Albert G. Storace delves in the final concert of Gaulitana 2024 as the 17th edition of the festival reached a conclusion at the Xaghra Basilica on Sunday 21 April as part of the OPERA+ Weekend.
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This very enjoyable concert actually was the concluding event not only of this year’s edition of this Festival but of the Opera Weekend too. It was a truly delightful experience, one which was well-attended.
The concert began with an amazing work: considering the young age of the composer. Between 1821and 1823, the very precocious Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47) composed twelve string symphonies. As could be heard, the second of the set, in D Major, MWV n.2, is a very well-crafted and balanced work. The opening Allegro sounded very crisp, well-paced and provided a fine contrast with the following, smooth Andante. The concluding Allegro vivace sparkled with brilliance.
After her first appearance in a solo cello recital two days earlier at another Marian basilica, (il-Gharb’s), Bulgarian cellist Liliana Kehayova proved again what a consummate performer she is. This time she performed two works with the 13-strong string orchestra.
The first was Élégie also known as Les Larmes de Jacqueline, op. 76, n.2, by Jacques Offenbach (1819-80). Offenbach was a noted cellist and in this elegy he shows how well he composed for his instrument. The cellist really made the doleful cello sing. It was warm and of course “molto cantabile”.
That characteristic showed up in the following piece. Like the German Gallicised Offenbach, Czech cellist-composer David Popper (1843-1913) was also Jewish. Unlike Offenbach, Popper travelled far more widely and of course composed a lot of works for the cello. The list includes one of his best-known, Hungarian Rhapsody in D Major, op.68 (1894). In a way, in structure it resembles that of the csárdás as followed by Liszt. There is a lengthy lassù opening and of course via many dazzling technical feats, it ends up flowing into the fast and very virtuoso friss. At a point the pace became a bit restrained, though not for long. The music quoted directly from part of Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra to be merged into the concluding pages of Popper’s colourful work.
Calmer waters were forded in the very famous Adagio for Strings by U.S. composer Samuel Barber (1910-81). This is an arrangement in B flat minor of the composer’s own String Quartet in B minor, op.11 (1936). Immensely popular from the start, it has so remained and the Gaulitana String Orchestra provided a worthy performance of it. The relaxing mood pervaded the next two pieces: the Andantino by Sibelius (1865-1957) a short but compact work from 1888, and Eventide (1938),) by our own Carmelo Pace (1906-93). He also arranged it in a version for piano.
The concluding Suite for Strings based on four English folk Songs, (1971), by John Rutter (b.1945), was by the only work by a living composer on the programme. It began with A-roving, expansive and charming. No less charming was the next song behind I Have a Bonnet Trimmed with Blue. The third song in the third movement was the wistful O Waly Waly. It is claimed to be Scottish… from north of the border. True or not it remains one of the most beautiful folk songs from B-r-i-t-a-i-n. Concluding the suite was the bouncy, merry romp of Dashing Away. This was encored in order to placate the wish of the audience.
Concluding, Colin Attard, Gaulitana Festival’s Artistic Director thanked the Rev. Archpriest and members of the Xaghra Local Council, his team and all sponsors who helped make this event a success. Last but not least the audience present and others who followed and supported the many Festival events.
Albert G. Storace
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