F’Kull Belt Hemm Kantuniera
Contemporary Music Inspired by Original Works of Literature
Tuesday 25 - Wednesday 26 March, 2003 - St. James Cavalier
Fact File and Poster ▪ Anabel Cordina ▪ Writers ▪ Performers ▪ Karl Fiorini
Interview with Karl Fiorini ▪ "Solitudni fil-Belt" Performed in Germany
"Solitudni fil-Belt" at the Manoel Theatre
On Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 March, at
7.30pm, in the Music Room of the St. James Cavalier
Centre for Creativity, Inizjamed will be presenting “F’Kull Belt Hemm
Kantuniera”, a production featuring contemporary music composed by Karl Fiorini
inspired by unpublished
literary works by mostly emerging writers who have been working together on
Inizjamed’s “Bliet (u Miti)” project since January 2002.
The
performers who will be taking part are
musicians Caroline Calleja (piano),
Godfrey Mifsud (clarinet, bass clarinet), and
Sarah Frendo (violin, viola); mezzo soprano
Claire Massa; and actors
Marcelle Teuma and Toni Attard.
The
literary works that have inspired Karl
Fiorini’s composition and will be sung and narrated are poems in Maltese by
Stanley Borg (in picture, right), Norbert Bugeja
(in picture, left),
Priscilla Cassar, Claudia
Fiorini (below right), Maria Grech Ganado
(below left), and
Simone Inguanez. F’Kull Belt Hemm Kantuniera
also includes a story by Bernard Cauchi called
“Kieku Kont Francesca” and a literary piece written jointly by
Clare Azzopardi and Claudia Fiorini. All works
deal with the theme of solitude in the city. Works by young artist
Anabel Cordina will be on display during the evenings.
Artwork, based on an original photograph by
Alexandra Pace, is by Adrian Mamo.
This
production forms part of a one-year artistic project by Inizjamed called
“Bliet (u Miti)” in which artists using different media have questioned the
identification of the Maltese nation with the rural village and explored the
cosmopolitan dimension
and the role of women in the formation of the Maltese identity.
In August 2002, Inizjamed organized two evenings at Couvre Porte in Birgu which included a public forum, the presentation of original literary works by established and emerging writers and the participation of Miro Villar, one of Galicia’s leading poets and critics, who also led a series of creative writing workshops at St. James Cavalier.
On January 13, Inizjamed organized another public forum on Malta’s
cosmopolitan identity and the role of women in the shaping of that identity
at St. James Cavalier. The main speakers were anthropologist Dr.
Mark-Anthony Falzon and historian Mr. James Debono. Their papers will be
published together with the literary works during the March performances at
St. James Cavalier.
Composer Karl Fiorini (b.1979) graduated from the University of Malta, majoring in Music composition. Both Prof. Charles Camilleri and Prof. Joseph Vella describe him as one of the new upcoming generation of composers. Two of Karl’s works (Zmurke for Clarinet in Bb and Piano and Ode to Calliope for Flute, Clarinet in Bb, Violin, Cello and Piano) were premiered at the Aberysthwyth Arts Festival, Wales.
The composition that
Karl will be presenting during F'Kull Belt Hemm Kantuniera is called
“Is-Solitudni fil-Belt” and is scored for
Narrator, Mezzo Soprano, Violin/Viola, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet and Piano. It
is a one movement work which is subdivided into 9 segments.
"The piece," says Karl, "is set in an arch form. The flanking segments share a similar nuance which gives a solid and steady structure. The first mirrors the last; the second mirrors the eight, and so on.
Psychologically, this enables the listener to recall material which was previously heard, thus engaging his/her interest throughout the whole performance. This concept comes from ancient music where rhythmic patterns were used as a means of communication. I used an abstract of this idea to generate my material as I really believe that music communicates structure. If the latter is well balanced a point of interaction is achieved between music and the listener."
Tickets
for the production F’Kull Belt
Hemm Kantuniera are available from St. James Cavalier
at Lm3.50
(everyday between 8.30am and 10.00pm, tel.
2122 3200).
This event is being held by Inizjamed in collaboration
with
Holiday Malta and the
Valletta and Floriana Rehabilitation Project, and
with the support of the Parliamentary Secretariat in the Ministry of
Education and the
St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity.
Coordination is by Adrian Grima, Marcelle Teuma and Karsten Xuereb.
For more information write to
inizjamed@maltaforum.org or phone 2137 6941 or 7946 7952. Information is
also available on Inizjamed’s website at
http://www.maltaforum.org or
http://inizjamed.cjb.net
In May 2004, Karl Fiorini was invited to present his musical composition, "Is-Solitudni fil-Belt," with poetry by Stanley Borg, Norbert Bugeja, Priscilla Cassar, Claudia Fiorini, Maria Grech Ganado and Simone Inguanez, in Germany. (For bionotes of the poets in Maltese click here.)
The performers included musicians Caroline Calleja (piano), Godfrey Mifsud (clarinet, bass clarinet), and Sarah Frendo (violin, viola); mezzo soprano Claire Massa; and actress Marcelle Teuma.
"Is-Solitudni fil-Belt" was performed in the following theatres in Wiesbaden, Berlin and Leipzig as part of the Europamusicale concert tour:
Wiesbaden Kurhaus
Kleiner Saal Berlin Konzerthaus
Mendelssohn Hall Leipzig
Tuesday
16th November is a very important date for Maltese
artists. The concert to be held at the Manoel
Theatre is the first of its kind - the first time
the National Theatre is
presenting a concert featuring only works by
Maltese contemporary composers, performed by
Maltese musicians, actress and videographer.
The performance starts at 7.30 pm at the Manoel Theatre.
The performers presenting the works of Charles
Camilleri, Albert Pace, Mario Frendo and Karl Fiorini
are all established musicians, who, in May, have
toured Germany performing these works in Berlin,
Leipzig and Weisbaden. They are:
Caroline Calleja - piano
Sarah Spiteri - violin and viola
Godfrey Mifsud - clarinet and bass clarinet
Claire Massa - mezzo Soprano
Marcelle Teuma - actress and director
Toni Attard - videography
The programme to be
presented is:
Etnika for solo violin (Camilleri)
Iconi di Donna - m soprano and piano
(Camilleri)
....for the Millennium ... - clarinet and
piano (Pace)
Rit - solo viola (Frendo)
Hommage a Manoel De Falla - viola, clarinet and piano
(Camilleri)
Solitudni fil-Belt (Fiorini) for
violin/viola, piano, bass clarinet/clarinet, mezzo
soprano and actress.
A new dimension to be featured for the first time on Tuesday has been added to this work. Video projections by Toni Attard have turned this work into a multimedia performance.
Sarah Spiteri
12 November 2004
