I Musici (c. 1595) by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610)

This unique concert presents a recital of the madrigals depicted by the Baroque painter Caravaggio in four of his works. In the painting Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Joseph holds a music score for an angel playing a viol. The score is from a motet by Noël Bauldewijn, titled Quam pulchra es based on the Song of Songs. In The Lute Player, the music score prominently features the text from a  madrigal by Jacques Arcadelt, Chi potrá dir quanta dolcezza provo. In Caravaggio's The Musicians, the music score is central to the scene, though it is now largely illegible due to damage it has been identified as the madrigal Ben può di sua ruina composed by Pompeo Stabile. The source for the score depicted by Caravaggio in the painting Amor Vincit Omnia is uncertain. For this concert the madrigal Di baciar que’ begl’occhi by has been selected Gaspare Murtola who had dedicated his poems to Caravaggio, on the theme of conquering love. The programme includes other madrigals from the Baroque period, masterfully interpreted by Malta’s national choir KorMalta and lutenist Renato Cadel under the direction of Riccardo Bianchi.

Programme

Rest on the Flight in Egypt

Giovanni Animuccia (1514-1571) O Vergine Reina   

Noel Bauldewijn (c.1480-1529) Quam pulchra es

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) Pulchra es amica mea

The Lute Player

Luca Marenzio (1553-1599) Mentre avrà stelle il ciel

Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger (1580-1651) Toccata

Jacques Arcadelt (c.1505-1568) Chi potrá dir quanta dolcezza provo

The Musicians

Luca Marenzio Chiudete o Muse

Pompeo Stabile (c1560) Ben può di sua ruina

Jacques Arcadelt O felici occhi miei

Amor Vincit Omnia

Luca Marenzio Al primo vostro sguardo

Pietro Paolo Raimondo (d.1647) Vestiva i colli (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina)

Stefano Bernardi – Gaspare Murtola (published 1616) Di baciar que’ begl’occhi

Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi (c.1554-1609) Amor Vincitore

Credits

choir director - Riccardo Bianchi

lutenist - Rentato Cadel

choir - KorMalta

narrator - Stephen Oliver choristers - Alexandra Camilleri Gambin, Bianca Simone, Peter Wagstaff, Jester Rosales, Albert Buttigieg

Biographies

Riccardo Bianchi

Riccardo Bianchi, originally from Varese, Italy, is the Artistic Director and Chorus Master of KorMalta. He also serves as the Musical Director of the Orchestra Sacro Monte di Varese. Bianchi has received several prestigious awards, including two Special Commendations at the London 2015 Conducting Competition and the “Diploma di Merito” in choir conducting and polyphony, awarded by Roberto Gabbiani at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana di Siena (2015/2016).

He has conducted numerous renowned orchestras, including the London Classical Soloists, the “Arturo Toscanini” Orchestra of Parma, “I Pomeriggi Musicali” of Milan, the “Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana,” the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and Malta Youth Orchestra, the FVG Orchestra, the Mihail Jora State Symphony Orchestra, the State Hermitage Orchestra of Saint Petersburg, and the Orchestra Sinfonica Menotti, among others.

As a choral conductor, he has collaborated with several distinguished Italian choirs, including the "Ottetto Chigiano," the Chorus of the Opera of Parma, and the Opera Lombardia Choir. He has also worked with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and collaborated with the Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia Choir in Rome for the 2024 co-production of Verdi's Requiem with KorMalta – Malta National Choir. Among other ensembles, he has conducted the Coro da Camera di Varese and the Coro da Camera di Torino.

Bianchi has also collaborated with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Maestro Daniele Gatti as Conductor in Residence for the RCO Meets Europe 2018 project. His operatic debut was in 2018, conducting Puccini’s Suor Angelica during the Varese Estense Festival. This was followed in 2019 by Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Teatro di Varese and Teatro Sociale di Stradella, Pavia. In 2023, he conducted the world premiere of the opera Il 3001 by Voris Sarris, based on an original libretto by Luigi Illica, as well as Puccini's Tosca at Teatro Lirico di Milano and Madama Butterfly in Mantova and Rho Opera Theatre.

He has served as assistant conductor at several prestigious opera houses, including the Oslo Opera Theatre, Monte Carlo Opera Theatre, Brno Opera Theatre, Parma Opera Theatre, Pavia Opera Theatre, and Brussels Opera Theatre.

Riccardo Bianchi graduated in orchestral conducting from the Conservatorio G. Tartini in Trieste and later obtained a post-master's degree in orchestral conducting from the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana. In 2011, he earned a degree in choral conducting from the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Torino, further specializing with a Master of Advanced Studies in Renaissance Polyphony Performance from the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana. Additionally, he graduated with honors in philosophy. However, his most cherished achievements remain the friendships that proudly connect him to all his mentors.

Renato Cadel

Renato Cadel is an Italian baritone, lutenist and gregorianist. He pursued his musical education at the Conservatories of Pavia and Lugano, while also earning a cum laude degree in Philosophy. Cadel has collaborated with numerous esteemed early music ensembles, including Accademia Bizantina, Accademia d’Arcadia, Coro e Orchestra Ghislieri, Cremona Antiqua, Erato Choir, La Fonte Musica, La Venexiana, and Quartetto di Liuti da Milano. He is the founder and conductor of the Schola Gregoriana Ghislieri. As an interpreter of contemporary music, he has premiered works by composers such as C. Boccadoro, N. Campogrande, F. Hoch, M. Magistrali and F. Perotti. His extensive discography includes recordings for prominent labels like Amadeus, Arcana-Outhere, Brilliant Classics, ClassicVoice, Concerto Classics, Glossa, Naïve, Sony, and Tactus. Additionally, Cadel engages in educational and outreach activities, partnering with institutions such as the Certosa Museum of Pavia, the Conservatory of Milan, RAI Radio 3, and Radio Television Española.

KorMalta

KorMalta is Malta’s national choir, operating within NAPA – National Agency for Performing Arts. It is currently composed of 56 choristers and led by Artistic and Musical Director Riccardo Bianchi. Within the choir, the KorMalta Ensemble functions as a professional octet, while the choir’s voice leaders are Marouska Attard, Albert Buttigieg, Alexandra Camilleri Gambin, and Bianca Simone.

Since its inception in 2018, KorMalta has consistently strived for a professional level of choral singing, demonstrating remarkable versatility across an extensive repertoire. Its performances range from early polyphony to Baroque masterpieces, operatic and symphonic productions, as well as contemporary and lighter music genres.

The choir maintains standing engagements at prestigious festivals such as the Valletta International Baroque Festival, the Malta Spring Festival, and the Malta International Arts Festival, alongside a continuous collaboration with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, KorMalta plays a key role in the operatic productions of the Manoel Theatre, further strengthening its presence in Malta’s cultural landscape.

KorMalta has also been invited to perform at esteemed international festivals or Theatres abroad, such as the Illica Festival and Teatro Lirico di Milano and has collaborated with visual artists, actors, and dancers, creating an eclectic mix of innovative performances.

In collaboration with KorMalta