No, she did not dance, although I would not be surprised if she did.

It must be a good twenty years ago that I first heard Maria-Elena Farrugia performing a few piano pieces. That was during a lunchtime concert in a series that took place at the old University’s Aula Magna in Valletta. Since then she has grown into an experienced concert pianist and a very reliable accompanist too.

Her reliability and ability came to the fore when with barely a week’s notice she put together a quite fascinating programme based on dance from three main sources: Poland, Romania and Spain. She stepped in when the original concert for last Friday evening had to be postponed to another post-VIAF event.

As she was to tell me after the concert, the only work she had ever performed before was the set of Romanian Folk Dances, Sz.56, by Béla Bartók (1881-1945).

These were performed after she had opened the concert with the first of three sets of mazurkas each set having four mazurkas (12 in all). Therefore she had to do everything else from scratch.

In his fervent patriotism Chopin (1810-49), bore the constant pain of living in exile from his native land. This led to his tapping at the sources of his native country’s folk music. A lot of it is dance-based and this resulted in mazurkas from the central Polish region of Mazovia, krakowiaks from the south and the polonaise which had royal and aristocratic origins, and spread abroad. He composed waltzes derived from German ländler, a form which he also developed and mastered even if not of the “ballabile” type.

Maria-Elena Farrugia selected the sets of Mazurkas Opp. 21, 41 and 68. Mature works composed within the range from 1834 to 1849

the leave one amazed of the rich variety within na total of twelve pieces within the same form. They may vary in popularity with some being much better known but all are interesting, well-crafted and come in different tempi, bright or serious, light or nostalgic and even rueful. They were all charming performed the pianist taking them all in her stride. Not an easy task but she did it.

The Bartók set referred to above is also known in a violin and piano version and even for orchestra. Bartók was an ethnic Magyar born in Transylvania in the then Kingdom of Hungary. His keen interest in Romanian folk music resulted in this very brief set. Each dance is very short, tapped from different regions and often came across as very compact, light acute texture and some ending all too abruptly and always very colourful.

For the rest of her programme Maria-Elena Farrugia resorted to two composers from Spain, namely Enrique Granados (1867-1916) and Joaquín Turina (1882-1949). From different regions and with their different styles they were a most welcome inclusion. Most of their music heard locally are pieces for guitarwhuch in most cases are originally piano pieces. Maria-Elena Farrugia’s choice was a very welcome one widening the range of the local listener’s experience.

The seven Valses Poéticos, H.147 by Granados vary in character, they are beautifully scored sometimes moody sometimes bright. Yet while so varied in character and always harmonically rich, in n.7 (Vivo) there is nevertheless a throwback to Valse n.1 (Melòdico) . This happened after a section marked by brilliant prestidigitation wad followed by a lively coda. This sailed on rapidly when suddenly it turns into reprise of the Melódico.

Turina was Andaluciano to the core. As such exposed to the art of flamenco and the free spirit of the gypsies at its core. As with the above Valses, Turina’s Cinco Danzas Gitanas, Op. 55 most likely having their premiere performance in our Islands. The dances are all linked and inspired by the gypsy world of Granada in the south of the region. Noted for its beauty often if a rugged nature but proud and colourful and their polychromatic and powerful nature is nigh tangible. Superb piano pieces which many got to know from a later orchestral version. The sweep if the music carried it forward to an exciting conclusion.

There audience loudly acclaimed the pianist whimo concede an encore. She said she had just found it a day or two before. Completely

different said Maria-Elena. It was Gershwin’s song Embraceable You arranged by Earl Wild.

Different? Nay, that could be danced slowly with one’s partner. What could be more embraceable than that?

Festival Artistic Director Fr. George J. Frendo thanked Maria-Elena Farrugia for her splendid performance calling her standing-in so late in the day was providential. Right was he!.

Albert George Storace.