You’d think that Father Christmas had brought them coal
Published:
December 5, 2012 at 3:03pm
Austin Gatt called in the media this morning to announce that the Renzo Piano theatre will be ready on time and on budget, and that right up until Christmas there will be a programme of events and that attendance will be free.
Imma trid taqra biex temmen il-qrid. The way some adults whine and kvetch I can only think that they made a habit of it when they were little and none of the surrounding grown-ups gave them a proper sense of perspective on their place in the universe.
Go to the comments-board on timesofmalta.com and see what I mean.
I really am not surprised that this is the culture which gave us such idiomatic gems as Min ma jibkix ma jerdax.
Il-vera kaz.
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U fost dawk li jpecilqu min tahseb li zgur ma jonqosx ipeclaq?…mill-anqas tliet darbiet… l-iskadut Eddy Gorgonzola.
Some of the names on the comments-board must be fake; I get the impression all the moaning is done by the same half a dozen grumpy old men.
On another note:
I was driving through Mile-end early this afternoon, only to find the area in front of the Labour glasshouse obstructed by unruly black t-shirted “xjentisti” university graduates celebrating, many of them acting rather drunk and disorderly while pouring out of the Labour headquarters themselves.
Trying to drive past them, I naturally hooted the horn – a quick ‘beep’, not the long “get-out-of-my-bloody-way” hoot that they really deserved. I was immediately surrrounded by a small group of them, who began punching my car in the manner and with the attitude so typical of Labour thugs. I managed to inch my way through anyhow, though a couple of them persisted in following me right to the end of the road, pummelling my car all the way, acting menacingly. .
It was not simply happy graduates celebrating – I’ve seen hundreds of those, and though I find them irrritating at times, they are generally having harmless fun, not really bothering anybody.
This lot, on the other hand, because they were celebrating in “their” territory, clearly felt that they could breach the peace, cause obstruction, threaten people, attempt to damage private property – a whole host of illegalities – AND YET REMAIN UNCHALLENGED by the “powers” they went to visit.
If that was a foretaste of things to come, then I dread Labour being in power all the more.
They must have a little stormcloud following them everywhere.
No, they ARE the storm cloud.
Nahseb li kuljum il-Manoel, xi dwejjaq ta’ nies.
Those kind of people are probably the ones who’d flock to MFCC to watch Bla Kondixxin, dressed to the nines in their bad-taste clothes and heavy make-up (the audience, that is).
What about this idiomatic gem?
Bil-pacenzja u l-bzieq iljunfant h*** werzieq.
Qisek xidja f’sorm il-patri.
“Fistla” mhux “xidja”
First class performances at the Manoel Theatre are never well attended – the leading moaners about the ‘roofless theatre’ standing out by their absence.
People turn out in droves to occupy totally unprotected seating even in inclement weather to watch rubbish performances in the Carnival Arena.
X’tistenna?
Very true.
Come to think of it, they even brave bad weather to stand up and watch a bad “performance” by Muscat and his cronies at every opportune moment.
My thoughts exactly, the usual Maltese gemgem being led by no other than Eddy Privitera and the rest of the brigade.
Actually, the types get coal every Christmas because it is the only thing they can see.
GL Calleja
Today, 15:15 “…As a matter of fact even the real Joseph Calleja was against this Topless Opera House……”
So we have a real Joseph Calleja and a false one”
Will the real Joseph Calleja please stand up?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d-TJfuYB00
…… not so far off from reality.
very close indeed! :(
Feed them bullshit and they will vote for you!
On a slight tangent.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/elections2013/PN-accuses-Joseph-Muscat-of-promising-the-moon-20121205
Luckily, Emmanuel Mallia’s nanny was not filling her jerry cans when the background picture was taken.
And another tangent, but still about the comments-board of The Times.
Why didn’t anyone ask if Dr. Gatt may be planning to resign from Cabinet, as opposed to Parliament?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121205/local/Austin-Gatt-dismisses-rumours-he-will-quit.448214
i simply cannot understand why all this whining about Renzo Piano’s project.
Why not whine and moan about the De la Valette/ la Valette monument or about the decorations for the festa?
These are built/constructed with the character/Zeitgeist of the baroque period in the 17th century or earlier. They are more of a tragedy than the city gate project as in the future they will not be able to speak to our future generations in a language of 2012 Malta, but remain fossilised in baroque (a very important period for Malta but dates from late 1500s till 1798 departure of knights).
