A concert bridging Maltese and Italian baroque heritage through the refined influence of the Neapolitan school of composition is opening the 12th edition of the Malta International baroque festival this week.
The acclaimed Ukrainian ensemble Kyiv Baroque Consort is returning to Malta to perform sacred music by Girolamo Abos, the island’s most distinguished baroque composer, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Both composers are associated with the renowned Neapolitan master Francesco Durante.
The concert, being held on Thursday, November 20, will take place at the Collegiate church of St Paul Shipwreck in Valletta, where Abos was baptised in 1715.
The programme will feature the composer’s complete Stabat Mater, comprising all five movements of this rarely performed Maltese masterpiece.
Selected excerpts from Pergolesi’s celebrated Stabat Mater will also be performed, offering a moving reflection on the Virgin Mary’s sorrow at the Crucifixion.
The performance will be led by Nancy Milesis Romano, with the Kyiv Baroque Consort joined by the festival’s own string ensemble, led by Matteo Colombo, and continuo on organ by Ramona Zammit Formosa.
The ensemble will recreate the rich musical palette of the Neapolitan baroque tradition in a historically informed performance.
The festival
Across its three-week programme, the Malta International Organ Festival will welcome organists, singers, conductors and musicians from across the world to Malta’s most atmospheric heritage sites.
This year’s edition will also mark 50 years since the death of Dmitri Shostakovich, with a curated commemorative concert in his honour.
Audiences may also look forward to a saxophone and organ recital at the Onorati Oratory at the Jesuits’ church, where the contrasting sonorities of these instruments will create an intimate baroque experience.
A standout event is the screening of the silent film Battleship Potemkin at Eden Cinemas, featuring a live original score performed by Chris Jarrett on organ and piano, with Joseph ‘Bibi’ Camilleri on percussion, offering a unique and powerful multi-instrumental experience that brings new life to this cinematic classic.
The festival will draw to a grand close with a performance of Josef Rheinberger’s Organ Concerto No. 1 in F major, Op. 137, for organ and orchestra, at St Dominic’s basilica in Valletta under the direction of Johannes Skudlik, a showcase of Romantic splendour to conclude the festival in style.
Now in its 12th year, the Malta International Organ Festival has become a cornerstone of the island’s cultural season, showcasing international artistic excellence while celebrating Malta’s rich musical and spiritual heritage.
The festival is supported by Visit Malta, APS Bank, Biz Consult Ltd, Festivals Malta, the Italian Cultural Institute and the German Embassy.
Full festival programme details and booking information are available at www.maltainternationalorganfestival.com.