recognized as the foremost professional musical institution on the Maltese islands, bringing together the best of Maltese talent and musicians hailing from ten other countries. Founded in 1968, the Orchestra was formerly known as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra, and was an offspring of the chamber orchestra in the employment of the Commander-inChief of the British Navy (Malta). It became an independent body in 1997 when it was officially named the National Orchestra of | 63 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Malta, and underwent its final transformation in 2008 when it was further extended and became known as the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Since its inception in 1968, the Orchestra has been under the direction of Malta’s most prominent musicians as its resident and principal conductors, including Joseph Sammut, Joseph Vella and Michael Laus. In September 2014 internationally acclaimed conductor Brian Schembri, one of the most brilliant musicians to emerge from Malta, was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director. Having worked with major international orchestras and conducted opera productions world-wide, Brian Schembri is bringing to the MPO a wealth of experience and musical vision that remains unparalleled in its development to date. Michael Laus continues to be the MPO’s resident conductor, while violinist Carmine Lauri, co-leader of the London Symphony Orchestra, is the MPO’s guest leader for the current season. The orchestra’s extensive calendar of events places the MPO as Malta’s leading cultural ambassador. Performing in more than 60 concerts a year, including regular symphonic concerts at the Manoel Theatre and the Mediterranean Conference Centre, annual opera productions in Malta and Gozo, community outreach programmes and a number concerts of a lighter musical genre in various prominent venues around the islands. Since 2005 the MPO has collaborated with foreign orchestras and opera companies, which led to various cultural exchange programmes. The Orchestra performed at the City Hall in Brussels, took part in a production of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte in Palermo and Bernstein’s Candide in Rome. Further concert tours included Brno in 2006, Pesaro in 2007 and Lugano and Zaragoza in 2008. This season the MPO undertook its first tour to China, with performances in eight major cities, and further tours are planned with performances in prestigious venues such the Alte Oper in Frankfurt and at the Expo 2015 in Milan. Over the years the MPO has performed with a number of distinguished artists including Karl Jenkins, Joseph Calleja, Kate Alderich, Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carrera, Bryn Terfel, Miriam Gauci, Ghena Dimitrova, Eva Marton, | 64 |
Ceclia Gasdia, Alexander Kniasev, Andrea Griminelli, Brigitte Engerer, Alexander Rudin, Diego Dini Ciacci, David Campell, Roberto Caminati; world-renowned conductors such as Jean-Marc Burfin, Peter Stark, Philip Walsh, Eric Hull, Charles OlivieriMunroe, Paolo Ponziano Ciardi, Eugene Kohn; and also personalities from the pop world including Zucchero, Michael Bolton and Claudio Baglioni. The orchestra is also a predominant exponent of Maltese composers and performers, hosting competitions for young musicians, with winners featuring during the orchestra’s concert season. The MPO is also actively involved in education programmes for children, involving them in workshops and bespoke performances with programmes targetting children and young families. The MPO is also responsible for the orchestral training, research and professional development of young musicians, through the formation of the MPO Orchestra Academy and the Malta Youth Orchestra. The MPO recently featured in some highly successful series of CDs, including recordings of outstanding works by the leading Maltese composers; the British Composers Premiere Collections; and Music of 19th Century Jewish German Composers (Cameo Classics). In the near future the MPO will also be collaborating with the international label Naxos in a project featuring works by Maltese composer Charles Camilleri. Under its new leadership, the MPO today continues to pride itself in developing its vision of delivering music of the highest calibre on the Maltese islands while also promoting our musical heritage abroad.
