ABClassics Livestream: Cospicua Baroque Oratory Concert

A Triumphant Evening!
Sunday Times 28 March 2010.
By ALBERT-G. STORACE

It is a great fortune that Cospicua’s lovely baroque Oratory survived the ravages of war. It proved to be an ideal venue for this concert presented by the Rev. Chapter of Cospicua featuring works by our own Michelangelo Vella (1715-92) and by Pergolesi and Handel. The performance which was under the auspices of President Emeritus Dr. Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Mrs. Mifsud Bonnici was under the artistic direction of Emmanuel Cini.

It proved to be a performance of sheer excellence and no wonder, considering the participants. Conducted by Michael Laus, it featured well-known soprano Miriam Gauci who sang solo in Pergolesi’s Salve Regina. In the same composer’s famous Stabat Mater she was joined by Australian counter-tenor David Hansen, who must be one of the most accomplished and exciting counter-tenors around. His solo number was He was despised from Handel’s Messiah. Taking part was the Malta Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, consisting of Marcelline Agius, Nadya Debono and Stephen Galea (violin and viola) with cellist Angelica Galea Young and Michael Laus himself at the harpsichord. It bears reminding that the four string players are also none other than the Anon Quartet, a formation which is gradually making more and more headway on the local music scene.

For the performance of Vella’s Sonata N. 6 in B minor for Three Violins and Basso Continuo Stephen Galea played the violin with cello and harpsichord providing the continuo. M.A. Vella had long been recognised as a leading figure in Maltese baroque music. His set of Sonatas for Three Violins and Basso Continuo, published in Paris in 1768 had been studied and researched by local experts and Joseph Vella’s edition of the third sonata was recorded on CD in 2004. Further research by Australian musicologist Richard Divall continued revealing the great musical excellence of these works and led to his edition of the last sonata which was premiered this evening. The music flowed in a stream of elegantly and crisply phrased music, melodious in four well-balanced contrasting movements.

In Malta we hardly ever hear the counter-tenor voice. It takes a little time for one’s ears to get accustomed to it. David Hansen’s voice is certainly one to win over even those like myself, who are at best lukewarm to counter-tenors. Win me over he did with his really outstanding musicality, flexibility of technique and a great interpretation of a work so steeped in pathos, anger, warmth and reverence all at the same time. For such is Handel’s He was despised from Messiah. This made all look forward to his later participation in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, before which soprano Miriam Gauci sang the same composer’s Salve Regina.

It had been a regrettably long time since I heard Miriam Gauci’s lovely voice live. In Pergolesi’s Salve Regina it took me some time to get used to hear her singing a sacred work and not opera. The two genres require a different approach and this was in the long run what she achieved, colouring her delivery with a reverential approach which was underlined by a lot of warmth, tenderness and great vocal agility. What was also very interesting about this performance was that it was a premiere of Richard Divall’s edition of an MS score preserved at Rabat’s Wignacourt Museum. The editor’s research brought to light certain important differences in the scoring superior and more complete than more familiar editions of the work.

The combination of these two fine voices guaranteed a performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater which will be remembered for a long time. Needless to say, as in the previous two works there was the sterling contribution of the MPO Chamber Ensemble and the masterful direction of Michael Laus in his double role. When compared to later settings of the Stabat Mater it is amazing how a well-handled performance of Pergolesi’s creates so much dramatic effect with just two voices and five instruments. There lies the greatness of this work, which has always been at the pinnacle of all settings of Jacopone da Todi’s memorable text. All credit to the interpreters who gave such a gratifying performance which ended with a spontaneous standing ovation.

Click on image to enlarge.

Sonata a Tre Violini e Basso Continuo No.6-Michel'Angelo Vella. The Malta Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Directed by Michael Laus.