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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2016 30 This Week Going down the Baroque rabbit hole DISCOVERING early music is like falling down a rabbit hole into an alternate universe of strange instru- ments, unfamiliar composers and unusual performance practices. At the Valletta International Baroque Festival, Baroque music is presented on its own terms, yet audiences of all ages and levels of musical knowl- edge are invited to engage with it. Thus, the fourth edition of the Baroque Festival featured a varied programme: from the familiar, as in Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Bach's Goldberg Variations, to the down- right obscure, as in the presentation of a work discovered in local ar- chives, and only recently performed for the first time. While the performances might sometimes be challenging, the au- dience rarely feels that it's been left out in the cold, as attested by the nu- merous informative 'asides' during concerts, as well the copious pro- gramme notes provided with every event. One of the significant threads running through the festival is the concern with historically informed performance. Baroque musicians are often not only performers, but also researchers and experts in their ever-deepening field, and perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of the festival is the manner in which historical context is provided for the music. And of course, there's also the architectural context of some wonderful Baroque buildings in Val- letta. In keeping with this aspect of the festival was the opening concert: a performance of J.S. Bach's 'Musical Offering' by Le Concert Des Na- tions, directed by world-renowned viol player and composer Jordi Sav- all. Savall is strongly associated with the early music revival of the 1970s both in his native Spain and abroad. In Savall, years of research and study inform the interpretation of scores such as this, which often contain limited practical indications. Savall's chosen order for the performance opened with the famous 'Thema Regium' – the theme provided by Friedrich II of Prussia to J.S. Bach, upon which the latter was asked to produce a six-part fugue. The theme wound through the complexities of Bach senior's beautifully construct- ed work, though unfortunately on this occasion, little effort was made to draw audiences into the perform- ance by the orchestra. From the Prussian court to that of Naples, La Ritirata ensemble present- ed a wonderfully impassioned picture of the music heard at the Aragonese court at Naples, highlighting its rich musical culture during this period. The evening included virtuosic per- formances by solo members of the ensemble on their respective instru- ments. The group's director, Josetxu Obregon, performed a number of works by early cellists (Vitali, Gabri- elli and Jacchini) which served to illustrate the elevation of the sta- tus of the cello at this time from a continuo to a solo instrument. The solo performances by members of La Ritirata also included improvisa- tions on early modern works, as in Enrike Solinis' interpretations on Baroque guitar – evidently indebted to the rich tradition of Spanish gui- tar. Extending beyond the historical parameters of the programme, these moments also seemed to provide an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the performance, problematising the notion of historical authenticity, and providing pause for reflection on the layers of complexity involved in bringing early music to modern audiences. While La Ritirata provided an evening that was filled with light and joy, La Compagnie del Madrigale explored the darker shades in early music during an evening dedicated to the art of the madrigal. The per- formance was held at St Nicholas (All Souls) Church, appropriately lit in semi-darkness for the event, which also celebrated the 450th anniversary of madrigalist Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613). The Ital- ian prince's tortured poems of love and death were complemented by a number of other experimental mad- rigals by his contemporaries, namely Luca Marenzio, Giaches De Wert and Claudio Monteverdi, exquisitely performed by the vocal ensemble of seven. A great deal of historical context was also provided by Canzona, a group of three female early music specialists in a programme of Vene- tian Instrumental Baroque music. The versatile trio, joined by Alastair Ross on organ and harpsichord, opened the evening with a sonata for three violins by Giovanni Gabrieli, but were each also highly skilled on a second period instrument. They were thus able to combine strings, wind instruments (the cornett, re- corder and sackbut – or early trom- bone), along with organ or harpsi- chord in various wonderful pairings. The performance was a testament to the degree of specialisation now pos- sible in the field, with each performer taking the time to expand upon their particular instrument and the details of its history and performance tech- nique. The festival also featured two req- uiem masses, one by Bonaventura Rubino (C. 1600-1668) and the oth- er by Niccolo Jommelli (1714-1774). The performance of the former was of particular significance due to its connection with Malta, the only extant copy of the now-lost manu- script of Rubino's Missa de Morti a cinque concertata discovered at the Mdina Cathedral Archives in the 1970s. The mass was a collaboration between four different ensembles, including the Cappella Musicale di Santa Maria in Campitelli of Rome, all led by Vincenzo Di Betta, maes- tro di cappella of Santa Maria in Campitelli. The various vocal and in- strumental forces – the latter includ- ing sackbuts, cornett, viola da gamba and theorbo – combined in a truly sumptuous Baroque celebration. Here, care was taken to provide the proper liturgical and musical con- text of the mass, including the alter- nation of Latin monodic chant with polyphonic sections. The requiem was also presented with a number of interpolated passages by contempo- rary composers such as Frescobaldi and Carissimi between the various movements, as was a practice of the period. The second requiem mass by Jom- melli was performed by Ghislieri Choir and consort, led by Giulio Prandi, this time featuring a com- paratively less opulent instrumental section of strings and organ. Indeed, the opening movement of the Jom- melli requiem seemed in immediate contrast to that of Rubino, with the choir providing a soft lullaby-like texture above which solo voices sparked up intermittently. However, as the requiem progressed, there were some instances of true vocal virtuosity from the four soloists, as well as intense dramatic power from the full consort. Prandi chose to work from a Neapolitan manuscript which included formal aspects omit- ted by Jommelli, bringing it closer to the typical structure of the requiem mass. A second connection with Malta was provided by VIBE (the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble), set up alongside the festival as a means for local musicians to explore and perform a repertoire of early music, under the guidance of various foreign specialists. One of the two concerts given by the ensemble, entitled A Musical Banquet, featured works by great composers from three different countries, namely Germany, Eng- land and Italy. The ensemble of twenty-one in- strumentalists include a string sec- tion, wind instruments, harps, and less familiar instruments such as the sackbut and dulcian. Formed only four years ago, they are continuously striving to develop their sound and give greater coherence to their large number of forces. During this per- formance, they were joined by three vocalists, Soprano Gillian Zammit, bass Albert Buttigieg and visiting tenor Charles Daniels. While the performance included some well- loved works, such as Dowland's 'Flow My Tears', there were also numerous unexpected points of in- terest, such as the version of this lute song performed by Daniels in Early Modern English, as might have been heard at the time it was composed. While some aspects of music from the early modern period might ap- pear curious to some, at the Baroque festival, early music is much more than a passing curiosity. The in-depth knowledge of in- ternational performers has placed Malta within the sphere of the devel- opments currently concerning those working in the field. With next year's exciting programme already re- vealed, and big plans in the pipeline for 2018, it's the authenticity of the passion, dedication and musician- ship of all involved which continues to make the festival such a roaring success, and an absolute treat for those attending. Returning to the Valletta International Baroque Festival for a fourth time, BETTINA BORG CARDONA enjoys its mix of the familiar and the obscure VIBE (the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble) Venetian Graces: Canzona Requiem mass by Niccolo Jommelli by Ghislieri Choir & Consort