https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/16862 2026-09-11T16:52:35Z 2026-09-11T16:52:35Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149025 2026-09-10T11:21:43Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Funding hybrid knowledge : early music studies between EU cultural and scientific policy Abstract: Early Music makes fundamental contributions to society and cultural identity, from mass media to tourist sites, from annual festivals to national heritage projects. Yet Early Music research often has difficulty conforming to institutional and policybased categories and definitions at a European level, typically being divided between two major policy domains: science & research, represented by Horizon Europe; and arts & culture, likewise represented by Creative Europe. This article investigates the extent to which Early Music researchers have engaged with European funds in the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021–2027 and assesses the challenges and opportunities facing the field in terms of its situation within a broader policy landscape. The article proceeds in three stages. First, it maps the principal European funding frameworks relevant to Early Music research and assesses the extent to which the field has engaged with these opportunities under the current MFF. Second, it cites data collected from survey responses, stakeholder interviews, correspondence and institutional perspectives in order to identify recurring experiences, structural barriers and strategic adaptations within the current policy and funding frameworks. Finally, it discusses the larger implications of these findings for cultural policy, interdisciplinarity and the future positioning of Early Music within European policy.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Coleman, Jeremy https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149017 2026-09-10T10:37:53Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: [Book review] Wagner in context. Ed. by David Trippett Authors: Coleman, Jeremy Abstract: The volume under review is a welcome addition to the Composers in Context series by Cambridge University Press. It also poses a peculiar challenge to the series. As the editor David Trippett ponders in the Introduction, Richard Wagner might himself be ‘the context against which all others can be defined’ (p. 1). Quite simply, there are very few with the same breadth of influence in the nineteenth century and beyond, or who devoted themselves to such a range of artistic, intellectual, and political topics. Trippett is sensitive to the methodological limits of contextual studies as applied to Wagner, as well as to the potentially infinite scope of the undertaking, but happily steers clear of the self-deprecating apologies for adding to a (supposedly) vast body of Wagner scholarship that used to be de rigueur in new books about him.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Vella, Veronique https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147943 2026-07-09T10:06:05Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: W.A.R. - When angels rest Authors: Vella, Veronique Abstract: This short three-movement work was commissioned by Tricia Dawn Williams in 2023 as part of the ToyPiano+ Project and supported by Arts Council Malta. The piece, originally wri􀀲en for toy piano and music box, is dedicated to all those children suffering at the hands of war.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z Vella, Veronique https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147938 2026-07-09T09:13:55Z 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Three short piano pieces Authors: Vella, Veronique Abstract: Veronique Vella's Three Short Piano Pieces for solo piano—comprising Bizzilla, Il-Mudell, and Filigree—was commissioned in 2022 as part of the centenary celebrations of Palazzo de la Salle (now known as the Malta Society of Arts). The work was premiered by the acclaimed pianist Charlene Farrugia. The titles of the opening and closing pieces, Bizzilla and Filigree, pay homage to two traditional Maltese crafts that have long been taught at the Malta Society of Arts—lace-making and filigree jewelry, respectively. The intricate and delicate piano writing in these pieces captures the essence of these crafts, and music critic Cecilia Xuereb has aptly described them as having a "gossamer quality." This refers to the finely woven, transparent texture of the music, which mirrors the delicate nature of lace and filigree work. In contrast, the middle movement, Il-Mudell, is more forceful and awkward in nature, embodying the essence of live drawing—a skill also taught at the Society. The piece's title references this art form, and its more brusque, angular character provides a stark contrast to the ethereal qualities of the surrounding movements. Vella's composition reflects a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of both sound and cultural heritage, using the piano to evoke the textures and emotions associated with these traditional Maltese trades. Through Three Short Piano Pieces, Vella offers a compelling dialogue between contemporary music and the rich cultural legacy of Malta.

2023-01-01T00:00:00Z