VIAF 2024

SPARKLING CONCLUSION

This year the Festival presented 27 concerts, which number was also the same as that of editions since it was launched in 1998.

It was founded by the late Joseph Vella, its first artistic director. His “Gozo Miracle” flourished yet again. As season follows season, the Festival returns even if in sometimes difficult circumstances. Joseph Vella’s living dream and its continuity was entrusted to his close assistants Fr. George Frendo and his sister Dr. Maria Frendo. The former has been artistic director since the founder’s death early in 2018.

Since that year’s edition the VIAF has always been held in honour of JOSEPH VELLA.

This concluding concert was the 18th one I followed. I missed on the other nine because of long term commitments elsewhere. I wish I could have followed them too but I do not have the divine gift of polylocation.

After a brief address by Fr. G.J. Frendo the concert began with Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20. It is divided in three short movements. Elgar once declared that this was the first work he composed with which he was really satisfied. It is full of that charming and quintessential Englishness with which so many of his works are endowed. The serenity and warmth of the melodious Allegro led to the very beautiful elegiac Larghetto. The concluding Allegretto rounded off the work beautifully with the strings at their warmest. Ironically not very long after the premiere of this work in Belgium, Elgar’s fame took the music world by storm following his premiere of the Enigma Variations.

The second work on the programme was Joseph Vella’s Clarinet Concerto, Op.121, in no definite key. This mature work dates from 2011 and it was Godfrey who performed the solo part in the premiere that year. As Maria Frendo wrote in her usual masterly notes, the concerto is typical of Vella’s works in this form. The structure is in the classical three movements. However the central movement, Adagio ma non molto is melodious and warm when compared to the stronger and more robust outer movements. I noted that the mood remained under a certain restraint with the opening Allegro non troppo and closing Allegretto molto moderato. The soloist was in good command of his part with evidently good rapport with the orchestra and had some rather exciting interaction with the percussion section. The work was very well received with a long round of applause which took some time to subside.

As regards the last work, Philip Walsh and his cohorts of the MPO gave a resoundingly sparkling reading of Mendelssohn’s Symphony n.4 in A Major, Op.90. He it was who dubbed it “Italian” because it is full of allusions to the bustling life and vivacious verve one associates with Italy, of which the composer had fond memories of his visits there. Philip Walsh squeezed out all the brio of the opening Allegro vivace. The Andante con moto was so very reminiscent of a solemn outdoor procession that I could almost smell the incense and regular tread of the participants. The third movement continued in a lyrical con moto moderato. The Presto and finale was a colourful feast :.marked Saltarello it could only be that and nothing else.

A fitting finale and at the end, in another brief address, Fr. Frendo thanked all present, all concert performers, sponsors and friends/supporters of the VIAF. “God willing”, he said, “we shall meet again next year for the 28th edition of the VIAF.”

A BIG Amen to that.

Albert George Storace