Jean-Marc Burfin Born in July 1962 in Paris, Jean-Marc Burfin began his musical education in Lyon and in Nancy, where he was awarded various prizes
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
and medals in the courses of piano, analysis, harmony, counterpoint and chamber music. Student of Fernand Quattrochi of the Conservatory of Metz, he was awarded the gold medal for orchestral direction in June 1983. He also studied at the National Superior Conservatory of Music of Paris, where, in June 1987, he obtained the first prize in orchestral direction and admission into an advanced course. He received considerable encouragement from his teachers during the master classes in which he participated, particularly from Franco Ferrara, Vitali Kataev and Charles Bruck. Concurrently with these master classes he studied analysis with Claude Ballif, orchestration with Serge Nigg and harmony with Michael Levinas. He took part in three courses of orchestral conducting in Summer Academy of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, with teachers Milan Horvat, Leopold Hager, David Epstein and Ferdinand Leitner. In August 1984, he was invited to conduct the Boston MIT Orchestra, alongside Lorin Maazel, in the main auditorium of the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 1998 he was given a special grant of encouragement by SACEM. Winner of a French-Soviet grant in 1990-91, Jean-Marc Burfin perfected his knowledge of Russian repertoire with Alexandre Sergeievitch Dmitriev, lecturer at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory of S. Petersburg. Finalist of the Besançon International Competition of young conductors in September 1991, he won the Moscow Radio-Television Symphonic Orchestra prize. He has conducted the Orchestra of Paris, the Concerts Colonne Orchestra, the Lamoureux Orchestra, the New Orchestra of Saint Etienne, the Symphonic Orchestra of Europe, the Regional Orchestra of Picardia, the Regional Orchestra of Bayonne Côte Basque, the Symphonic Orchestra Pays de Loire, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Brandenburg, the Poitou-Charentes Orchestra, the Orchestra of Caen, the Oviedo Symphonic Orchestra, the Mantova Chamber Orchestra, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the St Petersburg Capella Orchestra.
Jean-Marc Burfin dedicates part of his career to conducting teaching. He is currently Artistic and Musical Director of the Lisbon Academy Metropolitan Orchestra and lecturer at the National Superior Orchestra Academy of Lisbon.
Programme
Charles Camilleri: Malta Suite I. Country Dance II. Waltz III. Nocturne IV. Village Festa Zoltán Kodály: Dances of Galánta Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances I. Non Allegro II. Andante con moto III. Lento assai – Allegro Vivace
Programme Notes
Dancing and music are soul mates wedded by rhythm. They both convey and satisfy a deeply ingrained human need to express emotion through bodily movement. ‘Dancing to music’ is an activity which is found wherever humans meet, be it around a fire in prehistoric times or in a 21st century club. On their part, composers of ‘classical’ music have taken dance music into the concert hall, imbuing their works with the rhythm of the dance and the colours of specific ‘national’ styles. This is what Charles Camilleri (1931 – 2009) did in his youthfully exuberant Malta Suite. Premiered in the early sixties, but reputedly written in 1946 when the composer was on holiday in Gozo, the work displays an impressive and precocious command of evocative orchestration. It also reveals the composer’s love for għana, or traditional folk singing. The suite includes a number of recognizable Maltese folk tunes reworked into colourful orchestral dances. Each of its four movements presents a vignette of Maltese village life, culminating in a raucous depiction of the festa – the yearly celebrations in honour of the village patron saint. This is the sound of Maltese summer.
| 65 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Hotel Phoenicia Malta is utterly iconic; a landmark that defines glamour and chic in the very heart of sun-kissed Malta. From the day it opened in 1947, the Phoenicia has set the benchmark in style and elegance located in a quiet haven of 7.5 acres of mature gardens at the gateway to Valletta. Visitors and guests can wine and dine in a splendid choice of settings, whether it’s haute cuisine at the Phoenix restaurant, an indulgent afternoon tea in The Palm Court Lounge, a cooling cocktail in the comfortable Club Bar, or a healthy Mediterranean meal fresh from our kitchen garden at the flagship Pegasus.
