The Malta International Organ Festival
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      • Gail Archer
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      • Dina El
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      • Christian Schmitt
      • Daniela Tremaroli
      • Simone Valeri
      • Petra Veenswijk
      • Kristina Vilotševa
    • Artists 2017 >
      • Brendan Ball
      • Riccardo Bianchi
      • Ka Bo Chan
      • Franco Cefai
      • Maurice Clerc
      • David Davies
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Semjon Kalinowsky
      • Luca Magni
      • Gaulitanus Choir
      • Taras Baginets
      • Martino Pòrcile
      • Giuliana Maccaroni
      • Hugo Agius Muscat
      • Julian Mallek
      • Zita Nauratyill
      • Joseph Lia
      • Wayne Marshall
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Andres Uibo
      • Mark Vassallo
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
      • Dominika Zamara
    • Artists 2016 >
      • Piret Aidulo
      • Geoffrey Alvarez
      • Dominique Aubert
      • Heribert Breuer
      • Roberta Bugeja
      • Dion Buhagiar
      • SIlvia Di Falco
      • Giesme Choir
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Joseph Caruana
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Philippe Emmanuel Haas
      • Yfke Hoogevee
      • Joseph Lia
      • Wayne Marshall
      • Yaroslav Mikulkho
      • Alexandra Orlova
      • Elena Sartori
      • Christian Schmitt
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Andres Uibo
      • Erwin Wiersinga
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
    • Artists 2015 >
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Adriano Morea
      • Andres Uibo
      • Ciricino Micheletto
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
      • Denis Kasparovitch
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Erwin Wiersinga
      • Evgenia Krivitskaia
      • George Devdariani
      • Gianluca Libertucci
      • Gianpiero Cristaldi
      • James Ham
      • Joseph Caruana
      • John Aquilina
      • John Galea
      • Joseph Lia
      • Maria Lyudko
      • Mari-Liis Uibo
      • Olga Makarina
      • Roberto Rigo
      • Simone Vebber
      • Vladimir Suzdalevich
    • Artists 2014 >
      • Alfred Fenech
      • Anastasia Bogacheva
      • Dion Buhagiar
      • Dmitry Banaev
      • Elena Yaskunova
      • Francesca Farrugia
      • Graziella Debattista
      • Irina Rozanova
      • Malta Police Band
      • Vladimir Shliapnikov
      • Wayne Marshall
  • Venues
    • St Francis of Assisi Church, Valletta
    • Our Lady of Victories, Valletta
    • St. Paul's Anglican Pro- Cathedral, Valletta
    • Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church, Fontana Gozo
    • Annunciation of Our Lady Parish Church, Balzan
    • St. John's Co-Cathedral Oratory, Valletta
    • St. Cajetan Parish Church, Hamrun
    • St Julian's Parish Church, St Julian's
    • Gozo Cathedral, Cittadella, VIctoria, Gozo
    • Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church, Balluta
    • Jesus of Nazareth Chapel, Xagħra, Gozo
    • Annunciation Parish Church (Rotunda), Mosta
    • St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina
    • St John of the Cross Parish Church, Ta'Xbiex
    • St. Augustine Church, Valletta
    • St Nicholas Parish Church, Siġġiewi
    • Xewkija Parish Church, Gozo
    • Our Lady of Ta' Pinu Sanctuary, Gozo
  • Masterclasses
  • Contact
November 15 till December 7 2018

St. John's  Co-Cathedral Oratory, Valletta

About the Organ

Picture
Organ built by Sicilian organbuilder La Valle from Palermo in 1579 and originally located in St. John's Co-Cathedral main church. It was later transferred to the Oratory. During the years its state of conservation deteriorated and prior to the recent restoration by Fratelli Ruffatti of Padova (Italy), the organ was not only unplayable but all of its metal pipes were missing except for the facade pipes which were also significantly  affected by 'tin pest'. Ruffatti restored all the surviving parts and reconstructed the missing parts in the style of the original instrument.

History

Picture
The Oratory was built between 1602 and 1605 as a place of devotion for the young novices. The reigning Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt was looking for an artist to embellish the conventual church and to produce a painting for the young novices to meditate on. This is how the Oratory became the home of one of the greatest paintings by the renowned artist Caravaggio The Beheading of St John the Baptist who was the patron saint of the Order. Another of Caravaggio’s masterpieces ‘St Jerome Writing’ is also exhibited in the Oratory. At first the Oratory was a plain rectangular construction but this was transformed by Mattia Preti in the 1680s when he was commissioned its redecoration which included the installation of the beautiful altar contributed by Grand Master Carafa.

