Strada

For the past three years, Strada has been featuring as part of the Malta Arts Festival, giving it that special touch. Once again, this year’s event will be organised by Kris Fenech Soler and Edward Schembri and will take place between 10 – 12 July in the upper part of Strait Street and South Street, Valletta from 7.30pm onwards. For the fourth time round, this event is set to bring to patrons a relaxed atmosphere where wine, food and art can be enjoyed until late.

Strada is free of charge.



20th Century Wind Quintet Music

This year’s Malta Arts Festival is proud to present the 20th Century Wind Quintet Music Recital this evening at the Auberge de Castille in Valletta at 8.30pm. Entrance is free of charge.

The programme opens with a much requested reprieve of Trois Pièces Brèves (1930) of Jacques Ibert. Guest artist Alison Hughes on bass clarinet then joins the Cosmos in a rare performance of Janacek’s (sextet), Mládi (Youth) (1924). Cosmos will then present Six Bagatelles for Woodwind Quintet by the enigmatic Hungarian composer, Gyorgy Ligeti. The event will conclude with a tribute to Malta’s celebrated and much missed Charles Camilleri – Picasso Suite for Woodwind Quintet, a suite of dance movements which was written in Canada in the 1960’s and which displays much of the humour which characterises his woodwind writing.

For more information log on to

www.malta-artsfestival.com and www.maltaculture.com.



Triana 41010 - Puerto Flamenco

The Malta Arts Festival 2009 is proud to present a brand new production by Puerto Flamenco entitled Triana 41010, on 5 and 6 July at Argotti Gardens in Floriana at 9pm.

Triana 41010 – Puerto Flamenco draws a vital spark from the legendary bohemian suburb of Seville. A feast for the senses, the production swings madly from relentless artful merrymaking to awe-inspiring solemnity, abstracting the colourful feasts, incense-laden religious pilgrimages and a day-to-day vitality so particular to this enchanting corner of the world.

The cast includes Malta’s international flamenco personality, Francesca “Cikka” Grima, Jesus Herrera, winner of the highest flamenco awards La Perla de Cadiz and La Union, Antonio Castro “Antoñete”, Tamara Lopez Creo, Jose Guerrero “El Tremendo”, Eduardo Trasierra and Andrej Vujicic

In an effort to reach the widest possible audiences, entrance for the Triana 41010 – Puerto Flamenco is just e15. Tickets are available online from www.maltaticket.com or from any of the following outlets in Malta and Gozo: Exotique, Agenda, Vodafone, Bookends and Newskiosk. For more information log onto the following websites:

www.myspace.com/puertoflamencospace, www.puertoflamenco.com.



‘Hansel and Gretel’

The Malta Arts Festival 2009 is proud to present perhaps the most well-known fairytale in Europe – Hansel and Gretel by Die Märchenhafte Operncompagnie. The event will take place on 6 and 7 July at the President’s Palace Courtyard, Valletta at 9.30pm.

Written by the German composer Engelbert Humperdinck, the fairy tale opera is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and most loved operas for children. In this year’s Märchenhafte Operncompagnie production, four singers, a pianist and a narrator sing, act and tell the story to invite young and old to experience this renowned fairytale.

Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) was born in Germany. In the 1890s, his sister, Adelheid Wette, had written a libretto based on the Grimm fairytale and asked her brother to set it to music as a Christmas entertainment for her children. At a later stage, both Engelbert and Adelheid decided to turn this modest home project into a full-scale opera. Hansel and Gretel premiered on December 23, 1893 at Weimar. It was an instant hit and remains an everlasting masterpiece.

The fairytale opera is directed by Gunda Aurich. The stage designer is Tina Zimmermann whereas the costume designer is Heike Jänichen. The cast includes Marie Giroux (Hansel), Norina Kutz (Gretel), Christiane Maria Mikoleit (the witch and mother), Thomas Schumann (the father) and Gunda Aurich (the narrator). The pianist Ronald Herold will be accompanying the performance.

The entrance fee for Hansel and Gretel is e10.

Tickets are available online from www.maltaticket.com or from any of the following outlets in Malta and Gozo: Exotique, Agenda, Vodafone, Bookends and Newskiosk.



Horn Trio Recital

The Malta Arts Festival will be hosting a Horn Trio Recital on Thursday, 9 July at the President’s Palace Courtyard at 9.30pm.

Etienne Cutajar (horn), Thomas Gould (violin) and John Reid (piano) will be joining forces in the performance Horn Trio in E flat Op. 40 (1865) by Johannes Brahms. This rather unusual chamber combination had triggered the imagination of a number of composers of the 20th century to explore further the potential of the three instruments when brought together on the concert platform as an ensemble. György Ligeti’s Trio for violin, horn and piano (1982) is a late 20th century manifestation of this.

UK-based Maltese horn player Etienne Cutajar was invited by the Malta Arts Festival to perform both works together with pianist John Reid and violinist Thomas Gould, who will also perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ popular Lark Ascending for violin and piano.

Tickets for the Horn Trio Recital are selling at e10.



Les Âmes Frères

The dance performance Les Âmes Frères by La Compagnie Julien Lestel will be held on Friday, 10 July at Argotti Gardens, Floriana, at 9pm as part of the Malta Arts Festival.

Les Âmes Frères is a poetic interpretation, through the medium of dance, of a lifelong friendship and companionship in art. Julien Lestel and Gilles Porte dance to music by Philip Glass and choreography by the same Lestel. Max Hass is the lighting designer and the director of photography whereas Patrick Murru is the costume designer. Lestel speaks about the work as an expression “focused on the creation of dynamic smooth movements, but also abrupt movements where breaks in rhythm conjure strength and gracefulness. Tension as well as harmony reveal a sincerity and an intimacy that will deeply move spectators.” The choreography is beautifully structured with a solid phase, anchored firmly to the ground, evolving gradually into a spiritual dimension where the dance becomes light and ethereal.

Both Julien Lestel and Gilles Porte started their careers at a very tender age at the prestigious École de Dance de l'Opéra de Paris. They later formed part of the Corp de ballet du Théâtre national de l'Opéra de Paris under the direction of Patrick Dupond. Lestel and Porte currently perform with the Ballet National de Marseille.

Tickets for Les Âmes Frères are selling at e15.