Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/199842
40 maltatoday, THIS WEEK SUNDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2013 Extraordinary recital with one piano and four hands ON Friday 1 November at 20:00 the Manoel Theatre presents an amazing piano recital featuring one piano with four hands. The piano is a Steinway and the pianists are Anne Borg and Ivette Kiefer. This extraordinary duo will transport you to a melodic world with their interpretation, of the rich textures of Mozart's Sonatas, Bizet's delightful suite, Schubert's large and passionate work and the traditional Slavonic Dances of Dvořák. Born in Malta, Anne Borg studied piano with Amy Parnis England and Dela Hare. In 1967 she won the Malta Song Festival Piano Competition that carried with it a year's scholarship at the Music Academy in Saarbrücken. Subsequent scholarships enabled her to extend her stay in Germany. She has taught piano at the Saarbrücken Academy of Music since 1978 and was appointed Professor in 1988. Anne has given numerous recitals on radio Ivette Kiefer 375. SHORT-TOED EAGLE This week's carnage of eagles is still fresh in our minds. How tragic that whenever these magnificent and iconic birds grace our skies, the day almost always ends in a bloodbath. WHY must Malta be chronically blighted with these horrible people who insist on destroying beauty? Like all top predators, raptors are by default never numerous compared with other animals lower down the foodchain. But some raptors are rarer than others, and have suffered declines because people destroyed or changed their habitat. One of these is the short-toed eagle (ajkla bajda), of which a flock of over 50 migrating down from Europe made the fatal error of trying to spend a night in Malta. Now half of them are stashed away in freezers to await stuffing. Will it never end? Have you signed the REFERENDUM PETITION to BAN SPRING HUNTING ? Please write to cashmalta2013@gmail.com. Text Victor Falzon | Photo Ray Galea and television and also performed in Germany, Malta, Russia, France, England, Egypt and India. She is a regular judge at the Bach International Piano Competition in Würzburg. Ivette Kiefer attended the Music Academy in Saarbrücken. As Master class accompanist for singing, cello and flute, as a teacher for accompanists of cello classes at the Saarbrücken Music Academy, as well as herself accompanying many choirs, she has acquired an extensive repertoire of chamber music and choir works. Yvette Kiefer teaches piano at the Music School in Saarbrücken and the Saarbrücken Music Academy. She is a regular judge at music competitions in Luxemburg, where she is also a much sought after examiner and for many years she has been president of the music competition 'Jugend musiziert' in Saarbrücken. The full programme of their 1st November recital includes Mozart's Sonata in B-flat Major KV333. This was composed in the spring of 1774 when Mozart was eighteen. In 1774, four-hand music was still something of a novelty; earlier examples, including Mozart's own, gave the melody to one hand while the other three merely provided the accompaniment. The second piece is Bizet's Jeux d'enfants op.22. This lovely work is a small but genuine masterpiece, filled with lyrical melody. Witty and urbane in the best French tradition, the music transports us into a world at play. The third piece is Schubert's Allegro in A minor, op. 144; D947 "Lebensstürme". Schubert was Ivette Kiefer and Anne Borg one of the most prolific composers of ensemble piano music and this work demonstrates his mastery at writing for four hands at one piano. This large and passionate work was composed in 1828, the year of Schubert's death. The final piece of the recital is Dvořák's Slavonic Dances op. 46 which made the composer known beyond the confines of his native Bohemia and laid the cornerstone for his international breakthrough. There is a 50% discount for students, under 25s and kartanzjan holders on selected seats and primary school children go free. There is also a preconcert talk at 7.15pm for ticket holders. Bookings: www.teatrumanoel.com. mt, bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or 21 246389 Biodiversity under-funded and under threat Three years on from international agreements to halt biodiversity loss, European biodiversity remains under threat, warns Friends of the Earth Europe. Negotiators met in Canada recently, to assess progress towards halting global biodiversity loss, and towards achieving international biodiversity targets. A comprehensive study, drawing on published reports and national ministries from 18 European countries, released by Friends of the Earth Europe and CEEweb, shows that urgent action is needed if Europe is to meet its target to halt biodiversity loss by 2020. Funding for biodiversity has stagnated, and Friends of the Earth Europe are calling on states to double spending by 2015, as agreed at the international biodiversity talks in Hyderabad last year. Harmful subsidies are still devastating biodiversity across Europe, according to the organisation, despite international agreement that they should be phasedout, or redirected into biodiversity-supportive subsidies. Only five countries in Europe have even started assessing the type and amount of these subsidies harmful to biodiversity. None have acted. The European forestry sectors are also falling behind, with only Estonia maintaining a healthy level of undisturbed forests, almost half of the nation's forest. Undisturbed forests are essential to the existence of sensitive animals such as the Capercaille or species that live from big trees and dead wood, such as woodpeckers, bats, beetles and fungi. Habitats and protected areas crucial for maintaining biodiversity are also under pressure, with the majority across Europe in unfavourable conditions. Funding crucial to the management and protection of these sites is lacking in all states, despite established networks like Natura 2000 and the Emerald network. Friends of the Earth Europe is calling on states to scaleup funding and action on biodiversity – to salvage hopes of meeting 2020 biodiversity targets, and halting biodiversity loss. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us www.foemalta.org. You can also support us by sending a blank SMS donation on 50618070 (€4.66) or 50619223 (€11.65). GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 277 Curtains cut bills – Now the nights are drawing in, draw your curtains to reduce heat loss through windows when it gets dark. Try curtain lining to keep rooms even more cosy - or get a second pair of curtains from a charity shop to act as lining material. If possible, avoid putting curtains in front of radiators, as this will direct the heat away from the room.