Reinvention Of Ancient Instruments: Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Presents Instrument Of Innovation

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will present a concert entitled Instruments of Innovation. The concert will showcase two instruments with ancient histories, the harpsichord, and the trumpet.

The Instrument of Innovation will present a selection of music composed for innovative instruments such as the harpsichord, trumpet, and even a typewriter according to Malta Orchestra. On Mar. 25 at 7:30 pm, the Instrument of Innovation will be performed at Robert Samut Hall, Floriana.

The conductor of the concert will be Michael Laus, the one who will play the trumpet is Stephen Murphy and the typewriter is Daniel Cauchi. The only use of a trumpet in the past was for signaling purposes and was able to be used as musical instruments in the late Middle Ages, according to Independent.

And because of the incorporation into music, the players were able to understand the limitations of the natural trumpets but it took more centuries for that to happen. In the late 18th century, through the experimentations of the renowned Viennese trumpeter Anton Weidinger, a breakthrough arrived in which the keyed trumpet was conceived in 1792.

Weidinger's friend, composer Joseph Haydn, composed a work to showcase the new instrument's capabilities. The Trumpet Concerto proved to be a groundbreaking work and it is one of the pieces that will be played during the concert.

The harpsichord appeared in the late Middle Ages and is a staple in Renaissance and Baroque music but with the appearance of the ancestor of the modern piano the harpsichord began to fade. The instrument began to appear in the 20th century when composers started to experiment and the variety of sounds available increased. The Harpsichord Concerto composed in 2002 by American composer Philip Glass, whose work highlights the harpsichord prowess that can even fit in the contemporary music.

TagsMalta Philharmonic Orchestra, Instruments of Innovation, Michael Laus, Stephen Murphy, Daniel Cauchi, Robert Samut Hall Floriana, Anton Weidinger