Hotel Phoenicia Malta, The Mall, Floriana Tel: (+356) 2122 5241 info@phoeniciamalta.com www.phoeniciamalta.com | 66 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
When Camilleri wrote his early Malta-tinged works he was following a long established European tradition of composers who sought to express a national identity through the use of folk music and dances. In Hungary, one of the leading exponents of this school was composer and ethnographer Zoltán Kodály (1882 – 1967) who spent years collecting folk songs from Hungary and surrounding countries and then used them as a basis for his own works. Written in 1933 on commission for the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society, Dances of Galánta is inspired the traditional gypsy music of Galánta (now in Slovakia). Kodály described his work in this way: “Galánta is a small Hungarian market town known to travellers between Vienna and Budapest. The composer passed seven years of his childhood there. At that time there was a famous gypsy band which has now disappeared. This was the first ‘orchestral’ sonority that came to the ears of the child. The ancestors of these gypsies were already known over a century ago. About 1800 some books of Hungarian dances were published in Vienna, one of which contained music ‘after several gypsies’ from Galánta”. The work is in five continuous sections, framed by an introduction and a coda. It is clearly shaped by the Hungarian verbunkos style, in which slow, moody sections alternate with wilder, foot-stamping passages. Childhood memories partly inspired Kodály’s work. In the Symphonic Dances,
the final composition written by Sergei Rachmaninov (1873 – 1943), it seems as if reminiscence takes over. Indeed, there are many details in the richly-scored work which appear to have had a personal meaning for the composer, including quotes from earlier works (such as the First Symphony), from Russian Sacred Music and from the Dies Irae theme from the Gregorian Requiem Mass. With this work we are also further away from the dance-floor, as dance elements are transformed and woven into a complex symphonic structure. The piece was originally called Fantastic Dances and its three movements were provisionally titled ‘Midday’, ‘Twilight’ and ‘Midnight’, possibly as a symbol of youth, old age and death. Eventually, the composer opted for Symphonic Dances, allowing us to give the work our own interpretation. The first movement makes full use of the large orchestra (including a colourful percussion section, including piano and glockenspiel). A highlight of this dance is the lush and haunting melody on the alto saxophone. The second movement is a dreamlike and sometimes eerie waltz. The final movement burns with an intense energy. The mood is initially shadowed by the ominous toll of the Dies Irae. Shortly before the end of the score, Rachmaninov penciled in the word ‘Alliluya’ – the darkness is swept away in the final bars and the work ends on a jubilant note. This is dance music which tries to give a shape to experiences which go beyond words. Joseph Camilleri
| 67 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
2 to 8 July
TIKKA MCAST Art and Design Exhibition Event: Exhibition Venue: MCAST Institute of Art and Design, Mosta Time: 9:00 – 18:00 (weekdays); 14:00 – 20:00 (Saturday & Sunday) Entrance: FREE L-Institute of Art and Design fl-MCAST se jtella’ l-14-il edizzjoni tal-End of Year Exhibition: wirja bl-għan li sservi ta’ vetrina għax-xogħol li l-istudenti jkunu għamlu fis-sena akkademika li għadha kif għaddiet. Bl-isem ‘Tikka’, il-wirja ta’ din is-sena għandha l-għan li tipprovdi esperjenza ta’ kwalità, unika u li tispira, f’ambjent pjaċevoli kemm għall-artisti nfushom kif ukoll għall-pubbliku. B’enfasi fuq il-ħames sensi, imma l-iżjed fuq il-vista u l-mess, f’din il-wirja se jkun hemm esebiti li jieħdu gost bihom ukoll dawk neqsin middawl. Din is-sena, l-Institute of Art and Design qed jaħdem ukoll id f’id mal-HSBC Water Programme, billi jipprovdi soluzzjonijiet li jkabbru l-għarfien dwar l-immaniġġjar tal-ilma permezz ta’ disinn intelliġenti u li jiġbed l-għajn.
The MCAST Institute of Art and Design will be holding its 14th edition of the End of Year Exhibition: an event aimed at showcasing students’ work produced during the past academic year. Branded ‘Tikka’, this year’s exhibition seeks to provide a high quality, unique and inspirational experience within a fun environment for both the artists and the general public. With its focus on the five human senses, predominantly sight and touch, Tikka will host exhibits enjoyable to both the sighted and the visually impaired. This year will also see the institute working hand-in-hand with HSBC’s Water Programme, providing solutions that spread awareness on water management through intelligent and eye-catching design.
