Gerald Fenech

Gerald Fenech has been a classical music enthusiast ever since hearing the Classics For Pleasure LP recording of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks with the Virtuosi of England. In July 1995 he was at the First Night of the Proms in London when Mahler’s Eighth Symphony was played under the baton of Andrew Davis. The experience set him writing a review which was sent to The Sunday Times of Malta and he was then commissioned to write a bi-weekly page of CD reviews which continued until 2004 and featured hundreds of CDs from a myriad of labels.

In 1997, Gerald began a career in radio broadcasting which lasted until 2002 where he presented hundreds of programmes dealing with music for the state cultural radio in Malta - now sadly defunct. He also contributed many articles to other local and international publications, and wrote for several websites including Musicweb, Classical Net and Music and Vision Magazine, which he joined in 1999. For many years he was also the music critic for The Times of Malta as well as The Malta Independent. He also published reviews of selected Testament recordings in International Classical Record Collector.

Although currently a full time journalist, he still finds time to keep abreast with what’s happening in the world of classical music, not least through his regular writings for M&V. He specializes in orchestral repertoire with a historical tinge, and some of his favourite artists are Istvan Kertesz, Otto Klemperer, Sir Thomas Beecham and Herbert von Karajan.

He is also a tireless advocate for British music - particularly the works of Parry, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Bax, and has a lifelong dedication to the work of the great Danish composer Carl Nielsen, on which he has written extensively, particularly on the seminal Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable.

A dedicated sound enthusiast, he has a huge CD collection and is also the proud owner of a sizeable LP collection and an SME 3012/Garrard 401 combination which occasionally gives great pleasure when used to play his favourite Decca FFSS LPs.

Music & Vision articles by Gerald Fenech

German Baroque from the Hanoverian Ensemble. '... another treasure trove of wonderful music ...'

A recital on Exeter Cathedral's organ. '... Millington on fine form ...'

The Vienna Boys Choir in the Far East. '... a refreshingly different portrait of this hugely versatile group ...'

Rimsky-Korsakov orchestral suites. '... the music is dear to the heart of these players ...'

Arrangements of Dvorák songs recommended. 'The intense rapport between both artists can immediately be felt ...'

Spirituals, hymns and folk music. '... I have nothing but praise for the whole enterprise.'

Minkus' 'Don Quijote' from the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. '... gorgeous sound and visuals.'

Ravel songs. '... utter conviction ...'

CD Spotlight. Spiritual Outpourings. Alexander Romanovsky plays Rachmaninov. '... passion and elegance.'

Gerald Fenech visits Slovenia for Festival Maribor

An organ recital by SooHwang Choi. '... expressive beauty.'

Petrenko conducts Shostakovich. '... very much on the ball ...'

Baroque music in Poland. '... very fine interpretations ...'

Eniko Magyar plays English viola music. '... beautifully executed and superbly recorded ...'

Ruthanne Schempf plays American piano music. '... her performances are fresh and immediate ...'

Orchestral music by Richard Strauss. '... highly recommended ...'

Vaughan Williams' piano concerto. 'Highly recommended ...'

Friedrich Klose's 'Ilsebill'. '... a risky yet rewarding adventure ...'

A documentary on Puccini's 'Madame Butterfly'. '... riveting stuff ...'

Vocal music by Jacobus Vaet. '... a gorgeous disc on all counts ...'

Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia'. 'Dimitra Theodossiou's Lucrezia rivals that of many of her illustrious predecessors ...'

Harpsichord music by Israeli composers. '... admirably played ...'

String Quartets by Szymanowski and Rózycki

Orchestral music by Debussy

Music by Guillaume Dufay

String chamber music by Imogen Holst

Violin concertos by Nikolay Roslavets impress Gerald Fenech

Music by Julius Röntgen

Solo sonatas by Benedetto Marcello

John Bell Young's survey of the Beethoven symphonies

Marin Alsop conducts Dvorák