Gawhar Misjub – a critique by Albert George Storace

ĞAWHAR MISJUB- An operatic banquet, 
REUBEN PACE, original concept and Artistic Director,
VICTOR GALEA, executive producer, Head College Network MAVC ,
NICOLE SCIBERRAS, 
CLARE GHIGO, mezzo-soprano, also devised the plot, researched the music and stage directed  
Sopranos: KIMBERLEY GRECH, MARIA GRAZIA GRECH, MARIAH COSTA, MADELEINE GRUPPETTA 
ANGELO MUSCAT, tenor 
KEN SCICLUNA baritone  
Choreography: ELISA ELLUL, JOSEF FARRUGIA 
CHRISTOPHER MUSCAT, music director 
GEOFFREY THOMAS, choir master  
SIMONE ELLUL, drama coach 
ROMUALDO MORETTI, set design 
SARAH GRECH, costumes 
JACKIE GRIMA, hair and make-up 
DOMINIC GALEA, lights 
ALEC MASSA, audio 
Orchestra Students : Marta Spiteri, Maximilian Schembri, Bernard Curmi, Luke Paul Attard, Samuel Darmanin, Savio Galea 
Dancers: Thea De Gray, Jodie Grech, Francesca Gauci Grech, Amy Cassar 
Actors : Ken Tabone, Serah Maria Calleja
Children’s choir: Lior Immanuel Schembri, Michela Caruana, Zichen Peng, Fiorella Coleiro, Michela Ciappara, Ylenia Vassallo, Giles Rooney, Eliza Mintoff, Martina Mintoff 
Adult choir: Martin Bezzina Wettinger, Andrea Stegani 
Soloists: Mariah Costa, Maria Grazia Grech, Madeleine Gruppetta 
Set construction: Martina Gauci Grech, Ezara Baldacchino, Noele Formosa Cumbo, Mia Jones, Jan Cuschieri Valentine, Amelie Calleja, Michela Bianco 
Assistant stage directors: Amy Cachia Musu, Veronika Milev, Almikaya Aquilina, Faye Galea 
Costume Design: Amelie Calleja
Stage Manager Assistants: Martina Formosa 
Presented by BELT IL-BNIEDEM ARTISTIC PLATFORM ST. AGATHA AUDITORIUM, ir-RABAT MALTA. 

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Composer Dr. Reuben Pace is all for the spreading of awareness of the existence of high quality opera by a number of Maltese composers some of whom won fame abroad in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many MSS are scattered in various archives. Thanks to very extensive research by Clare Ghigo, a number of previously neglected works have been brought to light.  

Last December a foretaste of this event under review here was provided during a recital of various excerpts from these opera, to piano accompaniment by Dr. Milica Lawrence. May 27, late last month was the date set for something bigger and more substantial. 

In accordance with the original concept the aim was to have professional singers taking part (as last December) with this time, the participation of students. The latter provided the children’s choir. They familiarised themselves with work behind the scenes and so on. 

All except one opera of those chosen had been performed in the past. The composers were Giuseppe Arena (1709-84); Girolamo Abos (1715-60); Niccolò Isouard (1773-1818); 

Francesco Schira (1809-83); Anton Nani (1842-1929); Giuseppe Camilleri (1903-76) and Carmelo Pace (1906-93). 

Regarding Giuseppe Camilleri’s Monna Bianca, (1936), this was never staged. Worth noting that persent in the audience were some special guests who are the composer’s two daughters and a granddaughter. 

As one could imagine a story had to be told. Being a pastiche of works by different composers ranging from the Baroque to the Classical, Romantic and the 1970s care was taken to make the music fit into a plot set in Edwardian times. The characters were members of an aristocratic family, two daughters, a number of children; a governess, butler, domestic staff, some of whom danced while on- and off-duty. 

As with all opera, whatever the period and genre there is always a love interest. There are marriage problems; sibling rivalry; a postponed wedding; sometimes unruly, cheeky children and staff, but, in this case all is resolved and ends well. 

Things went pretty well with exits and entries moving slickly. Performed into halves, basically the the set remained the same with the moving of some furniture and minor props helping to create the right atmosphere. It was of course the acting and singing which get things moving, with some performers having a better edge on others because of greater experience. In any case it is always a continuous, learning process which has its ups and downs, from which everybody could benefit. 

Action began with Ugo’s aria from Giuseppe Camilleri‘s Monna Bianca. This was sung by Ken Scicluna who in part two sang a duet with Clare Ghigo. This was between Regina and another Ugo from Anton Nani’s I Cavalieri di Malta (1877). Both are very convincing singing-actors. The duet was particularly dramatic with both singers doing their best. 

The baritone’s voice is warm and mellow but I wish he would not reach his top notes in such an explosive way. 

The first purely orchestral piece was the overture to Arena’s Achile in Sciro (1738). The orchestra, about 15-strong consisted of mostly young men and women and were well directed in this baroque piece. Giuseppe Arena’s were the next two excerpts. Both came from the opera Artaserse, (1741). The first was the typical da capo aria Se d’un amor tiranno sung by Mariah Costa. She is a very young singer who has a fine presence, shows some promise and at the same time needs more polish in her phrasing. These da capo arias are never easy to sing. 

The last Arena item was a duet, Tu vuoi che io viva. This was sung by Kimberley Grech and Madeleine Gruppetta. The former lady is the more experienced of the two was on all-round top form. She interacted well with Madeleine Gruppetta in whom I noticed an increasing confidence in the latter’s delivery. 

Angelo Muscat was also at his best in the charming She was once so demure from The orphan of Geneva (1850). He continued in the same manner later, in part two, singing from the same opera Oh, what joy to hear! It was truly joyous and towards the end the adults’ and children’s choir joined in. This lovely music was the only excerpt sung in English. Schira had a long career in England where he composed many operas. 

There was only one item from an Abos opera. He was of the most successful Maltese composers abroad, where there is now an increasing interest in his sacred and secular works. He too wrote an opera called Artaserse  (1746) from which Maria Grazia Grech sang Non è ver che sia contento. She too is relatively new on the scene but is making very encouraging strides in her always convincing singing. 

Part two of this concert began with two excerpts by Isouard whose operatic career saw its beginning in Malta and Italy, and after 1800 in Paris, where he was highly praised.  

His overture to Cimarosa (1808) came across with a catchy sparkle. No less delightful was the trio Le magicien sans Magie (1811). It was very ably sung by Kimberley Grech, Madeleine Gruppetta and Maria Grazia Grech. 

The concert’s most “recent” item was the Coro di fanciulle from Carmelo Pace‘s Angelica, third of the four operas he composed, (and staged at his own expense) in 1965, ’67, ’73 and ’76. There was also the participation here of the six female and one male dancer. This was one of many well-synchronised dance sequences throughout the evening 

The happy conclusion to this operatic banquet was the Quartetto Natalizio from Giuseppe Camilleri’s Monna Bianca, featuring Kim Zammit, Clare Ghigo, Ken Scicluna, Maria Grazia Grech with adults’ choir and children’s choir. 

All involved are to be congratulated for reviving part of our very rich musical legacy and spreading awareness of it. It is a true cultural and educational milestone.