13 July
TABULA RASA Event: Dance Venue: Blue Box Theatre, M Space, Msida Time: 19:00 and 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10 Tickets at the door Lejl intimu ta’ koreografija kontemporanja. Erba’ koreografi bbażati Malta, erba’ żeffiena, erba’ dwetti. B’enfasi fuq il-koreografija, din il-lejla se toffri erba’ interpretazzjonijiet differenti
| 68 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
tal-istess tema. Proġett tal-koreografi Dorian Mallia, Diane Portelli, Francesca Tranter u Lucía Piquero, din il-lejla hija maħsuba bl-għan li toffri sfidi filwaqt li sservi ta’ ispirazzjoni għaxxogħol tagħhom, billi tillimita t-tematika kif ukoll in-numru ta’ żeffiena li jistgħu jużaw. An intimate night of contemporary choreography. Four Malta-based choreographers, four dancers, four duets. Reducing all production to show the bare act of choreography, the night promises four different interpretations of a common theme. As a common project of choreographers Dorian Mallia, Diane Portelli, Francesca Tranter and Lucía Piquero, the night is designed to both challenge and inspire their work, limiting the thematic as well as the number of dancers they can use.
16 to 19 July
MALTA JAZZ FESTIVAL Event: Music Venue: Ta’ Liesse, Valletta Time: 20:00 Entrance: €20 to €90, concessions €15 to €45 Tickets from www.ticketline.com.mt Dan is-sajf, jaħbat il-25 anniversarju tal-Malta Jazz Festival, u dan se jkun iċċelebrat bi programm varjat. Għal dan l-anniversarju speċjali, il-festival se jsir fuq erbat ijiem minflok tlieta, mis-16 sad-19 ta’ Lulju. Ir-raba’ serata se tkun il-Commonwealth Jazz Day, bis-sapport ta’ CHOGM, u f’dan il-kunċert se jieħdu sehem żewġ artisti importanti – is-sassofonista Soweto Kinch mir-Renju Unit, li jżewweġ il-ġazz mar-rap u l-bassista Richard Bona mill-Kamerun, li hu stabbilit sew f’Pariġi u New York. Aktar informazzjoni fuq www.maltajazzfestival.org.
The Malta Jazz Festival 2015 will celebrate its 25th year this summer with a varied programme of events. For this special anniversary, the festival will take place on four days, from 16 till 19 July, instead of the usual three-day line-up. The extra day will be the Commonwealth Jazz Day supported by CHOGM and will bring two important artists to the island – saxophonist Soweto Kinch from the UK who intertwines jazz with rap and bassist Richard Bona from Cameroon, who is well established in Paris and New York. More information on www.maltajazzfestival.org.
| 69 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
17 to 19 July
SLIEMA ARTS FESTIVAL Event: Various Venue: Sliema promenades, gardens and beaches Time: 14:00 – 00:30 Entrance: FREE Iktar minn 15-il artist, se jibdlu x-xatt u l-ġonna ta’ Tas-Sliema f’taħlita ta’ arti, u b’hekk joħolqu atmosfera eċċezzjonali għall-mijiet ta’ turisti u Maltin li jmorru lejn Tas-Sliema matul ix-xahar ta’ Lulju. Aktar informazzjoni fuq il-paġna ta’ Facebook: Sliema Arts Festival. Over 15 foreign and local, street and urban artists will be transforming Sliema’s unique promenade and gardens into a melting pot of art, creating an exceptional vibe for the hundreds of tourists and locals who flock to Sliema during the peak summer month of July. More information on the Facebook page: Sliema Arts Festival.
18 & 19 July
CONNECTING THROUGH CULTURE Event: Various Venue: Yacht Marina, Ta’ Xbiex Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
Il-Kunsill Lokali Ta’ Xbiex, bis-sapport tal-ambaxxati kollha f’Ta’ Xbiex, se jkun qed jorganizza programm interkulturali ta’ mużika, ikel u xorb.
