performance – Mark Bartolo

31/03/202231/03/2022

Back on Track!

More than a year has passed since I’ve written my last post. Concerts started slowly happening again and I’ve been part of a few since last December.

In a Christmas Concert together with the Monteverdi Project, I sang Agnus Dei together with Stanley Portelli and Lisa Baldacchino , a trio by Luigi Battiferri. This was held at the Church of the Jesuits in Valletta.

The Monteverdi Project Christmas Concert (photo by Albert George Storace) [2021]

In January it was time for the Valletta Baroque Festival. In this festival I sang in Handel’s Messiah together with KorMalta at the prestigious St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta under the direction of Mro. Christian Curnyn.

Handel’s Messiah (photo by Valletta Baroque Festival) [2022]

A week later, in the same festival, I performed a Vincenzo Tozzi madrigal with an ensemble from the Monteverdi Project in a concert titled The Rediscovered Madrigals of the Mdina Archives. In the latter a number of pieces from the Mdina Cathedral archives where performed for the first time in a modern setting.

13/03/202127/03/2022

A Breath of Fresh Air!

It’s been nearly a year since I’ve written my last post. The arts were hit big time! I consider myself lucky and grateful to have been able to do a couple of performances during these last few months…

Last October, after a long seven-month hiatus, together with KorMalta I’ve sung in United We Stand: from the Renaissance to today, a concert at the Greek open-air theatre at MCAST, Mosta.

In January I was part of another concert with KorMalta, Baroque Female Composers, this time as part of the Valletta Baroque Festival, in which VIBE were the musical ensemble. We performed Salmi Concertati a 4 Voci, a piece by the female composer Isabella Leonarda written in 1698.

20/04/202024/01/2021

When is the next performance?

This year started out quite busy with two performances in January; Durante’s Requiem with The Monteverdi Project and Biber’s Requiem with KorMalta.

In March I was then part of the chorus in Rossini’s Requiem, directed by Vivien Hewitt. This was held at the Manoel Theatre and came out to be the last performance just before a number of health restrictions came into place due to COVID-19.

When is the next performance? Who knows … in the mean time, here is clip from last December’s concert, A Night of Madrigal & Early Baroque Music with The Monteverdi Project.

19/04/201812/05/2019

Don Giovanni

In the first week of March I was part of the chorus for the opera Don Giovanni, with music by Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. This is the second of a trilogy written by the latter two. Like last year, the opera was directed by Jack Furness, with Mro. Philip Walsh conducting the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Don Giovanni was held over four nights at the prestigious Manoel Theatre in Valletta. This was my fifth opera, with the last one being Patience, in which I interpreted the role of Major Murgatroyd.

01/01/201801/10/2019

The Year 2017

Another year has wrapped up … a busy year indeed! It all started with Le Nozze Di Figaro in March across four nights. I then sang in Beethoven’s 9th symphony together with the MPO chorus and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in May. A busy summer with rehearsals for Patience led to two performances of this operetta at the end of summer. In this production I interpreted the role of Major Murgatroyd.

In August I joined The Monteverdi Project, tutored by Mro. Marco Mencoboni, that led to A Christmas Concert with VIBE in December. In September I then sang together with Animae Gospel Choir in Cliff Zammit Stevens Annual Summer Concert ’17. Throughout the year I also sang in various celebrations with St. John’s Co-Cathedral resident choir, Coro Cathedralis.