I have known Gisèle for many years for the fact that she was a scholarship holder of the Ian Tomlin Trust which I sat on from the day it was inaugurated until recently. Her diligence, her love of music and her dedication have always impressed me.
The original invitation was for a concert by mezzo-soprano Alexandra Scicluna who was to be accompanied on the piano by Gisèle. However, it was announced at the beginning of the concert that Alexandra had lost her voice and was indisposed so Gisèle had undertaken to give us a piano recital. As we know the voice is a very delicate instrument and it is a big mistake to strain it. Alexandra turned up to the reception after the concert for a short time but could barely speak.
Gisèle was asked to step in at very short notice so that guests would not be disappointed by having the concert scrapped altogether. She had about six hours to put a solo programme together and make it work. She told me afterwards: "Somehow the success of it was a sort of miracle. The recital allowed me to explore a lighter and very special repertoire, some of the pieces I had played but never in performance."
In those six hours she flipped through music scores and books at home. "I quickly decided on what mood I wanted to create throughout the evening." Her programme included works by Satie, Liszt, Granados and Debussy. Satie's Gymnopedie No 1 and Gnosienne No 1 set the tone for the intimate and elegant venue at San Anton palace. Both of Satie's works are very well known and popular and both works are among this French composer's most famous for solo piano and an example of his modern ambient music style.
Satie would, without doubt, come top of any list of eccentric composers. Among his compositions is a set of Flabby Preludes for a Dog and Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear.
His three dream-like, sparse Gymnopediés were composed in 1888 and named after an ancient Greek rite enacted by groups of naked youths. Consequently, the set's publication only served to cement Satie's status as the musical pin-up boy of Bohemian Paris in the later 19th century.
In the Gymnopédies there's a wonderful sense of musical distillation: no note is extraneous; nothing is rushed and it's almost impossible to hear them and not feel relaxed afterwards. (The last time I heard Satie being played the pianist was none other than our heart guru, Alex Manché who needs no introduction and it was at Mater Dei.
Since the original programme had been scrapped and there was no time to print another one Gisèle preceded each item with a short introduction about the piece and the composer. This brought us closer to the performer and it is a pity that it doesn't happen more regularly.
Satie was followed by Liszt's Sposalizio from his much loved Années de Pelérinage, Italie which is not only an exquisite example of how a composer replicated a painting through sound but also touches on the strong sense of spirituality that Liszt himself had throughout his life. This composition is the composer's personal reflection on Raphael's The Marriage of the Virgin. The music is a portrayal of tenderness, love and devotion as apparent in the painting.
Since in the original programme there were some Spanish songs, the pianist decided to introduce Spanish Dance No 5 by Granados which is so popular. If you closed your eyes you had the illusion of the guitar, not the piano, being in the room. In the middle of the piece she achieved the most subtle pianissimo, never easy.
The recital ended with two works by Debussy, who I know is a favoured composer in her repertoire. She played the evocative Clair de Lune, a magical representation of Paul Verlaine's poem bearing the same title. It remains one of Debussy's most extraordinary pieces. This was followed by Minstrels from Debussy's Preludes Book 1, a more light-hearted and cheeky piece about clowns.
Gisèle is an accomplished musician who loves what she is doing - performing and teaching. It was truly a lovely evening which was much appreciated by the small audience.
Piano recital by Joanne Camilleri at the Robert Samut Hall
Joanne Camilleri is another dedicated performer and teacher who specializes in Bach. In her recital Childhood Reminiscences certainly, she played Bach but also Schumann, Mampou and Rota. She, too, gave us a few facts about the composer and the piece she was about to perform.
Joanna is a prize-winning graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. After graduating with distinction from this college in Masters and Bachelor degrees she went on to gain a Doctorate in Performance from the University of Malta, the first pianist to do so. She is a high achiever and must spend hours practicing. When I went to congratulate her at the end of the performance, she was surrounded by several of her students who had turned up for the concert. It was a touching scene.
Joanne has released two solo CDs, In Bach's Footsteps and JS Bach's Goldberg Variations. Her curriculum vitae is truly impressive. She has achieved so much in what to me is a short time. It is obvious that she packs her days and months and years with what she likes doing best: music and more music.
After Bach she played Schumann's Kinderscenen, thirteen delightful pieces which the pianist played with insight and naturalness. This is piano playing of great poetry and authority. The last time I heard Joanne play the programme was entirely made up of Bach pieces. Even then, that evening at the Manoel Theatre, she came across as being totally in charge; totally in control. This can only come about if the musician is confident and understands her music. Throughout that evening Joanne gave that impression whether playing Bach, Mompou (a new name to me), Schumann, or Rota.
Rota, at this concert came as a surprise. We know him as a film composer: The Godfather, Romeo and Juliet and War and Peace come instantly to mind. And yet he also composed chamber music, symphonies, concertos and ballet scores. How gifted. How versatile. Joanne played 15 Preludes by Nino Rota. Thanks to You Tube I was able to listen to them again and again. No need to rush out and buy a CD these days.
I love women who achieve and here are two women who, although comparatively young have already accomplished much. I have little doubt that this is but the beginning. We shall continue to hear about them in musical circles and beyond.
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