The Ta’ Xbiex Local Council, with the support of all embassies of Ta’ Xbiex, will be organizing an intercultural show based on music, gastronomy and drinks.
| 70 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
23 July
STONELEIGH YOUTH ORCHESTRA Event: Music Venue: Fort St Elmo Time: 21:00 Entrance: €10, concessions €5 Imwaqqfa fl-1944, Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra (SYO) hija bbażata f’Londra u għandha l-għan li tipprovdi ambjent ta’ sfida, gost u sapport fejn mużiċisti żgħażagħ minn kull sfond, jistgħu jiżviluppaw il-ħiliet tagħhom u l-imħabba għall-mużika tul ħajjithom. SYO jtellgħu tliet kunċerti fis-sena ma’ solisti professjonali, f’uħud mill-aqwa swali tal-kunċerti ġewwa u madwar Londra. F’Malta, il-75 mużiċist ta’ SYO kburin li se jdoqqu mal-pjanista magħruf mill-Ingilterra Andrew Zolinsky li se jdoqq Piano Concerto No. 2 ta’ Rachmaninov. B’repertorju li jvarja minn Haydn għal xogħlijiet kontemporanji u bi istil uniku u interpretazzjonijiet individwali, Zolinsky daqq f’bosta festivals u postijiet prestiġjużi. Andrew daqq mal-BBC Symphony Orchestra, il-BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, il-BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra u l-Orchestre National de Lorraine. Flimkien ma’ kunċerti fir-Renju Unit, daqq ukoll fir-Repubblika Ċeka, Franza, il-Ġermanja, l-Olanda, l-Irlanda, l-Italja, il-Ġappun, New York, il-Portugall, San Fransisco u Spanja. Huwa professur tal-pjanu fir-Royal College of Music Londra u f’Goldsmiths, University of London. Il-kunċert se jinkludi wkoll Mussorgsky, Night on Bare Mountain; Lizst, Les Préludes; u Summer Evening tal-kompożitur Ingliż Frederick Delius. SYO se jdoqqu taħt id-direzzjoni tad-Direttur Mużikali tagħhom, Robert Hodge.
Founded in 1944, Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra (SYO) is based in London and aims to provide a challenging, fun, friendly and supportive orchestral environment in which young musicians of all backgrounds can develop their skills and nurture a lifelong love of music. SYO performs three concerts a year with professional soloists, in some of the best concert halls in and around London. For the Malta tour, SYO’s 75 young musicians are proud to perform with renowned British pianist Andrew Zolinsky, who will play Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2. With a repertoire ranging from Haydn to the present day, Andrew Zolinsky’s unique style of programming and his individual interpretations have secured performances at many prestigious venues and festivals. Andrew has performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and the Orchestre National de Lorraine. In addition to concerts in the UK, he has also given performances in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New York, Portugal, San Francisco and Spain. He is Professor of piano at the Royal College of Music, London, and at Goldsmiths, University of London. The concert will also include Mussorgsky, Night on Bare Mountain; Lizst, Les Préludes; and Summer Evening by the English composer, Frederick Delius. SYO will be playing under the baton of its Musical Director, Robert Hodge.
| 71 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
23 to 31 July
ROMEO AND JULIET BY MADC Event: Theatre Venue: San Anton Gardens, Attard Time: 20:15 Entrance: €15 and €20 Il-produzzjoni tal-MADC Romeo and Juliet, taħt id-direzzjoni ta’ Luke Farrugia, turi l-aspetti differenti ta’ dan id-dramm għal kull żmien. Flimkien mat-test ta’ Shakespeare, f’din il-produzzjoni naraw u nisimgħu għażla ta’ żfin u mużika, li flimkien joħolqu esperjenza drammatika interessanti u olistika.
MADC’s production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Luke Farrugia, reveals the timeless and multifaceted nature of the play, enhancing Shakespeare’s text with an eclectic choice of music and dance, combining into an intriguing and holistic dramatic experience.
28 to 30 July
KELMA KELMA, NOTA NOTA Event: Music and literature Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal Time: 21:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10 Wara s-suċċess kbir li kisbu s-sena l-oħra bil-kollaborazzjoni tagħhom, Kelma Kelma – il-komunità ta’ Facebook iddedikata lill-ilsien Malti, il-Big Band Brothers, u l-attur versatili Ray Calleja, Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota se jirritornaw b’kunċert speċjali bit-titlu Koffee Morning. Dan il-proġett innovattiv se jippreżenta għażla ta’ proża tradizzjonali u kontemporanja Maltija, poeżiji u għanjiet li jixħtu dawl fuq aspetti tradizzjonali tal-kultura Maltija b’mod kontemporanju.
