The opening concert of the Victoria International Arts Festival is my personal summer solstice. Once this series of classical concerts starts I know that summer is here. The starting dates vary from year to year as the festival runs for the five weeks leading up to the feast of Saint George in Victoria, Gozo. It ends with the concert on the Monday before the weekend of the feast. Not only does it launch the summer season for me, I also consider it its cultural highlight.
I often think people don’t realise how lucky we are to have this festival on our little island. It brings together internationally renowned performers, treating us to a feast of - mostly - classical music. There is a performance scheduled every night for 5 weeks, and all of them are free of charge. Having said that, a donation of €120 guarantees you a reserved seat for every single event during the festival. This must be unique from a cost-benefit perspective. It really is incredibly good value for money.
This year VIAF was in its 21st edition and, due to the tragic demise of its artistic director, Maestro Joseph Vella, last February, it was dedicated to his memory. It included many moving, often emotional, tributes by the performers. It was an odd feeling for us regular festival visitors to arrive at the venues and not find Maestro Vella outside greeting everybody. What we all felt though was that his legacy was left in very capable hands.
I have been a loyal follower of VIAF more or less from its beginnings and I harbour many fond memories from those early years.
I remember when for piano recitals in the Aula Mgr. Farrugia rows of chairs were also set up in the courtyard - putting the performers truly centre stage and adding a dimension of sitting in the open air to the experience.
I remember that these were hard chairs, not the nice upholstered ones we sit on now.
And I remember when the ushers were little boys, explaining family connections and offering to bring extra chairs. Now these little boys are all grown-up young men, but still guiding the guests to their seats in their trademark courteous manner.
Over the years I have learned to follow the different movements of the pieces performed by reading the detailed and erudite programme notes written by Maria Frendo, VIAF’s secretary. These notes are supplied for every concert on every seat in all the venues. They also contain biographical information about the composers and often some historical background - to put the music into perspective.
The music covers the whole register: from early Baroque all the way to contemporary composers. It doesn't matter if you love brass music, Tango or chamber string quartets. VIAF has it covered.
This year the line up was particularly impressive. There were my usual favourites, the ones I look forward to every year: the harmonious husband (cello) and wife (piano) duo, Daniel Veis and Helena Veisova; the sublime performers of the elegant Martinu string quartet; the masterful Simon Schembri on the classical guitar; the effortless pianists “a quattro mani”, Natascha Chircop and Marco Rivoltini; the wonderfully versatile and passionate accordion player Djordje Gajic; the accomplished and highly entertaining Belgian cellist Luc Tooten; and Italian pianist Gabriele Vianello, whose rendition of Scriabin’s nocturne for left hand, which he performed as an encore at last year’s festival, is still vivid in my memory.
In addition to these artists and ensembles, this year we saw several new names on the programme; wonderful artists of international repute who are used to perform in the big concert halls of the world. Indeed, there were instances during their performance when I got the feeling that the intimate setting of our Gozo venues - this close proximity of performers and audience - seemed to have a somewhat unsettling influence on them. I caught the occasional raised eyebrow over a particularly “unsuppressed” cough or vigorously moving (hand-held) fan. I do hope though that the rapturous applause these performers received by a very appreciative audience will compel them to come back for future editions of the festival.
I have German friends who plan their annual Gozo holiday around the festival dates. I often wonder why this doesn't happen more; this is a festival that should be on the calendar of every classical music lover in Europe and beyond. People should really flock to Gozo for it. But then I become protective and yes, almost selfish, and I tell myself that the festival should stay as it has been for years, exquisite, of high quality, and for a limited audience. Probably that is what makes it so utterly charming and enjoyable.
If you want to relive the concerts in prose, please click here for wonderful reviews of this year’s performances.
Every year the festival also includes an art exhibition, held at Il-Hagar museum. This year it was an exhibition of spectacular aerial photography by Gozitan photographer Daniel Cilia.
If you would like to keep yourself informed about next year’s edition check out the website or like the VIAF Facebook page where you can also find many more photos of the festival.
The following photos were taken during last year’s as well as this year’s festival. As always, do click on it to get a bigger view and to read the captions.
