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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 JANUARY 2016 31 This Week Dreams do come true in Russia DENISE AZZOPARDI interviews Maestro Brian Schembri prior to the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra's first Grand Orchestral Concert featuring works by Tchaikovsky. She is intrigued by how Russia, his home away from home, moulded him into the passionate artist that he is today The Malta Philharmonic Or- chestra's first Grand Orchestral Concert will feature two works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky − his Violin Concerto and Sym- phony No 6 'Pathétique'. What brought you to come up with these particular pieces for this concert? Tchaikovsky is one of the great- est composers who not only has withstood the greatest critic of all – time – but has also been a favourite of people from all na- tions, cultural and social back- grounds. The Pathetique is his best symphony and, in his own words, his most beloved one. So what better choice to offer our public could there be than the composer's own favourite? In many ways, Radulovic in Tchaik- ovsky's ever-popular Violin Con- certo would perfectly comple- ment the very tensely emotional personal statement of the com- poser's last masterpiece. Do you feel any particular con- nection with Tchaikovsky? Tchaikovsky is Russia and Rus- sia is Tchaikovsky. Since child- hood, my teacher and father, Carmelo Schembri, instilled in me a particular love for Rus- sian composers and pianists. This was in fact the reason that I chose to go to the USSR to fur- ther my studies where I spent eight of the most important and beautiful years of my life study- ing in the Kiev and Moscow Conservatories, both named af- ter Tchaikovsky. His music was (and still is) not only loved, re- vered and adored, but is part of the essential spirit of the cultural landscape. In my own Russian- speaking home, Tchaikovsky is a holy name. How have your studies and gen- eral experience living in Russia contributed towards your de- velopment as a musician and conductor? I had the immense privilege to study in two of the main his- torical cities of what was then the USSR, both having had a fun- damental impact on the cultural history of the world. I was fortunate enough to study with some of the best masters that I could ever dream of. I was practically adopted by them as well as by the local people around me and treated as one of them, loved, and guided artisti- cally in the moral and ethical sense. I met there, personalities of immense culture, profound and rare spirituality and lived the life of a people for whom art in general and music in particular is not only entertainment, but a source of meditation and con- templation on human existence, a strong social bond and a deep belief in the universal values of humanity. During those last years before "perestroika" had even been mentioned, in a supposedly athe- ist country, I learnt what is meant by man not living by bread alone – I learnt it not from books, but from real life. This page would never suffice to express my deep eternal grati- tude to that nation, its culture and to a number of individuals who have meant and still mean so much to me. How does your experience as musician and conductor help in the preparation of the or- chestra for a performance of demanding and important works? In any concert I prepare, I am simultaneously remembering, learning, revising, discovering, challenging, and questioning my own experience. An artist is the medium through whom the profound questions of life, beauty and truth are expressed and hopefully revealed in rare moments of grace. In preparing for my concerts, these are my leading guides. What are the attributes that make Nemanja Radulovic stand out as a most suitable violinist for this part? A highly talented musician of the younger generation, Ne- manja Radulovic is also an ex- tremely original and creative artist. Trained in the best tradi- tions of great Serbian, German and French masters, he is also very much a child of his times as his appearance and stage pres- ence reveal. Coming from such a natural inner talent, this echoes the highly emotional, tense and ecstatic energy that Tchaikovsky and all the Romantic aesthetics are often associated with. Why would you think that classical music relates to the modern society? Why do you think it so important? In a world in which spiritual artistic processes are deter- mined by commercial argu- mentation, demagogy rules, so any notion of Art is doomed, as is any hope of Humanity. Due to our present-day consumer- ist culture of cheap disposable products, Art has become a piece of merchandise. It is inad- vertently relegated to the low- est level to be sold to the largest numbers. On the other hand, when artistic quality is the cen- tral concern and fulcrum upon which all is built by creators, performers and policy makers, then one can really hope for a "democracy". Far from being elitist, authentic artists strive to share the most precious treas- ures of the human spirit with all who wish to participate in this universal communion. The MPO Grand Orchestral Concert, dedicated to the music of Tchaikovsky, will take place at the Mediterranean Confer- ence Centre on January 30, at 19:30. For bookings, email bookings@mcc.com.mt or phone 2559 5750. For further informa- tion, visit www.maltaorchestra. com. The MPO is providing complimentary shuttle service from Valletta Waterfront Maestro Brian Schembri, principal conductor and artistic director for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra The Mummy remake rumoured for Malta shoot Industry rumours indicate that the Universal Pictures film will feature Tom Cruise and Kingsman: The Secret Service star Sofia Boutella AFTER 13 Hours, Malta may yet again play stand-in to a war-torn North African region, though this time the focus will be on the stars and the special effects spectacle, as a remake of the popular Mummy movies - allegedly starring Tom Cruise - is rumoured to have picked Malta as at least one of its locations ahead its 2017 release. The Times of Malta reports that Cruise, who was at one point even rumoured to be buying property on the island, may be heading to Malta to shoot the latest iteration of the en- during Mummy franchise - which, according to a synopsis on IMDB. com, will this time take place in modern-day Iraq and follow a team of soldiers stumbling across the an- cient undead curse as they search for terrorists in the beleaguered region. The news comes in the wake of The Malta Film Commission's pub- lication of a National Film Policy, which clearly prioritises film servic- ing for productions such as this one, over fostering an indigenous film industry. The iconic Boris Karloff/Peter Cushing film cemented The Mum- my as a horror classic back in 1932, and director Stephen Sommers res- urrected the franchise as a summer popcorn flick in 1999 - spawning two sequels and a spinoff movie, The Scorpion King. The new film will be directed by Alex Kurtzman - a screenwriter, producer and director with a varied filmography that rang- es across both film and TV. IMDB also has it that the film will co-star Sofia Boutella in an as-yet unspecified role - though going by the franchise's tropes, it may be like- ly to speculate that the French-Alge- rian actress will take on something resembling a 'high priestess' role. A dancer by training, Boutella starred in the dance film Street Dance 2 before garnering international at- tention thanks to her turn as the blade-legged 'Gazelle' in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Though Cruise has allegedly been in talks to star in The Mummy for quite some time, Universal Pictures have yet to con- firm the cast list. If it goes ahead as planned - the film is slated for a 2017 release - the film will form part of Universal's efforts to create an inter- connected cinematic universe based on the classic monster characters the studio is associated with, such as Dracula and The Wolfman. However, this teratological vari- ant of what Marvel Studios and DC Comics's movie arm is doing with its Avengers and 'Batman vs Super- man' properties has yet to kick off with any conviction, as its initial at- tempts in this department were non- starters, with neither The Wolfman (2010) nor Dracula Untold (2014) garnering impressive box office and critical acclaim. Tom Cruise was once rumoured to be buying property in Malta Sofia Boutella as the murderous 'Gazelle' in Kingsman: The Secret Service Gaulitana Vocal Masterclasses with Miriam Gauci THE 10th edition of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music will include a series of masterclasses with Maltese interna- tionally-renowned so- prano Miriam Gauci be- tween March 28 and 30 March. Open for all sing- ers, sessions will be held between 13:00 and 15:30 and 16:30 and 17:00 at the Gozo Ministry Hall, St Francis Square, Vic- toria, Gozo. A conclud- ing public concert by the chosen participants will take place on March 31. Interested singers are asked to send an email on gaulitanafestival@ gmail.com. The mas- terclasses fee for active participation will be €60. A repetiteur will be in residence. Non-active participation, which also requires pre-booking, is also accepted. Whereas the applica- tion form and further details will be forwarded upon the receipt of an email, applications will be received until Febru- ary 22 Miriam Gauci