‘Dialoghi’, a a violin-piano recital at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, brought to an end the festival’s third week of events to a close on Saturday 19th. The concert featured young Gozitan violinist Pierre Louis Attard and Serbian-born pianist Milica Lawrence. The two musicians, who now have appeared several times as a duo presented a varied repertoire ranging from Beethoven, Bloch, Kreisler, Joseph Vella, as well as, very fittingly, Variations on an Ukranian traditional melody. The concert was very well-received by the audience present, who afforded the performers with rounds of warm applause.
During the concert, Hungarian artist Gergely Botlik-Vari presented Gaulitana’a artistic director with a painting of a Gaulitanus Choir-organised event held this February.
Photo credits: Lorne Cremona
Meanwhile, Albert G. Storace’s online review – Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! With a nod to King Lear, Poseidon was indeed thwarted – reads:
Poseidon thwarted, delightful concert attended
XVth GAULITANA FESTIVAL:
DIALOGHI FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO with
PIERRE-LOUIS ATTARD and MILICA LAWRENCE
KEMPINSKI HOTEL, SAN LAWRENZ, GOZO
Spring was far from the air when I braved the tempestuous sea raised to the height of fury by Poseidon in order to go to the above event. As if I were to miss such an occasion, one when this well-tried and seasoned duo were set to present such a delightful performance. I was deemed foolish by some that I even considered going. I thank my lucky stars that rage as much as he would, Poseidon was thwarted because I barely felt the swell. The only minor irritation was arriving 15 minutes late but not that late to miss a single note of the concert.
One is aware that such programmes are planned well in advance and being so close to the beginning of spring it is not surprising that the opening work was the so-called Spring Sonata, n. 5 in F Major Op.24 from 1801 by Beethoven (1770-1827). It was so charmingly performed that all the raging of the wind outside faded into insignificance. The duo has often performed together so there was a definite air of mutual support which produced such good results. There was clarity of tone and texture, lithe and buoyant right through, especially in the outer movements. A most tender Adagio preceded a sprightly well-timed scherzo which was over all too soon. The concluding Rondo was exuberant but not over the top, exactly as marked: Allegro ma non troppo.
Slightly earlier Hungarian artist Gergely Boltik-Vari, a resident of Gozo for many years, presented a painting of his to festival artistic director Colin Attard. It shows a past event organised by the Gaulitanus Choir under the direction of Mro. Attard.
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