Youth is when one, supposedly, is filled with life, dreams, gets carried away. Aspires. Some content themselves with what the tide brings in. Others search perpetually what the future might have in store for them. Death takes all this away, wiping superfluous hopes and delusions of grandeur to oblivion. But there are those whose endeavours go well beyond the grave, chiselled in the collective memory. This year the International Spring Orchestra Festival (ISOFestival) explores such antipodes. And we commemorate the centenary of one of the most important artistic movements to shape the 20th century - Bauhaus, explained composer Karl Fiorini - artistic director and founder of the ISOFestival.
Running for nine days, from Friday, 26 April to Saturday, 4 May, the ISOFestival is about artistic collaborations, forged musical friendships; longstanding or new, to create a music journey of daring works; some of which hardly ever performed in Malta. What makes the festival international, continues Fiorini, is not by having artists flying in to Malta and giving a performance but by keeping well in mind what other international festivals aspire for, with the focal point being the repertoire programmed, as well as to pushing the boundaries of what can be programmed in Malta. The ISOFestival aspires to contribute to a legacy on a national level such as other major worldwide festivals have done over the decades in their respective countries.
This year's theme revolves around the tenebraic Der Tod und das Mädchen - Death and the Maiden, Schubert's Lied on Matthias Claudius' poem of the same name, but which Schubert also composed as a String quartet - described as "a pillar of chamber music", and which Mahler at the end of the 19th century orchestrated for strings. Mahler's version will be performed on the opening night by the all-female string orchestra Harmonia Consort, London, on Friday, 26 April at the National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta. At the same venue on Sunday, 29 April, the Somogyi String Quartet, Budapest, will perform the original Schubert version, which will also feature Schoenberg's String Quartet no.1 in the first half - a Malta premier. The following day at the Malta Society of Arts, Valletta (Palazzo De la Salle), the Aquilon Trio, London, will perform a rather bold programme of contemporary music, including the late Charles Camilleri's New York Trio, Thea Musgrave's Pierrot and two world premieres by French composers Roland Conil and Dominique Lièvre. On Tuesday, 30 April Azerbaijani pianist Saida Zulfugarova will perform Beethoven's Tempest Sonata and the final op. 111 Sonata, together with Schumann's Kinderscenen (Childhood scenes).
The voice will also feature a major role in this year's edition. On the opening night [26 April] mezzo Clare Ghigo will perform the highly expressionist and quasi-erotic Das Buch der hängenden Gärten from Schoenberg (The book of Hanging Gardens) orchestrated for strings by Fiorini. On 27 April at the Museum of Archaeology, soprano Gillian Zammit will perform a series of Lieder accompanied by the principle harpist of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Britt Arend, and on 1 May baritone Joseph Lia will perform Schubert's Der Tod und das Mädchen among other highly evocative repertoire at the Malta Society of Arts. The last three nights will find the Zürich based Ameraldi Trio and the Estonian Sinfonietta at the Teatru Manoel. The Ameraldi will perform Dimitri Shostakovich's Piano Trio no. 1 and Five pieces for piano trio and Schubert's Eb Piano Trio. For the closing concert conductor Brian Schembri, long-time champion of Fiorini's music and collaborator of the ISOFestival, and after a year's absence from the Maltese music scenario, will be taking the podium to conduct the Estonian Sinfonietta. In the first half of the programme Schembri will be joined by pianists Charlene Farrugia - performing Hindemith's Kammermusik no.1 and Lucia Micallef - Poulenc's Aubade (piano concerto). In the second half, French mezzo-soprano Brigitte Peyré will perform world-premiere Fiorini's Quatre miniatures (Four miniatures) based on the text of the French poet Sophie Charpentier and Malta-premier Mahler's "provocation to Providence" Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the death of children). In addition, the concerts at the Teatru Manoel will open by the young piano prodigy 12-year-old Daphne Delicata, who is the first Maltese to be admitted to the Menuhin School of Music, UK. All concerts start at 8pm.
Students and senior citizens benefit from a 50% reduced rate, whereas Malta Music School and Music University students (on the presentation of a valid document / ID card) as well as children under 15 are entitled to a free ticket each.
The ISOFestival would like to thank the Ministry for Justice and Culture and Arts Council Malta for their support.
For reservations visit www.kultura.mt and www.teatrumanoel.com, for further information visit www.iso-festival.com or [email protected]