Musical Soirée at the Australian official residence
he Australian High Commissioner, Ms Jane Lambert, is a woman of action in her own quiet way. She tells me she will soon be leaving Malta as her term is up. In fact, I believe it was extended by one year.
Her Excellency recently hosted a at her residence in San Pawl tat-targa. (I prefer to call it ‘salon’ since it is so reminiscent of those evenings in Paris and other places where salons were fashionable. From what I have read about them I imagine them to have been similar – a few guests and singers, pianists and others reciting poetry, playing the piano and singing. I have not been to a since Danielle and Noelle Rondeau left Malta.
The programme, that evening was divided into three parts: ‘Contemporary and early 20th century music’; ‘Going into 18th and 19th century territory’ and ‘Some 20th century light music.’
Her Excellency comes from a gifted family. Her mother, Margaret, told us that the family had not seen her for two years, so together with her husband and another daughter, Erika (named after their English grandfather) they were visiting Malta, before her term as High Commissioner is up.
After a brief introduction during which Her Excellency told us that her mother was going to be pianist that evening the soirée began.
The Italian ambassador and his wife were there and she thanked him for lending their baby grand for the evening. The Turkish ambassador and his spouse, among other personalities, many from the world of music and art were also present.
The Maltese-Australian composer Jesmond Grixti introduced his composition, the second movement of which was played by Margaret Lambert. Dr Grixti was a recipient of The Janatha Stubbs Trust and earned a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Music degrees in composition from the University of Melbourne. He is based in Australia. He told us he was inspired to compose it after he had visited Naivasha, a market town in Kenya.
Mrs Lambert is relaxed and obviously enjoys playing the piano and does it very well too – her children are used to turning pages she told us. She then played Get Well Rag by Elena Kats-Chernin, an Australian composer born in Tashkent, who composed this enjoyable rag when her son was unwell. A pleasant piece of music. I love this musical genre and it always puts me in a good mood. I listened to many ‘rags’ in New Orleans some years ago. The genre has its origins in AfricanAmerican communities like St. Louis.
The pianist then went on to play Debussy’s famous La Cathédrale Engloutie. Erika Lambert gave the audience an excellent analysis. This piece is based on an ancient Breton myth in which a cathedral submerged underwater off the coast of the Island of Ys, rises up from the sea on clear mornings when the water is transparent. Sounds can be heard of priests chanting bells chiming and the organ playing from across the sea.
Music lovers are very familiar with this piece and Mrs Lambert gave us a fine rendering of it.
The audience enjoyed three arias sung by Martin RoyaltonKisch who was accompanied on the piano by Margaret Lambert. The great from the
by Verdi was sung dramatically. It was followed by a totally different kind of music from Mozart’s – less drama and more fun. The singer changed from drama to light-heartedness which cannot be easy. Another ‘fun’ aria from Rossini’s followed – Basilio’s aria
It took a composer of singular confidence to agree to turn the Beaumarchais play into an opera in 1816. As well as possessing a simply stunning overture, the opera is a sheer delight throughout, with hit after hit. Mr Royalton-Kisch did us proud.
I know nothing about him but had heard his name before. It was only later that I realized that he had given a lecture at Palazzo Falson and that he must be the eminent scholar and former curator in the department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum. There simply was no time to ask. He has an excellent voice and interpretation and I hope we shall hear him sing again one of these days.
In between the arias Mrs Lambert played Minuet in G minor by Handel, arranged by Wilhelm Kempff and Intermezzo in A major Opus 118 for piano by Brahms. I love Handel’s gentle minuet and you could hear a pin drop as Mrs Lambert was playing it with a very light hand. And to think that Handel’s father wasn’t keen on his son becoming a musician. The only way the young composer could practice was by playing on a clavichord hidden in the attic of his home.
Brahms I love and this piece is delicious and soul-searching. This genius of a composer, in his early career, earned a living playing piano in brothels around his native Hamburg. This piece is certainly not appropriate music for a brothel.
These two pieces were played in between Mr Royalton-Kisch’s singing and were a perfect balance.
It was Maurice Mizzi next. I always enjoy his crooning and he cuts an elegant figure with a microphone in hand. I have his first CD which I play in the car and he is soon to launch his second. He sings my kind of songs and he does it to help finance the Spiro Mizzi Foundation he set up to support and honour the new generations born and living in Cottonera and the surrounding harbour area – the birth place of his late father, Spiridone. The foundation helps less fortunate children from this area benefit from the same opportunities other children may have in the academic field in other parts of Malta.
Chev Mizzi sang his way through three well-loved Cole Porter songs:
and Those who think that you have a foot in the grave once you are over 60 cannot have Maurice in mind. Of course any of us might just drop dead – it doesn’t just happen to over 60s, but it is people like Chev. Mizzi who have my admiration.
It was a truly lovely soirée enjoyed by those present. Ms Lambert is always a most gracious hostess and no less that evening. Over drinks and canapés we were able to enjoy discussing the evening… and other matters.
Jane will be very much missed.
mbenoit@independent.com.mt