Following last year’s highly successful collaboration between Kelma Kelma - the Facebook community dedicated to the intricacies of the Maltese language, the ever popular Big Band Brothers, and the highly versatile actor Ray Calleja, Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota is back with a special concert titled Koffee Morning. This innovative project will present a series of traditional and contemporary Maltese prose, poetry and songs to expose and highlight aspects of traditional Maltese culture with a contemporary approach.
| 72 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
3 August
JOSEPH CALLEJA CONCERT Event: Music Venue: Luxol Grounds Time: 20:30 Entrance: €80, €140 and €200 Tickets from www.ooii.com.mt Il-kantanta sensazzjonali Anastacia se tingħaqad ma’ Joseph Calleja għall-kunċert annwali tiegħu, li sar avveniment prinċipali fil-kalendarju mużikali lokali. Il-kantanta ta’ 46 sena hija l-aktar magħrufa għall-kanzunetti I’m Outta Love, Sick and Tired, u Left Outside Alone, flimkien ma’ ħafna oħrajn. Calleja għadu kif spiċċa staġun fil-Metropolitan Opera ta’ New York fejn kien milqugħ tajjeb ħafna. Ix-xahar id-dieħel, se jieħu sehem f’La Bohème fir-Royal Opera House f’Londra. Il-kunċert se jkun immexxi minn Steve Mercurio u fih se jieħdu sehem ukoll il-Malta Philharmonic Orchestra u l-Joseph Calleja BOV Children’s Choir.
American singing sensation Anastacia will be joining Joseph Calleja for the tenor’s annual concert, which has become a mainstay on the local musical calendar. The 46-year-old power vocalist is best known for her singles I’m Outta Love, Sick and Tired, and Left Outside Alone, amongst many others. Calleja has just completed a critically acclaimed run at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and will star in La Bohème at the Royal Opera House in London next month. The concert will be conducted by Steve Mercurio and will be also featuring the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Joseph Calleja BOV Children’s Choir.
| 73 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
| 74 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
3 to 5, 11 to 13 August
EASA links Event: Lectures Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal Time: 21:00 Entrance: FREE
Il-European Architecture Students’ Assembly (EASA) hija ħolqa ta’ studenti tal-arkitettura minn madwar il-kontinent, fejn madwar 500 student tad-disinn, gradwati u għalliema jiltaqgħu flimkien f’ambjent ta’ komunità. Din il-laqgħa hija faċilitata permezz ta’ workshops, taħditiet, wirjiet u avvenimenti oħra.
The European Architecture Students’ Assembly (EASA) is a network of architecture students from all over the continent, bringing together 500 design students, graduates and tutors who live together in a self-sustaining, community-like setting. Two weeks of workshops, lectures, exhibitions and events facilitate this exchange. www.easalinks.com.
