A classical music couple at San Anton

Idon’t think I’ve ever seen a musical couple perform in Malta so the recent recital by baritone Joseph Lia and his wife, pianist Natalia Rakhmatulina was a first for me. The concert took place at San Anton Palace.

Several classical music couples exist and are famous even if they lived long ago. Robert and Clara Schumann immediately come to mind. Then there is Augusta Holmès and César Franck. The Impressionist composer Erik Satie married Suzanne Valadon a painter and although she wasn’t a musician she was his muse.

Edvard Grieg married his cousin celebrated Danish-Norwegian soprano Nina Hagerup.

Alma Mahler was a talented composer in her own right and married the famous Gustav. However, Gustav demanded she put her creative urges aside and restrict herself to the role of wife and mother. The marriage was no love story but they managed to patch up whatever problems there were and went on living together.

A more recent example of a love match between classical musicians is baritone Lucas Meachem and pianist Irina Meachem, a similar couple to the concert’s Joseph and Natalia who, too, have two professions which go hand in hand. *** It is pointless giving you details of the careers of that evening’s protagonists as these two artistes are sufficiently well know for them to be on the internet. They have both already achieved much in their lives and are very active both here and abroad.

Apart from anything else Joseph Lia is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Malta International Organ Festival and Adviser for the European Choral Association. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta in the Centre for Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Natalia, as you would have guessed, is Russian born. She is particularly interested in the French composer Olivier Messiaen, one of the major composers of the 20th century and has published several papers about his works and his teaching.

This talented duo, he so serious, she so playful, took us through a very varied programme which included the ‘tried and tested’ – Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Handel, Mendelssohn, Donizetti, Mozart and I am glad to say, Verdi. But there were two Russian composers which are not ever played here as far as I know: Lyadov and Sviridov.

Natalia gave us two preludes by Anatoly Lyadov. Since I have never heard of this composer I set out to find out but was determined that he would not become my new musical obsession.

Lyadov is best known as a minor character in the life stories of many better-known composers. He was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, a teacher of Prokofiev and an acquaintance of Tchaikovsky. He seems to have been rather laid back. When he was studying composition as a young man at the St Peter’s Conservatory he was ex- pelled for not bothering to show up to classes. Still, although he hasn’t produced any great symphony, sonata or concerto he has some fine miniature pieces. I loved his Prelude in B flat minor, very much in Chopin mode.

*** Another unknown composer to me at least, was Georgy Sviridov. Natalia played his Romance. So Russian, so melancholic, so utterly beautiful. I was led to listen to his Waltz on You-Tube, lively naturally but he manages to give it a Russian feel. I hope the neighbours don’t mind. I haven’t stopped playing these pieces all week. They are my new obsession and make a better sound than the noise from the building going on around us.

Natalia is a gifted pianist and I am grateful to her for introduc- ing these two Russian composers in the recital that evening. The truth is I almost groaned when I saw two composers I was totally unacquainted with in the programme. You know. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks and so on. But this was different. They were a happy discovery. ***

That Joseph Lia is a fine baritone is well-known by music lovers.

He gave us some great singing that evening. One of my favourites was Bellini’s Fenesta ca lucive, a gem. Such sad lyrics. A Neapolitan song of lost love. The window which used to shine, shines no more.

The baritone gave us another melancholy song, Tchaikovsky’s most celebrated song of all: None but the lonely heart. Lia’s subtle varying of mood and tone completely refutes the idea that Tchaikovsky as a song-composer was limited. This must be one of the composers finest inspirations.

Another popular aria Bella siccome un angelo from Donizetti’s sparkling comedy Don Pasquale was sung with sensitivity by Mr Lia.

There was more but the above easily my favourites.

The audience showed great enthusiasm for the pianist and baritone. For depth of sentiment and talent one cannot fault either of them. On the contrary.