THE MALTA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CLOSES ITS 2025-26 SEASON WITH TWO SUMMER CONCERTS THAT SEE THE ORCHESTRA MOVE FROM A MONUMENTAL SYMPHONY TO A VIVID SPANISH SOUND WORLD
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) will bring its busy 2025-26 concert season to a close with two major summer performances devoted to the music of Anton Bruckner and Manuel de Falla. Though separated by geography, temperament and musical language, the composers are towering figures in European music history. Bruckner represents one of the culminating voices of the Austro-German symphonic tradition, while de Falla forged a vivid and unmistakable style in which classical forms meet the colour, rhythm and atmosphere of Spain. Together, these concerts promise a rewarding contrast.
Following acclaimed Bruckner performances in previous seasons, the MPO now continues its exploration of the Austrian master’s symphonic output with one of his final and greatest achievements. On July 18, the orchestra and its principal guest conductor, Sergey Smbatyan, will present Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 in C minor, a work that stands among the most imposing statements of the late Romantic era.
Composed between 1884 and 1887, and substantially revised in the years that followed, the Eighth Symphony was the last symphony Bruckner completed in full. His Ninth remained unfinished at the time of his death in 1896. The work occupies a special place in the composer’s output, both for its scale and for the extraordinary refinement of its musical thought. Lasting about 80 minutes in performance, it is a vast four-movement structure.
At the emotional centre of the symphony lies the Adagio, widely regarded as one of Bruckner’s supreme inspirations.
Here, long-breathed string melodies unfold with luminous serenity, gradually rising toward moments of overwhelming intensity. The brass writing in particular lends the movement a noble and solemn glow. The finale gathers many of the symphony’s earlier ideas in a vast synthesis, culminating in a triumphant peroration of immense grandeur.
Although Bruckner’s music is revered internationally, it remains comparatively unfamiliar to many Maltese concertgoers. This performance therefore offers a rare opportunity to encounter one of the monuments of the symphonic repertoire. Few works demand such concentration from performers and listeners alike, yet few reward it so richly. In the hands of the MPO, this promises to be an exceptional event.
Just one week later, on July 25, the orchestra returns with a programme of entirely different atmosphere and colour: An Evening with de Falla, dedicated to one of Spain’s most celebrated 20th-century composers. If Bruckner speaks in granite blocks and soaring arches, de Falla paints in light, fragrance and movement. His music infuses classical forms with the rhythms, modes and gestures of Andalusian folk tradition.
Authentic interpretative insight will be assured with distinguished Spanish conductor Pablo González on the podium. The orchestra will also be joined by renowned Italian pianist Roberto Cominati, whose appearance is certain to be one of the highlights of the evening. Together, they will perform de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain, one of the composer’s best-loved scores.
Written between 1909 and 1915, this three-part work occupies a unique position between concerto and symphonic poem. De Falla described it not as a virtuoso concerto in the conventional sense, but as “symphonic impressions” for piano and orchestra. Rather than dominating the ensemble, the solo piano is woven into the orchestral texture.
Each movement evokes a different nocturnal garden setting. En el Generalife conjures the moonlit terraces and fountains of the gardens beside Granada’s Alhambra Palace. Danza lejana (“A Distant Dance”) suggests music heard from afar, shimmering through the night air, while En los jardines de la Sierra de Córdoba brings a more animated and festive close.
Throughout the score, de Falla blends impressionistic harmonies reminiscent of Debussy and Ravel with the modal turns, guitar-like figuration and subtle Moorish inflections characteristic of southern Spain. The result is music of extraordinary sensuality and atmosphere.
Framing this central masterpiece are further examples of de Falla’s brilliance. The concert includes the Interlude and Dance from the opera La Vida Breve, a score whose emotional immediacy and flamenco energy first established the composer’s reputation. Also featured are two suites from the ballet The Three-Cornered Hat, originally commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes and premiered in London in 1919 with designs by Pablo Picasso.
Taken together, these closing concerts encapsulate the remarkable range of the orchestral tradition, juxtaposing Bruckner’s monumental spiritual landscapes with de Falla’s radiant Mediterranean imagination. They also demonstrate the MPO’s continuing versatility and its commitment to bringing major repertoire to local audiences.
As the season draws to a close, these two evenings offer journeys into contrasting musical worlds: one vast and transcendent, the other vivid and intoxicating. They provide a memorable finale to another important season for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
