Beethoven and Brahms to open Teatru Manoel and MPO’s season

The 2016-2017 season at Teatru Manoel and for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be officially launched with a concert of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Brahms’ Symphony No.3 on Friday, 30 September. The concert, a joint production between the two entities, will be conducted by Brian Schembri and will feature the Maltese pianist Charlene Farrugia.

After it premiered in 1807 Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4 was described as the most admirable, singular, artistic and complex Beethoven concerto ever and is, today, considered to be one of the central works of the piano concerto literature. Ms Farrugia, who will be performing this concerto, is recognised as one of Malta’s most versatile and imaginative musicians and among today’s most engaging pianists. She has appeared on major international concert platforms and has been performing and recording with the MPO for the past 15 years, including a successful tour to China in 2014/2015.

MPO’s artistic director and principal conductor, Brian Schembri, will then be leading the orchestra in a performance of Brahms’ Symphony No.3. This is one of Brahms’ greatest works, having been well-received ever since its premiere in 1883. Leading music critic at the time, Eduard Hanslick, commented that “many music lovers will prefer the titanic force of the First symphony, others the troubled charm of the Second, but the Third strikes me as being artistically the most nearly perfect”.

Maestro Schembri was the youngest musician ever to obtain the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (London) and later graduated in piano and conducting at the Kiev and Moscow Tchaikowsky Conservatories. This was followed by a long and distinguished international career both as a concert pianist and as a conductor of some of the top orchestras of our time. This is the only MPO concert which Maestro Schembri is conducting at the Manoel this season.

The concert starts at 8pm. There are discounted seats for students and senior citizens and a pre-concert talk at 7.30pm free for ticket holders. For bookings visit www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or phone on 2124 6389.