| 75 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
6th to 10th July
International Contemporary Dance Hybrid Malta 2015 Intensive course with Yen-Ching Lin and Anton Lachky
Genre: Contemporary Dance Venue: University Dance Studios, 3rd Floor (Hometrends Building), Ta’ Żwejt Industrial Estate, San Ġwann Time: 10:00 – 11:30; 12:00 – 13:30; 15:00 – 16:30; 16:45 – 18:30 Entrance: Information on www.dancehybridmalta.com, francescatranter@gmail.com
11th July
International Contemporary Dance Hybrid Malta 2015 Informal Performance Sharing
Genre: Contemporary Dance Venue: Blue Box Theatre M Space, Msida Time: 17:30 Entrance: €8, concessions €6 Tickets at the door Biex tiċċelebra l-14-il staġun tagħha, l-International Contemporary Dance Hybrid Malta, immexxija mid-direttur artistiku Francesca Abela Tranter (Contact Dance Company), toħloq opportunitajiet fejn artisti jiltaqgħu u jikkomunikaw permezz ta’ azzjonijiet u moviment. Din is-sena, Hybrid qed tistieden l-artisti internazzjonali stabbiliti Yen-Ching Lin (Taiwan) u Anton Lachky (Slovakia) biex imexxu kors intensiv ta’ sitt ijiem b’enfasi fuq ‘master classes’, teknika kontemporanja, repertorju (Akram Khan Dance Company), u ‘workshops’ kreattivi dwar il-koreografija. Barra minn hekk, se jkun hemm sessjoni informali miftuħa għall-pubbliku fejn il-parteċipanti u artisti taż-żfin oħra jkunu jistgħu jaqsmu l-esperjenza tagħhom. Din se ssir fil-Blue Box Theatre Mspace, fl-Imsida. Aktar informazzjoni fil-paġna www.dancehybridmalta.com. Celebrating its 14th season, the International Contemporary Dance Hybrid Malta, led by Artistic Director Francesca Abela Tranter (Contact Dance Company) creates opportunities where artists get together and communicate through the language of the body. This year,
| 76 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Hybrid invites international established guest artists of repute Yen-Ching Lin (Taiwan) and Anton Lachky (Slovakia) to conduct a six day intensive course focusing on master classes, contemporary technique, repertory (Akram Khan Dance Company), and choreographic creative workshops culminating to an informal sharing open to the public, with participants and other local dance artists, which will be held in the Blue Box Theatre Mspace, Msida. More information on www.dancehybridmalta.com.
12th July
Master Class by David Ben Shimon (Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company)
Genre: Contemporary Dance Venue: University Dance Studios, 3rd Floor (Hometrends Building), Ta’ Żwejt Industrial Estate, San Ġwann Time: 10:00 Entrance: €15, concessions €10 Se ssir ‘master class’ ta’ sagħtejn immexxija minn David Ben Shimon (Kibbutz Dance Company) fit-12 ta’ Lulju 2015 fl-10:00 ta’ filgħodu fil-University Dance Studios, 3rd Floor Industrial Estate, San Ġwann. Dawk li jixtiequ jattendu għandhom jiktbu lil francescatranter@gmail.com. A 2 hour master class conducted by David Ben Shimon (Kibbutz Dance Company) will be held on the 12th July 2015 at 10:00 am at the University Dance Studios, 3rd Floor Industrial Estate, San Ġwann. Those interested in attending this class must apply to francescatranter@gmail.com.
| 77 |
Icon Arts Festival.pdf
1
02/07/2015
17:09
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Informazzjoni
Ticket
Il-biljetti jistgħu jinxtraw minn: www.ticketline.com.mt, mill- box office talEmbassy Cinema fil-Belt Valletta bejn l-10:00 u d-21:00 kif ukoll minn Pjazza Teatru Rjal mitTnejn sal-Ġimgħa 10:00 - 19:00 u s-Sibt 10:00 13:00.
Tickets are available from: www.ticketline.com.mt; from the Embassy Cinema box office in Valletta from 10:00 to 21:00 and from Pjazza Teatru Rjal from Monday – Friday 10:00 – 19:00, Saturday 10:00 – 13:00.
Dwar Biljetti
Għall-avvenimenti bla ħlas, jinqeda l-ewwel min ikun l-ewwel, ħlief għall-kunċert ta’ Noriko Ogawa. Jekk tixtieq tirriserva biljett għal dan ilkunċert bla ħlas, jekk jogħġbok ibgħat e-mail lil: daniela.pisani-scalpellomaltaculture.com. Biljetti għal Faith, Hope u Charity jistgħu jinxtraw minn www.teatrumanoel.com.mt jew mill-booking office tat-Teatru Manoel (21246389). Biljetti għal Romeo and Juliet jistgħu jinxtraw minn www.madc.com.mt. Biljetti għal Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota: Koffee Morning jistgħu jinxtraw minn www.ticketline. com.mt.
