The VIAF marches on with yet another memorable event featuring home-grown talent. Describing Jacob Portelli as talented is a serious understatement. He is super-talened and as many know he performs on several different instruments with ease and the same commitment. The Gozo-born harpist is Curial Harpist to His Grace Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta. Up to a certain extent he is better known as harpist than anything else, but he also performs on a violin and cello be they Baroque or Classical.

The concert venue was quite full with an audience eager to savour the dulcet tones of the magnificent pedalharp. Tones which were instantly served with the first item on the programme. This was the 3-movement and very well known Concerto in B flat Major, Op. 4 n.6, (1736). A very popular work there is a version of this work for organ and orchestra, a similarly popular work. The harp version begins with a brief, slow Andante which in turn gives way to a decisive, confident and expanded Allegro. A quite short Larghetto which leads to the concluding rather perky but also slightly reined-in Allegro moderato. Extended applause: strong and long, reflected the general appreciation of the fine interpretative qualities of the harpist.

It was no less well-received after the following Sonata in C minor Op. 2 n. 3 (c.1800) by Sophia Giustina Dussek, or Dusík (1775-c.1831). She was the Scottish-born daughter of an Italian composer and impresario Domenico Corri. Later after moving g to London she met her first husband Jan Ladislav Dusík (1762-1812) who committed suicide some years after their separation.

J. L. Dusík was a well-known Czech pianist among other things. The sonata performed this evening was long (and very wrongly) believed as being his. It is now firmly attributed to Sophia Giustina and hailed s significant first classical harp sonata of this kind. It is in three well’defined and finely crafted work with a decisive openin Allegro, the contrasting slower Andantino and a rollicking and bright Rondo:Allegro. It was another charming and very enjoyable, superbly interpreted work.

The next three works were comparatively brief ranging in length from five to seven-and-a-half minutes.All of them delightful salon pieces by outstanding harpist-composers from two different schools.

The first two were both called La Source. One was by Belgian harpist composer Alphonse Hasselmans (1845-1912) a fellow liègois of Franck’s . He composed his Op.44 in 1898, a true programme piece which with o er one technical difficulties created the right impression of a rushing stream.

The other La Source Op.23 ( first published in 1897) was by the German-born Albert Zabel (1834-1910) who moved to Russian in 1854 and died and buried there. His was from a different school and as one of a number of pioneers of harp-playing in Russia established a school still widely followed in that vast country.

The second Source was certainly not a copy of Hasselmans.The perception of moving flieong water was the same but the melodies and accents were different and equally pleasingva and satisfying.

The third piece was a straightforward abstract work, an Étude de concert Op.192 first published in 1877 by the prolific Belgian-born Félix Godefroid (1818-97). He too like Hasselmans settled in France where he died.

His was the briefest of the three but showcasing very beautiful music by means of which Jacob Portelli made of it a very impressive display of challenging tehnical and musical virtuosity.

According to the printed programme the concert was to end with a Suite of Eight Dances (1943) by Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961). He was a famous Frencho-American composer of Iberian Sephardic Jewish roots. Pianist, harpist, composer and teacher he was very much into dance forms influenced by various cultures.

Before launching in to the Suite Jacob Portelli said he was omitting the 5th dance (Bolero). With the performance of the other dances this was a colourful journey encompassing different origins, different land and cultures. Gavotte brought to mind Versailles while the minuet evoked the grace and elegance of white wigged powdered dancers. The polka was reminiscent of its sturdy rustic origins in Bohemia and Poland. The Siciliana took one into the Mediterranean heartland, lilting and sun-drenched. The Fandango has its roots in north-west Africa, dressed colourfully with Spanish touches. With the Seguidilla a carefree Spanish feeling was evoked while Tango took one across “the pond” to Argentina. This has a certain sobriety about it until things were let loose with the colourful Rumba, its African roots, adapted then transmitted via Cuba to the New World regions.

The Suite was acclaimed no end and this was well-merited. However there was no encore. In my case I had a ferry to catch. Still it did not lessen the great delight it generated.Well done!!

Albert George Storace