Do we realise that this project is state of the art, by one of, if not the, leading architects of our time?
The project even includes a geothermic system which keeps it cold/warm according to season.
Its facade is clad with hardstone from Gozo to keep it cool in summer. Its windows and shade are not just aesthetically designed but are designed according to where and when the sun shines on them. Its architectural idiom looks forward to the future of Malta.
Unfortunately it seems that we Maltese tend to look back nostalgically to the somehow traditional pictures of an idyllic island, instead of looking at what is being done in major modern contemporary cities today (and we do travel!).
How many of the persons grumbling had actually bothered to visit the pre-project presentation running for a few months at the museum of archaeology around 2007 I believe?
How many have looked at Piano’s website or any of his other projects?
I can understand that the building just for the parliament can be criticised for its function and that it could have been designed for local use instead.
The question is – do we today in 2012, the age of solar & wind technology, of iPads, iPhones etc build a replica theatre designed by Barry back in the 19th century?
Or revamp our capital city with a language which speaks Valletta’s massive baroque language but using a language which could be understood by future generations and using the latest of latest technologies today?
Why don’t we all enjoy this modernity, and foresight and our new open air theatre? there is one in every cool city around?
Other cities use the remains of Greek amphitheatres or parks, whilst we are using the remains of the British neoclassical, 1850s theatre bombed in WW2 (1947ish). and for those who don’t know it was a place were only a few could aspire to go too, targeted mainly at the expats and local intelligensia – unlike the new open theatre free for all.
Mikiel, I agree with most of what you say.
Unfortunately the vast majority of Maltese people are unable to understand what you are talking about and therefore are not in a position to form an opinion on your comment.
It is easier for them to whine and complain not knowing exactly what about.
Rest assured the purists have no idea what to make of Piano’s work. Or any other contemporary piece ie.
I still can’t stomach how these self proclaimed purveyors of taste manage to ignore the familiarity of idiom and how it evolves the same as its own. Their purism is of an abstract failure, more so when monomateric texture is employed.
To hell with the contempt for style as a series of signs mashed onto vast expanses of glass. Which would be their ‘acceptable’ compromise.
As if they’re interested in style as work, all they expect is nostalgia. Even if a nation made its way out of those ruins.
That is why they’re pathetic, oppressive also.
Piano referred to light playful intelligence, the only element which can do away with sticky inertia. The only answer they could give was resorting to calling him a fraud. The shame.
Isn’t the football stadium a puppet theatre with no roof? I know people who go there to watch 90mins show, have to pay and it will be very cold in winter.
I stopped going to public events where you have to sit amongst the great unwashed, be it cinema, theatre or whatever.
They think nothing of talking amongst themselves, using mobiles, even playing music on the phone’s speaker.
I get tired of asking politely to please desist.
So I don’t go and life is measurably calmer.
What does make me laugh is the way Labour folk in general are against anything this government do, whilst PN supporters are totally in favour, without even wanting to listen to an opposing view.
Brilliant M. If today’s philistines can’t appreciate the immense beauty of the project, exposure to it, may with luck, usher in a more cultured future generation. I can’t wait to see the project completed and to the boost it will surely give the ongoing regeneration of Valletta. Hats off to Lawrence Gonzi for having the will and the guts to carry out the project.
To be honest, what is being offered is worse then coal. At least coal has a use.
This ‘soft opening’ is pretty much the shape of things to come. It continues to promote mediocrity in a mediocre environment. And just a few days after we celebrated the announcement that Valletta will host ECOC 2018, a foregone conclusion s this was, after all, a one-horse race!
I particularly love the line in the The Times report which read: “The stage, theatre decking and seating are ready. So are the backstage rooms, but some lighting and equipment still has to be installed.” Because, after all, that is exactly what a theatre is a bit of iroko decking and some bright green plastic chairs (which makes one wonder why they didn’t just stick to the Sign-It plastic seats which were there before). And let’s face it what would performers be doing with light and sound equipment . At least they’re getting some underground dressing rooms. they’ll feel right at home with the city rats. Besides its only a hobby. Nothing serious like being a politician
But then again why are we talking about a theatre? Until very recently Chris Paris, CEO of the Valletta Regeneration Project kept insisting this was a piazza which was only occasionally a theatre, and others spoke of it being a flexible space, with various combinations of seating. Indeed I heard that one board member of the Open Air Theatre claimed he could have the seating removed in four hours. Last I looked it took them a week just to put them in. Yes, its about as flexible as my arthritic spine.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not blaming Renzo Piano for this shambles. I think the man is a genius. He understood the situation perfectly. He knew too well that our lower middle class politicians had absolutely no intention of building a theatre. Indeed they had no idea as to the role, symbolism and the function of a theatre. And so Piano simply concocted a plan to save the space for future more enlightened times by pushing Parliament into Freedom Square (remember that our blessed PM wanted to place Parliament instead of the Royal Opera House building, something Piano realised was nothing short of barbaric).
