Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1499169
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 MAY 2023 4 ART FROM the 11th until the 31st of May, the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta will become the home of the multidisciplinary art platform, City of Art. Its first project, titled Decadence, Now. brings together a collective of artists, curators and research- ers all inspired by the concepts and individuals who enriched the fin-de-siécle period. AS part of Decadence, Now., the recital hall at Palazzo de la Salle will be reimagined as a nineteenth-century salon. Tra- ditionally an environment that sought to please and educate, the salon was the heart of ex- perimentation, debate, creativ- ity and discovery. Each weekend will feature a new programme of songs and showcase some of the most beautiful music of that period, accompanied by poetry, letters, memoirs and more. A group of internationally acclaimed per- formers will come together to create a unique experience that goes beyond the traditional re- cital. The first salon will be devoted to German lieder and will in- clude songs by Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler, featuring performances by baritone An- dré Morsch and pianist Char- lene Farrugia. The second salon will consist of an talian repertoire by Pao- lo Tosti and Giacomo Puccini, featuring performances by so- prano Gillian Zammit, tenor Raffaele Abete and pianist Lu- cia Micallef. The third and final salon will focus on French art- song, featuring performances by Gillian Zammit and Lucia Mi- callef, who will interpret songs by Debussy, Hahn and Duparc. Each of the three salons will be hosted by a salonnière‚a wom- an who will curate the perfor- mance, as is traditional. This role will be shared by Gillian Zammit, Denise Mulholland and Maria Theuma respectively. And, finally, Decadence, Now. is thrilled to host the world pre- miere of a new song cycle by Maltese composer Karl Fiorini. Inspired by Strauss, Gabri- ele D'Annunzio and Charles Baudelaire, these exciting new songs will be performed by Gil- lian Zammit as part of the sa- lons. An ongoing exhibition fea- turing loaned artefacts from acclaimed European museums as well as four new exhibits by artists Luke Azzopardi, Maria Theuma, Andrew Borg Wirth, and Michael Zerafa will al- so grace the halls of the Malta Society of Arts throughout the month of May. Decadence, Now runs from 11th to 31st May at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta. This project is supported by Arts Council Malta's Programme Support Grant, the Embassy of Austria, the Embassy of France, the Embassy of Germany, the Embassy of Italy, the Embas- sy of Spain, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Heritage Malta, Val- letta Cultural Agency, Camilleri Paris Mode, MAPFRE Middle- sea, MAVENRY, Department of Art & Art History (University of Malta), Department of English (University of Malta), MAP- FRE Middlesea, SA Consult, Von Peach, 66 St Paul's Vallet- ta,Transcripta Translation Ser- vices, Intervisions, Casa Rocca Piccola, Artemisia Fine Arts & Antiques, Express Trailers, The National Archives of Malta and is under the patronage of Vale- ria Limentani and Jordi Goet- stouwers of Virgata Group. For more information on Dec- adence,Now. and to purchase your tickets for Um Mitternac- ht - Salon Recital (13, 14 May 2023), Tanto la Vita: Salon Re- cital (20, 21 May 2023), and L'Oasis ou je rêve: Salon Recital (27,28 May 2023) visit cityofart. eu/decadence-now/ A month of decadence