This was this edition’s seventh concert which was an all-French presentation. All three composers were French, one of them, Hahn, was a naturalised French citizen. Also French were the poets whose work was set to music.

That naturalised French citizen was the half-Swiss and half-Spanish composer Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947) who was born in Venezuela. He is mainly remembered for his songs of which he composed more than a hundred.

Hahn’s song cycle 7 Chansons Grises are his most often performed and recorded of his works. They are set to poems by Paul Verlaine (1844-96). They were composed in 1887-90 and are quite mature considering Hahn’s age.

Tenor Stanley Joe Portelli sang with a certain decisiveness amply supported by Christine Zerafa’s accompaniment.

The singing was clear and so was his diction.The underlying general mood of the cycle lies in its title, a gray sadness. The autumnal tinge of a slow languid change of an enervated nature preparing for a long, wintry hibernation characterised Chanson d’automne while Tous deux was one of an overcast controlled passion. Akin to it is L’allée est sans fin where the cart us not out before the horse.

Meanwhile voice and piano managed to evoke these emotions quite clearly throughout the cycle.

En sourdine is one of muted calm followed by n.5, L’heure exquise, the cycle’s best known song calm yet full of ardour. Living up to the general current was Paysage triste and the final La bonne chanson concluded with the singer on slightly better form than in some passages here and there which showed a need to work more on the lowest notes.

By comparison and as she explained before performing her two solos, Christine Zerafa wanted to project a different kind of mood. Even by looking at their titles: Prélude n.11, La Dansr de Puck and Prélude n.12, Minstrels,

both from Préludes, Book 1 (1910-11), the message was very clear. It was to evoke a lively happy atmosphere. These works by Debussy (1862-1918) project the mischievous energy of Puck and the world of lithe sprites of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. In n.12 the minstrels are at their merry-making best with music and song. Christine Zerafa is a well-established pianist and her support on the two song cycles was of great and fruitful significance

By the time Hahn and Debussy had composed the above, the composer of the second song cycle had been long dead. Hector Berlioz (1803-69) was often criticised for his bombastic symphonic works which have worn well. His operas except Les Troyens were failure but he did compose one very successful song cycle Les nuit d’été, Op.7

(1840-41).

They were composed more or less midway in his adult life and a very lively work it turned out to be. These six songs are set to poems by Théophile Gautier (1811-72). Here there was a remarkable improvement in Stanley Joe Portelli’s singing. He was more confident, delivered better, no signs of strain in some very strong moments. Those lower notes still need looking into but the general gist was warm and very expressive.

The keys of love and beautiful spring are well evoked in the opening Villanelle but there is also a hint of sadness. This resurfaces in Le spectre de la rose and one supposed a typical idée fixed typical of much of Berlioz. Sure les lagunes (n.3) ought to be a carefree drifing on the water but the the dark harmonies of this kind of barcarolle is tinged with melancholic sadness. The lover is bereft of his beloved in Au cimitière, clair de lune culminating the last song, L’ile inconnue. This is the most enigmatic of the six songs. No doubt crowned by sadness where was it leading, which island was it.

One reality remains, the impossibility to

attain the unattainable.

This concert was also in line with one of the VIAF’s basic policies to provide a platform for local promising artists and musicians.

Albert George Storace