 The redecoration of the Oratory included the heavily gilt carvings of the vault and arch in the apse as well as the wooden Venetian-style gilt soffit in which three painted scenes from Christ’s Passion were inserted. The lower panels in the vault area depict two of the founders of the Order while paintings of eight other saints can be seen along the laterals of the Oratory. Other notable works of art in the Oratory are the fine bronze tondo by Ciro Ferri affixed to the front of the altar, the marble head of St John the Baptist presented on an elaborate gilt scallop shell on the epistle side of the altar and a rare 16th century organ.

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  • Home
  • Programme
  • Artists
    • Artists 2018 >
      • Gail Archer
      • Dmitry Banaev
      • Giacomo Benedetti
      • Alesandro Bianchi
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Jason Camilleri
      • Franco Cefai
      • Reggie Clews
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Dina El
      • Sandro Gori
      • Jurgen Grima
      • Petr Ilyash
      • Joseph Lia
      • Stefano Molardi
      • Marco Lo Muscio
      • Luca Magni
      • Olga Makarina
      • Mariella Mochi
      • Sergio Orabona
      • Neils Pfeffer
      • Natalia Rakhmatulina
      • Irina Rozanova
      • Christian Schmitt
      • Daniela Tremaroli
      • Simone Valeri
      • Petra Veenswijk
      • Kristina Vilotševa
    • Artists 2017 >
      • Brendan Ball
      • Riccardo Bianchi
      • Ka Bo Chan
      • Franco Cefai
      • Maurice Clerc
      • David Davies
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Semjon Kalinowsky
      • Luca Magni
      • Gaulitanus Choir
      • Taras Baginets
      • Martino Pòrcile
      • Giuliana Maccaroni
      • Hugo Agius Muscat
      • Julian Mallek
      • Zita Nauratyill
      • Joseph Lia
      • Wayne Marshall
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Andres Uibo
      • Mark Vassallo
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
      • Dominika Zamara
    • Artists 2016 >
      • Piret Aidulo
      • Geoffrey Alvarez
      • Dominique Aubert
      • Heribert Breuer
      • Roberta Bugeja
      • Dion Buhagiar
      • SIlvia Di Falco
      • Giesme Choir
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Joseph Caruana
      • Marco D'Avola
      • Philippe Emmanuel Haas
      • Yfke Hoogevee
      • Joseph Lia
      • Wayne Marshall
      • Yaroslav Mikulkho
      • Alexandra Orlova
      • Elena Sartori
      • Christian Schmitt
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Andres Uibo
      • Erwin Wiersinga
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
    • Artists 2015 >
      • Aare Tammesalu
      • Adriano Morea
      • Andres Uibo
      • Ciricino Micheletto
      • Daniel Zaretskiy
      • Denis Kasparovitch
      • Diego Cannizzaro
      • Erwin Wiersinga
      • Evgenia Krivitskaia
      • George Devdariani
      • Gianluca Libertucci
      • Gianpiero Cristaldi
      • James Ham
      • Joseph Caruana
      • John Aquilina
      • John Galea
      • Joseph Lia
      • Maria Lyudko
      • Mari-Liis Uibo
      • Olga Makarina
      • Roberto Rigo
      • Simone Vebber
      • Vladimir Suzdalevich
    • Artists 2014 >
      • Alfred Fenech
      • Anastasia Bogacheva
      • Dion Buhagiar
      • Dmitry Banaev
      • Elena Yaskunova
      • Francesca Farrugia
      • Graziella Debattista
      • Irina Rozanova
      • Malta Police Band
      • Vladimir Shliapnikov
      • Wayne Marshall
  • Venues
    • St Francis of Assisi Church, Valletta
    • Our Lady of Victories, Valletta
    • St. Paul's Anglican Pro- Cathedral, Valletta
    • Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church, Fontana Gozo
    • Annunciation of Our Lady Parish Church, Balzan
    • St. John's Co-Cathedral Oratory, Valletta
    • St. Cajetan Parish Church, Hamrun
    • St Julian's Parish Church, St Julian's
    • Gozo Cathedral, Cittadella, VIctoria, Gozo
    • Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church, Balluta
    • Jesus of Nazareth Chapel, Xagħra, Gozo
    • Annunciation Parish Church (Rotunda), Mosta
    • St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral, Mdina
    • St John of the Cross Parish Church, Ta'Xbiex
    • St. Augustine Church, Valletta
    • St Nicholas Parish Church, Siġġiewi
    • Xewkija Parish Church, Gozo
    • Our Lady of Ta' Pinu Sanctuary, Gozo
  • Masterclasses
  • Contact