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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 4 ALMANAC My essentials CHARLENE FARRUGIA Pianist Music has permeated my entire existence since I was little. Every time I touched those big white keys, I couldn't break away. I studied in Malta with Dolores Amodio, in London with Diana Ketler and in Italy with Boris Petrushansky, following the classic path that all those who start studying a musical instrument in a serious way do. I graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London and completed my doctorate with Prof. Kenneth Hamilton. 1. Books 2. Film 3. Internet/TV 4. Music 5. Place FOR me, Glenn Gould is 'the' pianist, one of the greatest who ever lived. And this great- ness is difficult to write and describe to those who do not yet know it. It must be listened to. Listened and watched. His recordings are alive, carnal like his performances at the piano, played in an extraordi- narily revolutionary approach. A man whose interpretation sought to discover what not even the composer was fully aware of. I love the islands of Brijuni, situated just off the coast of the Istrian peninsula. For me it is a place where I can go back to find my- self and make peace with everything that surrounds me. Its panoramic paths help me relax and contem- plate on the beauty and se- renity of life. Before leaving the island of Brijuni and its peace, I never miss a dip in the crystal-clear waters that surround it. RECENTLY I read The Bronze Horseman, a book that everyone seems to have read. The setting of this novel is, the Second World War in St. Petersburg, a city that gradually becomes robbed of all its wealth and emptied of its people, giving way to misery and pain. The descriptions of the landscapes are accurate and rich, a sign of an ex- cellent research work by the author. It had been a long time since I had discovered such an intense book. Highly recommended, to everyone! MICHAEL Radford's Il Pos- tino, based on the novel Il postino di Neruda by Chile- an author Antonio Skármeta is a movie that I have recent- ly watched again. This film moves me deeply for many rea- sons. The soundtrack, which had won the Oscar in the Best Score category, is a mix of ac- cordion, clarinet, string quar- tet and piano, which takes the listeners to another world. RUPI Kaur is a social phe- nomenon for me. She is a poetess and illustrator, a contemporary woman, who nevertheless does not forget her origins. It is this mix of modern and old that makes her so special. Her feminin- ity is so distinct and so well mixed with extraordinary strength and determination that I find her truly capti- vating. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com This page is supported by Arts Council Malta 4 5 1 2 3