Information
Events with free entrance are on a first come first served basis, except for the performance by Noriko Ogawa. If you wish to reserve your seat for this free event please send an e-mail to: daniela.pisani-scalpello@maltaculture.com. Tickets for Faith, Hope u Charity are available from www.teatrumanoel.com.mt or from the Manoel Theatre booking office (21246389). Tickets for Romeo and Juliet are available from www.madc.com.mt . Tickets for Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota: Koffee Morning are available from www.ticketline.com.mt. Tickets for Joseph Calleja concert are available from www.ooii.com.mt.
Biljetti għall-kunċert ta’ Joseph Calleja jistgħu jinxtraw minn www.ooii.com.mt.
Tickets for the Malta Jazz Festival are available from www.ticketline.com.mt.
Biljetti għall-Malta Jazz Festival jistgħu jinxtraw minn www.ticketline.com.mt.
Malta International Arts Festival Events (MIAF+ Events are not included)
Malta International Arts Festival (Attivitajiet tal-MIAF+ mhux inklużi)
Concessions for students and senior citizens on presentation of relevant identification at the door.
Biljetti mraħħsa għall-istudenti u anzjani jekk dawn jippreżentaw identifikazzjoni fil-bieb. Dħul b’xejn għat-tfal taħt it-12-il sena (ħlief għal Faith, Hope u Charity; Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota u Romeo and Juliet) jekk jippreżentaw biljett. Ittfal iridu jkunu akkumpanjati minn adult. Biljetti b’xejn għat-tfal taħt it-12-il sena għal STOMP huma limitati. Il-Culture Card hija aċċettata. Il-postijiet kollha fejn se jsiru l-attivitajiet huma aċċessibbli għal min juża siġġu tar-roti. Biljett Culture Vulture €120: Dħul għallattivitajiet kollha ħlief Faith, Hope u Charity; Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota u Romeo and Juliet. Trio Ticket €35: Agħżel tliet attivitajiet, ħlief STOMP; Faith, Hope u Charity; Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota; u Romeo and Juliet.
Free entrance for children 12 years and under (excluding the perfomances Faith, Hope u Charity; Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota and Romeo and Juliet) upon presentation of ticket. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free tickets for children 12 years and under for STOMP are limited. Culture Card is accepted. All venues are accessible to wheelchair users. Culture Vulture Ticket €120: Access to all events excluding Faith, Hope u Charity; Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota and Romeo and Juliet. Trio Ticket €35: Choose any three events, excluding STOMP; Faith, Hope u Charity; Kelma Kelma, Nota Nota; and Romeo and Juliet.
| 79 |
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Credits
Malta International Arts Festival 2015 Team
Artistic Director Dr Michelle Castelletti
MIAF Programme Booklet Editor Sarah-Lee Zammit
Programming Team Riccardo Carbutti Francesca Tranter Ruben Zahra
Copywriting, Translations & Proof Reading MariaElena Zammit
Executive Chairman Albert Marshall Director Festivals Annabelle Stivala Attard Legal Officer Luke Dalli Festival Manager Martin Gauci Marketing & PR Sarah-Lee Zammit Event Managers Frans Agius Noel D'Amato
| 80 |
Contributors Jonathan Xuereb Dean Muscat Branding & Design Mario Abela Festival Website Kuluri Filming Malta Broadcasting Authority Festival Assistants Joseph Agius Attard Ruben Balzan Clint Bonavia Daniela Pisani Scalpello Director Corporate Affairs Johan Galea
MALTA INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 2015
Financial Controller Gilmore Mercieca Administaration and HR Nadine Genovese Accounts and Administration Karen Farrugia Ritienne Mercieca Elizabeth Muscat Stage hands Saviour Busuttil Patrick Cunningham Charles Ellul Joe Ellul Ushering Isabelle Gatt Leonard Sciberras Saviour Bianchi Ritienne Borg Oscar Briffa Tanya Spiteri Frank Xuereb Special thanks goes to the Strategy Directorate and all the staff at ACM
| 81 |
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation Centenary Logo Final Logo
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation was set up in 2004 through a resolution passed by the Board of Directors of Alf. Mizzi & Sons Ltd., which was founded in 1915. The overall objective of the Foundation is the promotion, diffusion and safeguarding of heritage, education, the environment and social solidarity.
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation has supported, among others, the following organisations: