TRANSCRIPTIONS & RENDITIONS

In this age of press-button express service, we can search, find and listen to any piece of music in a matter of seconds. Can we even begin to imagine what it was like to discover new music in the 19th century? How would one, for example, get to know a full scale work like a symphony by Beethoven? or an opera premiered recently in La Scala in Milan, in La Fenice in Venice, or in any other theatre across Europe? No radios, no televisions, no internet, no recordings to listen to.

Composers were quick to find an answer - they wrote 'transcriptions' of these large orchestral works for just one instrument. Sometimes the original major works were their own, other times they were by other composers. Most were written for the pianoforte because that was the most popular instrument of the 19th century, but they were also written for other instruments and for voice. To these we must also add piano duets that were very popular. 

The Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt (1811-1886) is famous for his pianoforte transcriptions of Beethoven's 9 Symphonies, Paganini's violin works, and Schubert's songs. In the 21st century you can easily search and find these on You tube right now! Liszt transcriptions were difficult works not within every pianist's capabilities. Other composers wrote easier renditions of the same works in order to reach a wider market. And so it was with other large works - especially orchestral or operatic works - there were transcriptions of varying difficulty and by different composers in order to reach most pianists.  

Music Publishers immediately saw an advantage to this - Single arias or a particularly catchy melody from an opera, were published separately and sold inexpensively in a few pages of sheet music. Some composers chose to write variations on the themes. 

Simplified single arias from operas sold for 2d at Giovanni Le Brun's music outlet at 82 Strada Teatro, Valletta. ABC, P.1-9

In Malta in the 1840s, the music shop of Giovanni Le Brun in Strada Teatro (Old Theatre Street) was selling several of these simplified renditions of operatic works, mostly published in Naples. Pianists loved them because they could quietly get to know the arias in the privacy of their own home before attending the Opera. These pieces also became part of the repertoire played in salons of the time.  The Maltese composer Dr Paolo Nani (1814-1904), known best of all for his sacred music, also rode the wave of popularity of operatic music and wrote his own renditions of operatic arias for piano. 

   Early 19th century renditions of Verdi's Rigoletto through which pianists got to know the opera arias.   

IT-TRADIZZJONIJIET TAGHNA

Aħna m'aħna xejn kburin bit-tradizzjonijiet tagħna! U mhux qed ngħid għall-festi. Qatt ma ppruvajna nsalvaw dak li kellna imma tlaqna kollox u ħallejnieh jispiċċa u jtir mar-riħ. 

Nista' nsemmi ħafna affarijiet li nixtieq li l-Maltin ta' qabilna għamlu xi ftit sforz biex isalvawhom - il-ħafna żfin li kellna per eżempju - x'sar minnu? Kien hemm ħafna żifniet differenti ta' kull okkazjoni. Iż-żifniet tal-Karnival, il-Birgu kellu żifniet partikolari tiegħu, il-kuntradanza jew il-Maltija li kienu jsejjħulha żifna 'nazzjonali'...  Kollox telaq. F'liema pajjiż ma tarax it-tfal jitgħallmu u jiżfnu ż-żfin tradizzjonali tagħhom? Jew jilbsu l-ilbies tradizzjonali tal-post? ikantaw /jgħannu l-għanjiet ta' pajjiżjhom?  Jew idoqqu l-istrumenti tradizzjonali tal-pajjiż? U kburin bihom! KBURIN! Aħna le. 

Kif taħsbu li nistgħu ikollna identita Maltija? Identita TAGHNA? U ma nkunux l-istess bħal kulħadd,  b'xejn differenti, xejn speċjali, xejn uniku, xejn interessanti li jiġbed lin-nies. Ma nintgħarrfux bħala Maltin. Qisna biċċa Cikku l-poplu ta' pajjiżi oħra. Għiduli kif jista' jkollna identita 'Maltija'?? 

Għandna marda li neqirdu t-tajjeb tagħna mingħajr ma nqisuh. Biżżejjed tara x'qed nagħmlu fl-irħula tagħna,.... neqirdu l-bini sabih u uniku u l-pajsaġġ ta' madwarna, u nibnu dak il-kruha li tista' ssibu f'kwalunkwe post u ħadd ma jħares lejh darbtejn. Kemm nistgħu inkunu boloħ! U l-istess fit-tradizzjonijiet sbieh tagħna.  U, iva, il-barranin jaraw u japprezzaw ħafna iżjed minna! 

Naqta' qalbi minn dal-pajjiż!

L-INNU MALTI - wara 100 sena

 Din is-sena 2022 l-Innu Malti jagħlaq mitt sena mindu meta tkanta l-ewwel darba fit-Teatru Manoel fis- 27 ta' Diċembru 1922. L-Innu huwa poeżija ta' dun Karm Psaila u motiv semplici tal-Prof. Robert Samut. 

Dun Karm jgħid li d-direttur tal-iskejjel tal-Gvern, Dr Albert Laferla, kien talbu jikteb żewġ versi fuq il-motiv ta' Samut biex jitkantaw mit-tfal tal-iskejjel tal-Gvern. (Ara Il-Berqa 16 ta' Marzu 1944; Toni Cortis 'Encore għall-Innu Malti' In-Nazzjon Tagħna 1 Gunju 1993; u Oliver Friggieri, L-istorja tal-Innu Malti, Klabb Kotba Maltin, 2014). Dan jidher li kien l-ewwel skop tal-poeżija reliġjuża. Interessanti li mill-Arkivji tal-Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti, jidher li Dun Karm ma kellu l-ebda ħsieb li dan ikun Innu Nazzjonali, iżda xtaqu jintuża  bħala Innu tal-Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti li twaqqfet fl-1920. (Ara David Agius Muscat, 'Ir-Rabta tal-Għaqda Tal-Kittieba tal-Malti mal-Innu Nazzjonali', Studji Dun Karmjani, ed. Carmel Azzoppardi, Klabb Kotba Maltin, 2011). 

L-Innu kien reġa' tkanta t-tieni darba fit-Teatru Manoel għal-'Kuncert Malti' tal-Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti fit-3 ta' Frar1923. Din id-darba nafu li kantawh il-bniet tal-iskola tal-Gvern, li jidher li kien l-iskop oriġinali tiegħu. Fl-istess serata daqqewh ukoll is-Societa Mandolinistica Melita tal-Birgu. F'din id-data memorabbli tat-3 ta' Frar 1923 diġa nsibuh imniżżel bħala 'Innu Malti'.

Programm tal-Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti tat-3 ta' Frar 1923. Għal dan nirringrazzja lill-Arkivji Nazzjonali, Rabat. 

Nixtieq naqsam magħkom xi verżjonijiet li għandi tal-Innu Malti. 

1. L-ewwel waħda kienet ippublikata minn Ivo Muscat Azzopardi x'aktarx fl-40ijiet. Dun Karm kien stqarr li ma xtaqx li l-Innu jinqaleb bl-ebda lingwa iżda hawnhekk insibu l-versi maqlubin għall-Ingliż minn May Butcher. Din il-melodija hija miktuba fit-ton tal-LA (A Major) u armonizzata b'akkumpanjament li kien żied Mro Paolo Nani, iżda ma tidher l-ebda referenza għalih. 

1.

2. Maestro Paolo Nani kien żied l-akkumpanjament fl-1938 u għamel orkestrazzjoni sħiħa li izjed tard bdiet tindaqq fil-festi uffiċjali u anki fuq it-televiżjoni. F'din it-tieni verzjoni (hawn taħt) jissemma li l-Innu kien ġie rekonoxxut bħala 'Innu Malti' fit-22 ta' Frar 1941. Il-mużika nsibuha miktuba fit-ton tal-LA (A Major) bl-istess akkumpanjament bħal dik ta' fuq. Din il-verżjoni tidher li riedet tagħmel ċar is-sehem ta' Maestro Paolo Nani li ma kienx jissemma' fl-oħra (1), iżda tgħidilna wkoll kull min ta sehem u eżatt x'għamel. Fuq il-lemin ta' fuq jidhru n-noti ta' Sammut fit-ton tas-SOL (G Major).
                                             Din ingħatatli mis-Sur Mario Nani.

 

   2.

3. 'Hymn of Malta' miktuba bl-idejn kienet ma gozz mużika stampata u x'aktarx li ġiet minn studenta tal-iskola tal-kunvent tas-Sacred Heart, probabbli mill-40ijiet. Interessanti li l-versi jidhru bl-ingliż biss bil-kliem ta' May Butcher u l-mużika hija l-oriġinali li nkitbet minn Samut fit-ton tas-sol. Fl-iskola tas-sorijiet tas-Sacred Heart (San Giljan) dak iż-żmien ma kienx permess li t-tfal jitkellmu bil-Malti. Kienu obbligati li jitkellmu bl-ingliż biss. Din forsi insibuha stramba illum iżda s-sorijiet kienu kollha ingliżi jew irlandiżi. S'issa ma rnexxilix insib kenux ikantaw l-Innu, u jekk hu hekk kenux ikantawh bl-Ingliż jew bil-Malti fl-iskola fl-40ijiet.

3.

     Is-sehem tas-socjeta mandolinistika          -        inkompli  darb'oħra

The Christmas Crib & Bambini

                                       

 Mdina Cathedral, 18th century crib (2021)

What better time than Christmas to share with you some interesting archival information on the Christmas crib in Malta.  It is evident that by the 17th century the custom of annually preparing a crib in churches and in confraternity oratories had gained ground. I didn't look at earlier documents, and unfortuanately I have not  looked at the Franciscan archives yet. But this is worth sharing all the same.

In the Jesuits' church in Valletta, a crib (presepio) was being put up by the sacristan in the 1640s and 1650s for which there was an annual expense of 2 to 3 scudi. No details are given except that foliage (fogliami) was used. The sacristan, who was a Jesuit brother, is also recorded making the statue or figures we now call pasturi, at a cost of another scudo. (ACM, Fondo Gesuiti, Giornale 1638-1646)

This crib would  have been given pride of place and music by several singers and instrumentalists on Christmas eve, Christmas day as well as on the feast of the Cicumcision of Jesus (1st of January) would have enhanced these important celebrations.

Fil-knisja tal-Ġiżwiti, l-Belt is-sagristan kien qed jitħallas għal presepju li bena kważi kull sena bejn 1640 u 1650ijiet. L-istess sagristan tħallas ukoll għall-'istatwi' jew pasturi li għamel. Kull ma nafu hu li fil-presepju intuża xi tip ta ħaxix.

The Confraternity of Our Lady of Charity in Valletta was erecting what they called prospettive di Natale (1657).  These constructions depicting the Nativity were made of wood, cloth, carton, and matt gold paint  (ACC, HMML, 00170, 114V). . The first direct reference to a presepe in their oratory appears in 1686. The confraternity archives give very specific details on the materials purchased for making the crib; turpentine, a pot, and a stone oven (termentina, una pignata, un fucolare). Their crib was also illuminated with oil lamps.  

With this backdrop of cribs and prospettive it became customary over the Christmas period to hold 40 hours of devotion, known as the Quarant'ore, with a number of muiscians providing music for the hours of devotions (ACC, HMML, KKM_00172, 295R).

Fil-fratellanza tal-Madonna tal-karita tal-Belt kienu qed jagħmlu 'prospettive' tal-Milied fl-1657. Dawn kienu magħmulin mill-injam, drapp, kartun, u xi zebgħa tad-deheb.L-ewwel darba li jissemma l-presepju fl-Oratorju tagħhom hu fl-1686 u hawn nafu li xtraw it-terpentina, xi kontenitur u l-fuklar biex jagħmlu l-presepju li fl-aħħar kien mixgħul b'ħames lampi taż-żejt. Fl-Oratorju, waqt il-ġranet tal-Milied kienu jagħmlu l-Quarant'ore (40 sigħa ta' devozzjoni) bil mużika.

The Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta engaged artists and carpenters to create the Christmas atmosphere by erecting  prospettive di Natale as well as a crib. This was  certainly happening in 1659 and possibly earlier.  The crib was clearly a central attraction which was illuminated with cinque lampe d'oglio. This Confraternity also held the Quarant'ore del Santissimo Natale in the oratory, spread out over 3 days. A number of musicians were regularly engaged during these devotions. 

 In 1676 we find that the Confraternity paid the substantial sum of 8 scudi, to their artist Gio Baptista il pintore for costructing their Christmas crib (presepio). This was Giovanni Battista Calloriti (1638-1718) who was part of Mattia Preti's bottega and was at the time also doing other works for the confrternity (ACMC, Accounts book 1667-1689 f.4). 

Il-Fratellanza tal-Madonna tal-Karmnu tal-Belt kienu jqabbdu artisti  biex jagħmlulhom il 'Prospettive' u l-presepju, kif nafu li kien qed jiġri fl-1659, u forsi anki qabel din id-data. Hawnhekk ukoll kienu jagħmlu l-Quarant'ore bil-mużika u jixgħelu l-presepju b'ħames lampi taż-żejt. Fl-1676 kienu qabbdu lil pittur Giovanni Battista Calloriti, mill-bottega ta' Mattia Preti, biex jagħmlilhom il-presepju. 

In Private homes - cribs and bambini 

At the same time, a search through inventories shows that there were families who owned their own cribs and also had wax figures of the child Jesus under glass domes in their homes. 

In an inventory of 1689 we are told that the late Aloysio Marsan had 3 wax bambini with their glass domes (3 bambini di cera con il loro vetro) (NAM, MCC, Inv. Heredit. 1673-1691 f.875v)

In another inventory of the late Baldassare Belfiore (1712) we see that he had un bambino grande as well as 4 bambini piccoli con vetro di Venetia. Belfiore furthermore owned a presepio behind thick glass with pastori di S Giuseppe e la Vergine grandi di rilievo (NAV, Not Jos. Callus, R126 (25), 1712, f.502v)

In 1752, in the inventory of the late Marchese Gio: Pio di Piro we find due piccoli bambini and una cassa di bambini senza vetri. (AdeP, A19)

Fid-djar Maltin, fl-istess perjodu insibu li kien hemm min kellu bambini tax-xemgha kif ukoll presepji.

Fl-1689 Aloysio Marsan kellu 3 bambini tax-xemgħa taħt il-bozza tal-ħġieġ.

Ieħor, Baldassare Belfiore, fl'1712 kellu bambin kbir u 4 bambini zgħar taħt il-ħġieġ (bozza) ta' Venezia. Dan kellu ukoll presepju bil-pasturi kbar ta' San Guzepp u l-Madonna wara/taħt ħġieġ oħxon.

Fl-1752 il- Markiz Gio. Pio Di Piro kellu 4 bambini zgħar u kaxxa bambini mingħajr il-ħġieġ

                                                                                     Bambini. Private Collection

The Queen in Malta - 1954

This is an appropriate time to recall a particular concert in  honour of the Queen on her visit to Malta in 1954.

The Societa' Filarmonica Nazionale La Valette put up a special programme  to welcome Queen Elizabeth II. The concert dated 3rd May 1954, under the baton of Maestro Giuseppe Camilleri, took place in Piazza Regina, Valletta at 7.00pm. On the front cover of the programme is a photo of the young Queen. 

The choice of pieces played is very interesting. After God save the Queen, the first piece was that by Alessandro Vessella (1860-1929), a Rhapsody entitled Britannia. Alessandro Vessella, an Italian born in Campania, was a well respected composer, director and teacher. He taught composition for bands in the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and was author of educational works such as Studi di Strumentazione per Banda. He directed several Bands and travelled with them not only all over Italy, but also to Germany (1894) and England (1903).  

