This was the 22nd concert of this festival edition. It is in its last full week before it comes to a close with the 27th concert on 15 June. Music of a very refreshing kind was on offer. The choice fell upon three co-eval composers: Johann Christian Bach, Giuseppe Cambini and Franz Xaver Süßmayr. They probably never met but music created a kind of connection not only musical but also personal. All five performers are members of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

J.C. Bach (1735-82) the youngest of the great J.S.Bach’s composer sons, knew and influenced Mozart. F.X. Süßmayr (1766-1803) not only knew Mozart but also finished completing the Divine Salzburger’s Requiem Mass. The Tuscan Giuseppe Cambini (1746-?1825) had a mixed kind of acquaintance with Mozart in Paris. They all composed music with the high Baroque behind them and launched into the early Classical.

J.C. Bach dedicated his Quintet in G Major Op.11 n.2 to Karl Theodor, Elector Palatine of the Rhine, and later of Bavaria as well. He is the one with the ground-breaking private orchestra in Mannheim. It is a mature work composed nine years before J.C.B’s death.

The work is notable for the way in which the two wind instruments carry forward melodic material together with violin and viola, later also the cello. The latter has more than what the cello could get in works when it was inevitably an accompanying element in the continuo. It was an innovative kind of defiance to the dominance of the higher strings. This in turn created a fair balance within all the instruments. There was little difference in the two movements Allegro and Allegro assai.

Next came the three quintets all from Cambini’s Opus 8. I believe that I had heard the first two, perhaps a little before the Covid pandemic got going in March 2020. I stand to be corrected when I say it was most likely by this same Bliss Quintet. They are very similar in structure but different regarding keys. N.1 is in G Major and in two movements; N. 2 is in C Major also in two movements; N. 3 is in B flat Major in three movements. They lasted just under half an hour.

Similar but not identical. N.1’s Allegro sees the flute taking the lead in stating the first melody, later all share and interact. The flow of forward-moving flow of music even if fast remained always articulate. The Rondo – Allegro maintained the same kind of interaction between the instruments. N.2 consists of an Allegro followed by a minuet. The main difference in N.3 is that after the opening Allegro there are two minuets. N.2 displays a certain greater urgency and also each instrument taking up little solos and key shifting and a rather serious sounding minuet.

N.3 mainly differs in the difference between its minuets. It was a pleasure to see the involvement of each member of the quintet when they shared the material in a very smooth manner. The quintets are so “galante” in style, one sweeping Western music in the second half of the 18th century.

Pity that Süßmayr is mainly linked with his completion of Mozart’s Requiem Mass. Music of his such as the Quintet in D Major performed here and the way it was performed justifies digging up other works of his for future occasions. Such is the neglect he suffered after his death that nothing is known as to when this work was composed. There is no record as to where and when it was first performed.

The work opened with a fine Allegro con brio performed with charming zest. The flute and violin were tasked with leading on with stating the beautiful melodies. This continued in an Adagio notable for its loveliness. It was introduced by the flute then taken by the violin. Later the flute did the same but led to some prominent interaction with the cello. The concluding Rondo – Allegretto summed up the work: one of great elegance, transparent and stylish.

The church echoed with very warm, and very well-deserved applause which resulted in an encore. This was the Allegro assai from the J.C. Bach quintet which had opened the concert.

Albert George Storace