Underground Valletta: In Concert | Glass Harmonica - Thomas Bloch - Performance 1
Malta International Arts Festival 2024
This concert takes place inside one of the 16th century underground water cisterns of Valletta. World renowned performer Thomas Bloch presents a exclusive recital on his glass harmonica – a unique musical instrument, invented in 1761, that uses a series of glass bowls or goblets to produce musical tones by means of friction. This is the first time that the glass harmonica is presented in Malta. The Malta International Arts Festival invites the audience to this unique concert, enhanced by the evocative setting of the underground site.
Programme
Johann Abraham Peter Schulz
Largo
glass harmonica solo
Michel Redolfi
Diving Machine
for glass harmonica and audio backtrack
J.J.S. von Holt Sombach
1ère Suite
glass harmonica solo
Thomas Bloch
Christ Hall
for glass harmonica and audio backtrack
Biography
Thomas Bloch
A prominent soloist specialising in rare instruments, including the ondes Martenot, the glass harmonica and the cristal Baschet. He appears on 150 recordings and has performed over 3000 times in 40 countries. Bloch performed the glass harmonica part for Donizetti's “Lucia di Lammermoor” at the La Scala opera house in Milan, which also marks the first time that the instrument was used in the opera, as originally intended by Donizetti. Among other events, he has played as a soloist for the Warsaw Philharmonic centenary, for the opening of Hamburg ElbPhilharmonie. Bloch is the first musician who played “Vexations” by Erik Satie alone, a performance which lasted 24 hours. Bloch has collaborated with international artists from a variety of genres, including Radiohead, John Cage, Gorillaz, Tom Waits, Michael Douglas, Daft Punk, Valery Gergiev, Pierre Boulez, Olivier Messiaen, Pascal Dusapin, Sylvano Bussotti, Myung-Whun Chung, Kent Nagano, Christoph Eschenbach, Paul Sacher, Fred Frith, Marion Cotillard, Jane Birkin and Vanessa Paradis, amongst others. He has also recorded on numerous film scores: Amadeus, Blade Runner 2049, The March of Penguins, Prisoners and Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water and Pinocchio amongst others. Bloch's personal albums are published by Naxos.
Website: www.thomasbloch.net
In collaboration with the Heritage Malta
19 June 2024
Location
Underground Valletta (Entrance from Great Siege Square, in front of Courts of Justice building)
Time
7pm, 8pm & 9pm
Interval
NA
Duration
30min
Price
General Admission - €15
Audience Level
Minimum Age: 12 years
Other Dates
20 June at 7pm, 8pm & 9pm
Terms & Conditions
When visiting Underground Valletta, visitors must read and adhere to these specific Underground Valletta terms and conditions.
For your general information please note that:
Seating is on cushions on the floor.
Humidity levels are very high and therefore, some areas are slippery. For your safety, please wear closed, comfortable shoes and hold onto the handrails at all times. Visitors wearing high heels, sandals or flip flops will not be admitted.
Although handrails are in place, we regret that the site remains inaccessible to wheelchairs and persons needing walking aids.
Underground Valletta is a dark subterranean location. By buying a ticket you are warranting that you are in good health and are not subject to panic attacks or loss of balance due to claustrophobia or similar conditions which could put yourself or other visitors at risk of injury.
For their own safety children under 12 years of age cannot be admitted to Underground Valletta.
Failure to arrive on time may result in refusal of entry, and tickets are not refundable and cannot be exchanged.
All prices are inclusive of VAT.
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