As to Min Jaf’s comment that “First class performances at the Manoel Theatre are never well attended – the leading moaners about the ‘roofless theatre’ standing out by their absence.” , well it is obvious he/she knows nothing about the subject. And frankly he/she should not feel at all smug. If anything he/she should be concerned. The leading moaners are not absent, it is just that they are a fewer (and usually very busy creating in their spare time, as they do not have a professional set up to work in),
He/she should rather consider that the lack of an audience for cultural events should be put down to forty years of awful education systems which have created technocratic graduates with no soul and soulless lecturers with no imagination. That is the true legacy. Hardly the stuff to be chuffed about. And hardly the material to create audiences with.
And if he/she thinks that that is not a serious problem, perhaps he/she should consider this: that the countries who have best survived the economic downturn are those with strong cultural, liberal traditions. They are the leaders. Others must follow.
Mikiel on the other hand is correct in saying that we should not go for a neoclassical theatre ( one third of the footprint in the Barry plan was occupied by the foyer, where the real theatre took place!), but is incorrect in saying we have a new theatre free for all. First and foremost nothing is free and this is bill is being footed by the taxpayer. (as will, hopefully, be the fees of the musicians playing in the cold next week)
As such the tax payer is ill-served with this theatre. It is a glorified open air garage, with a similar amount of atmosphere to boast of (think the bleachers put up for Carnival in the old Freedom Square – only vile green instead of red).
It does not even follow the basic principle of all open air spaces (creating a semi-circular auditorium surrounding the acting space and allowing for greater interaction between performer and audience)
As such the only thing that can be produced in this sort of environment is exactly the sort of variety show we see endlessly (and moan about) on TV. Loud, amplified music performed in a rag-tag motley group of artists, good, bad and indifferent and presented in a take-it-or-leave-it way
So the real question is: why spend all this money on a place which is only suitable for tat?
And all this just five years before Valletta 2018 .
Which means we are now going to have to spend another sack load of money to convert the MCC (which ironically has a similar footprint size to the Old Opera House).
This will be our third attempt at destroying the true potential of this beautiful and unique baroque building by trying to shoehorn in a modern theatre which has its own specific requirements, with very little chance of success and a considerably greater cost than if we had to start with a clean slate. It will be like putting lipstick on the Mona Lisa to show off her smile. It does nothing to the smile or the lipstick.
But hey-ho, as the commentators in the timesofmalta.com website proves, politics makes blinds fools of the best of us let alone people who no nothing about the subject but feel they must have their say and defend their paladin.
We are advised by many of them to take an umbrella. As if we need their advice on this. That is basic in winter time.
Had they been his contemporaries, these culture vultures would have ridiculed Michelangelo for leaving his David naked.
All this grumbling, why hadn’t the generations before mine, done something with this space in Valletta?
I’m still in my mid 30s and the only recollection I have of the area is, besides a monument in ruins, kitsch shops selling mediocre quality items and a foul smelling area attracting all sorts of what nots. And a lot of debates and never-ending discussions.
Now, Valletta will have a new face.
In future, many will realise that it’s this generation of creativity, generation of ideas, of sprucing the area with a new cleanliness, smartness and modernity what is excellent about the project.
The fact that it’s ‘signed’ by Piano helps too.
Finally this newly pampered city of ours will be creating inspirations for a stagnated artistic/cultural heart of us Maltese, helping in the marketing of our island, generating more money.
Actually the Pope did tell Michelangelo to cover up his David.
Another Pope covered up Adam and Eve at the Sistine Chapel.
Envy and sour grapes : Piano projects -worldwide – are really masterpieces and people flock to see them
Groupthink is a wonderful thing – for sad losers.
You are becoming more isolated with every day that passes.