Teatru Manoel officially starts its 2014-2015 season with a concert by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra on Friday 3rd October. The concert, a joint production between the Manoel and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, will be conducted by Brian Schembri and will feature the renowned violinist Charlie Siem.
Charlie Siem is one of the brightest young classical stars. He has given concerts in Asia, Europe, Scandinavia and North America and appeared with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Charlie Siem is playing the 1735 Guarneri del Gesù violin, known as the d’Egville.
Brian Schembri is the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. He was the youngest musician ever to obtain the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (London) and later graduated in piano and conducting at the Kiev and Moscow “Tchaikowsky” Conservatories.
The programme opens with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture op.84. Beethoven wrote incidental music to Goethe’s play, Egmont, which struck a strong chord with the composer. Goethe declared that Beethoven’s music had “…expressed his intentions with remarkable genius”.
The second work in the programme is Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor, Op. 26. This is definitely his most popular work and remains solidly entrenched in the international concert and recording repertoire.
Violinist Charlie Siem then performs Saint-Saëns’s Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor op. 28 which has remained one of the most popular works in the violin repertoire. Saint-Saëns wrote this work for Pablo de Sarasate which was premiered by Sarasate in Paris on 4 April 1867.
The final piece to be performed is Beethoven’s Symphony no. 8 in F Major Op. 93. This was composed in 1812, close on the heels of the Seventh which he had just finished. The composer managed to write it in four months and it was premiered in Vienna in 1814. Although rather coolly received at the time, Tchaikovsky declared this work’s last movement as one of Beethoven’s symphonic masterpieces.
The concert on Friday 3rd October starts at 8pm. There are discounted seats for students and kartanzjan and a pre-concert talk at 7.15pm free for ticket holders.
To book go to: www.teatrumanoel.com.mt, bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or telephone 2124 6389.