A note in the programme says that Britannia 'was dedcated to H.M. King Edward VII and performed for the first time in England in the Hall of St George, Windsor Castle, in the presence of the Royal Family on the 15th of June 1903, by the Municipal Band of Rome under the baton of the composer'. 

In 1922 Vessella was in Malta organising and directing the La Valette Band between 16 May and 20 June (See Treccani sv Alessandro Vessella). This choice of the Rhapsody Britannia therefore was not only one dedicated to a British monarch but also recalls the presence of Vessella as leader of the La Valette Band. The Band was clearly proud of him as Mro Vincenzo Ciappara, a later bandmaster, also thought fit to write a March in memory of Vessella.

Another noteworthy piece presented on this occasion is that by Maestro Giuseppe Camilleri (1903-1976), who was at the time director of the Banda La Valette.  He composed a piece for the occasion - Invocation dedicted specifically to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. This included a chorus sung by the girls from the Royal Naval School of Tal-Handaq, girls from the Government Seondary school of Valletta, and members of the Hamrun Parish Choir. Guseppe Camilleri was bandmaster of La Valette between 1937 and 1968.

The poem 'Invocation' was written by poet and author George Zammit (1908-1990). Giuseppe Camilleri and George Zammit collaborated in other works, among which a three act opera Monna Bianca (1936) for which George Zammit wrote the libretto in Italian. (see Joseph Vella Bondin, The Great Maltese Composers pp.668-670)

Puccini, Verdi, Wagner.... But notice also the insertion of the 'Papal Hymn' before the 'Innu Malti' - a not so sublte reminder of Malta's catholicism!

CUQLAJTA

From my own collection, this is yet another of the many instruments used in Malta instead of bells during Holy Week. Here we have a ratchet with two cog wheels inside a largish wooden resonating box. When manually turning the external handle the two cogs scrape against each other. This instrument is very likely to have once had another purpose but was later being used in a chapel as a ċuqlajta. 

A smaller ratchet inside a resonating box is to be found in the Naxxar parish. This however, has a faceted cylinder with protruding teeth. It likewise has an external handle that rotates the cylinder. Birkirkara parish also has a similar small boxed ratchet with an external handle.

Since I saw these several years ago, I just hope that the ratchets are still well preserved in the parishes I mention!

 CARMEN - Georges BIZET

Carmen, Bizet's four-act Opera, was based on the novel by Prosper Merimee (1803-1870) with a French libretto by Henri Meilhac (1831-1897) and Ludovic Halevy (1834-1908). It was premiered on 3 March 1875 at the Opera Comique in Paris and first performed in the Real Teatro in Malta on 14 March 1881. 

Bizet scored the main role of his opera for mezzo-soprano. Interestingly it was first performed  in Malta by Ida Cristino who was a soprano. Not surprisingly,  the opera was in Italian translation rather than in French. Apart from this being an Italian cast, few people in the audience would have understood French and all were familiar with the Italian language. 

The two libretti printed in Malta, both undated, probably date from the 1880s. One is in English, the other in Italian. This catered for the British audience, as well as the Maltese who for the most part prided themselves on their Italian culture. 

Maltese synopsis, translations of operas, and even plays based on the subject also began to appear with the production of each opera. The Maltese people of different strata of society thereby also became familiar with opera.

I wish to add a link to a project and publication that traces the performances of Carmen around the world and explores the ways each was adapted to cater for its own audience. Makes interesting reading! 

Carmen Abroad – The when and where of Carmen performances, 1875-1945

Curators: Clair Rowden, Richard Langham Smith.

You can also listen in to a discussion on the subject from the University of Southampton, on the 'Music at Southampton' Facebook page:

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See Alfred G. Miceli, L-Istorja tal-Opra f'Malta (1866-2000), pp.66-67