Launch of 2 CDs – Mdina and Fantasia

Launch of 2 CDs – Mdina and Fantasia
3rd May 2019 MPO Marketing

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, has launched two CDs – MdinaMusic for Horn and Fantasia.

Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici was present for the launch and said that, “through such initiatives we are making sure that music is more accessible for our communities. Our aim as a Government is to ensure that culture and the arts are more available to our public, and therefore projects of this kind help to propagate our culture strategy more.”

Recorded in Suffolk by Divine Art Ltd, Mdina features MPO’s principal horn Etienne Cutajar together with Maltese violinist Carmine Laure and pianist John Reid. The works include Beethoven’s Horn Sonata and Brahms’ Horn Trio together with Mdina, by Australia-based Maltese composer Jesmond Grixti. Contemporary pieces by Holliger and Widmann present numerous innovative techniques including blowing and singing into the instrument simultaneously.

Fantasia is a compact disc by the Argotti Ensemble, a group of four musicians having close ties with Malta – Philip Walsh (piano), José García Gutiérrez (horn), Nemanja Ljubinkovic and Maria Conrad (violin). Recorded in Cardiff at Acapela Studios, the compositions include two purposely commissioned for this chamber group, Alex Vella Gregory’s Sonata Sopra Agnus Dei and Joseph Vella’s Fantasia for Two Violins, Horn and Piano. The latter turned out to be the composer’s last complete work in his long and prolific career.

Source: 2nd May, 2019 –  Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government

Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici attends the launch of 2 CDs by the Malta Philharmonic OrchestraMPO Offices, 4th floor at the Catholic Institute, Floriana