Virtually a Cappella-2 - FANTASIA

Violinist Pierre Louis Attard presented an online recital from the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, Qala (supported by the Qala Local Council)

Programme:

Georg Philip Telemann: Fantasia No. 1 in Bb Major, TMV 40:14

Largo | Allegro | Grave | (Si replica l’) Allegro

Astor Piazzolla: Tango-Études No. 3 & No. 4

Lento Meditativo | Molto marcato e energetico

Pierre Louis Attard: Fantasia for Violin Solo

Larghetto | Allegro

Highly promising Gozitan violinist Pierre Louis Attard presented a varied programme featuring three works for solo violin – showcasing the instrument’s versatility and the soloist’s technical ability. Telamann’s Fantasie No. 1 exhibits compound melodic lines in perfectly idiomatic writing for violin. Piazzolla’s Tango-Études No. 3 & No. 4 blends the classical concert etude and his own “new tango” style, with this being his only composition for a purely melodic/unaccompanied instrument. Attard’s own recent composition Fantasia for Solo Violin was premiered on this occasion.

One can follow the full recital on:

Meanwhile, Albert G. Storace’s online review reads:

PIERRE-LOUIS ATTARD in solo violin recital

This was the second of four recitals held at four different and very beautiful sacred spaces in Gozo, the island home of Gaulitana Festival. It is one of the best, not only in the incredibly talent-rich little sister island but in all the archipelago. Streamed online because of Covid-19, Gaulitana is able to reach local and foreign audiences.

A particular feature of this 4-recital series is that all four perfomers are unaccompanied. They are one with no other support, basing their performance upon the necessary absolute command of their respective instruments. It had to be that and an innate yet projectable musicality which crowns their performance with success.

Thus it was last week with harpist Caroline Calleja, this week the feat was repeated by violinist Pierre-Louis Attard in his recital two days ago in which he performed works by three composers active mainly in the 18th, 20th and 21st centuries. Ergo, idiom and style were different.

The very fact that Georg Philipp Telemann was a super-prolific composer was for long held against him. Better sense has prevailed and be enjoys respect with lovers of Baroque and performers willing to meet the challenge presented by his work. This goes especially so with works for a solo instrument. What one could immediately notice was Attard’s very clean and magnificent warm tone and utter immersion in the music. The typical Baroque form of Telemann’s 4-movement Fantasia n.1 for violin solo alternated in slow/fast/slow/fast pattern. The contrasts between movements was very clear and well-protected and the work concluded with a brief repetition of part of the first Allegro.

Astor Piazzolla’s passion for the tango drove him to attempt a rehabilitation of the form. It was long tarnished with its connection with the unsavoury reputation of La Boca, the inner harbour of Buenos Aires where it originated. There were also times when the Church looked down upon the tango and its innate passion and sultriness. How times have changed! Piazzolla’s compositions for the form raised it to respectability and they have become popular classics in their own right. His rare Tango Études were performed with sinewy, luscious warmheartedness in N. 3, marked Largo, and infectious drive, zest and energy in N.4 marked Marcato e Energico. Articulation and tone reigned supreme.

Pierre-Louis Attard concluded with his own work, one he composed last year in December. His Fantasy for solo violin in two movements: Larghetto; Allegro. This was a world premiere performance and I had nothing to go by except to listen to this music over and over again (some seven times) and my gut feeling. I took an instant liking to it because of a certain directness of approach; the more I heard it the more it grew on me. I may be wrong but could feel the dominant part played by an early 4-note motif in the Larghetto. This returned in different guises and had a teasing quality to it, sometimes accentuated by double-stopping. The music remained rather elusive and stopped in indeterminate fashion. Scores were “settled” in the energetic and fluently flowing music in the concluding Allegro. I am not quite sure whether Attard re-introduced that 4-note motif under cleverly hidden guises but the . music had a determined effect and energy marked by even more forceful double-stopping which led to a very convincing conclusion.

Email:	gaulitanus@gmail.com / gaulitanafestival@gmail.com
Phone:	(+356) 77038971 / 21560200 / 21557593

Virtually a Cappella-2 – FANTASIA

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