National Orchestra launches season

The very surroundings where the press conference launching the National Orchestra's 2005-6 season was held last Saturday speaks for the board of directors' all-round commitment to improving standards. It was held at the newly furbished rehearsal rooms of the orchestra in Valletta within the Manoel Theatre complex.

Very appropriately, music set the ball rolling when Mozart's Divertimento n.l was performed by four orchestra members, Stephen Galea and Stephen Zammit (violins), AnnMarie Chetcuti (viola) and Mario Psaila (cello).

Opening the conference, chairman Lino Attard said that the performance of the Mozart work was in line with the board's policy to give more scope to members of the orchestra to express their musicality individually or as members of teams, big and small.

In fact when Mr Attard gave a brief overview of the orchestra's concert commitments during the coming season he said that in February the orchestra's harpist, Caroline Calleja, will feature in Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto (Manoel Theatre) and in April Paul Borg will be soloist in Edward Gregson's Tuba Concerto (Mediterranean Conference Centre).

Something new is not that the orchestra goes pop on October 8 (MCC) but that the tireless Sigmund Mifsud, who is responsible for most of that evening's musical arrangements, will also direct the orchestra. This is the first time that a member of the orchestra will be conducting it.

Several highlights of the coming season were mentioned, such as joint concerts with the Manoel Theatre beginning at the end of this month, when Italian guest conductor Paolo Ponziano Ciardi, local (soprano Gillian Zammit) and foreign singers (Italian baritone Massimiliano Valleggi) will perform.

Maltese talent settled abroad features in a concert in November when guest conductor Brian Schembri directs works including Giuliani's Guitar Concerto with Mr Schembri's own cousin Simon Schembri as soloist.

Resident conductor Michael Laus will be soloist too in works by Schumann and Mozart in a concert held in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza, an event held on Mro Laus's own initiative.

Other distinguished Maltese musicians will perform with the orchestra when in December Simon Abdilla Joslin will be soloist in the Schumann Cello Concerto at the Manoel while at the Mediterranean Conference Centre violinist Carmine Lauri joins pianist Igor Ardasev and cellist Michaela Fukacova in Beethoven's Triple Concerto.

Further highlights will be the orchestra's participation in the two performances of Puccini's La Boheme at the Astra in Gozo (end of October) featuring tenor Joseph Calleja and his wife soprano Tatiana Lisnic.

The orchestra will be also busy with the annual opera week sponsored by the BOV at the Manoel in March, the operas this time being Verdi's Rigoletto and Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia.

In November Joseph Vella directs the orchestra in the Malta premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem at St John's co-Cathedral. Popular Italian pianist Roberto Cominati comes back to the Manoel thanks to the collaboration of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura. The concert includes Cominati as soloist in the rarely performed Piano Concerto n.5 (the "Egyptian") by Saint-Saens.

Mr Attard touched upon several important points which are part of the board's continued efforts to improve and raise standards. There is also a keen eye focused on the future which is why the National Youth Orchestra was set up less than a year ago. The project is doing well, and from an initial 26 there is a pool of young promising performers forming a complement of 56 musicians.

There is a problem which will have to be tackled seriously: the total lack of viola applicants.

Members of the orchestra and section leaders are doing a lot of good work in training the youngsters. The board also seeks not only to provide opportunities for orchestra members to shine as soloists or in ensemble but also encourages workshops, exchanges and encounters with foreign specialists in the field.

The National Orchestra is also very active in a series of encounters with schoolchildren in various schools all over the country. This is part of the School Education Programme scheme which is headed by Marlene Schranz and has scored several successes with youngsters wherever these encounters took place.

Joyce Guillaumier is also helping with another scheme. This is the National Orchestra of Malta Friendship Scheme which will give an opportunity to music lovers to take part in the orchestra's activities. Among incentives offered to paying members will be reduced ticket prices and participation in music awareness programmes. Senior citizens and students, Mr Attard reiterated, are in any case entitled to a 50 per cent reduction in ticket prices for the orchestra's concerts.

Incidentally, one sponsor, the Malta Trade Fair Corporation, is collaborating with the Lloyd Webber Requiem local premiere and a concert during which Joseph Vella will direct works which include the Elgar Cello Concerto with soloist Julian Lloyd Webber and music by Edward and Andrew Lloyd Webber. This will be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on Friday and Saturday.

The conference was also addressed by Mro Laus who pointed out that this season there is comparatively more Mozart than usual because half-way through the season (January 27) is the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth.

Mro Laus also referred to the youth orchestra and the problem with the lack of young viola players.

He underlined the importance of maintaining, improving and raising standards.