Chamber music from Malta: introduction and survey

Caruana, Roberta Anne (2018). Chamber music from Malta: introduction and survey. University of Birmingham. M.A.

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Abstract

The study presents a historical account of chamber music in Malta and gives an insight into the styles, forms and compositional techniques used in chamber works by two generations of twentieth and twenty-first century Maltese composers. Different historical phases, such as when Malta was striving for independence and politicians and intellectuals became aware of the need to build a national identity, have overlapped, and not necessarily coincided, with the struggle of Maltese composers to release themselves from a colonial mentality, and find more freedom in the intimate field of chamber music. No direct parallel can be drawn between social and historical developments, on the one hand, and mutations in musical style, on the other. Some contemporary Maltese compositions contain nationalistic elements, while others suppress these tendencies. Based on written documentation and available scores, the first chapter of this study presents the historical context in which local composers turned their attention to chamber music. The subsequent chapters then provide analytical descriptions of selected chamber works that represent divergent musical ideologies and adopt different compositional approaches. This survey of works by Charles Camilleri, Pawlu Grech, Joseph Vella, Véronique Vella and Mariella Cassar Cordina indicates how Maltese composers combine twentieth-century trends in composition with their personal musical languages.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.A.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.A.

Supervisor(s):