MONICA ZANETTIN Soprano
JOANNA PULLICINO Mezzo Soprano
COLIN ATTARD Conductor
MALTA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
DENISE MULHOLLAND Director
MATTHEW MUSCAT DRAGO Film Director/Director of Photography
ANDREW BORG WIRTH Set Artist
LUKE AZZOPARDI Costume Designer
In the opening scene of Act 4, Desdemona has a presentiment that her estranged husband, Otello, might soon take her life. Preparing for bed, she asks Emilia, her lady-in-waiting, to lay out her bridal gown and entreats her to bury her in it, should she die first.
Full of grief, she recalls a cantilena which used to be sung by her mother’s servant after she was abandoned by her lover.
Alone, Desdemona kneels and devotionally prays the Ave Maria, which proves to be her final supplication.
Streamed for free on the “Gaulitana: A Festival of Music” facebook page and YouTube channel on four consecutive Wednesdays between July 14 and August at 20.30hrs.
The re-scheduled hybrid 14th edition of “Gaulitana: A Festival of Music”, continues in July and August with the second of its virtual series, ‘VIVA VERDI!’. This audio-visual project, held in lieu of the festival’s usual operatic production, presents operatic scenes from four of the best-loved operas by Giuseppe Verdi.
Sopranos Gillian Zammit and Andriana Yordanova appear in “La Traviata” and “La Forza del Destino” respectively, whereas soprano Nicola Said – Soprano and tenor Luis Aguilar appear in “Rigoletto”. Top Italian soprano Monica Zanettin stars in “Otello” – a role she was due to interpret in the festival’s cancelled operatic production last year.
Following an intensive week of rehearsing and recording with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, under the musical direction of Mro Colin Attard, filming ensued. Rather than conventionally staged in a theatre, the scenes were filmed in various spectacular venues in Gozo, hence giving the project a more cinematic dimension. Denise Mulholland was entrusted with the direction and Matthew Muscat Drago with the filming. Andrew Borg Wirth was in charge of the sets, and Luke Azzopardi of the costumes.
The series will be streamed for free on the “Gaulitana: A Festival of Music” facebook page and YouTube channel on four consecutive Wednesdays between July 14 and August at 20.30hrs and remains available on the festival’s digital platforms.
‘Gaulitana’, an awardee of the European Festivals Association’s EFFE label, is principally supported by the Gozo Cultural Support Programme of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo.
The ‘VIVA VERDI!’ series was made possible through the collaboration of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura – La Valletta, the Malta Tourism Authority, Bank of Valletta, Visit Gozo, the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Heritage Malta, Hotel Ta’ Cenc, and Quaint Boutique Hotels.