Parmerud / Lippe / Saariaho / Frounberg / Claro - Works for Harp - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Fagan / Banda Musicale Citta Orzinuovi / Locatelli - Fantastic in Band [COMPACT DISCS] date 12/01/2015

A native of England, Elias Parish Alvars became established as a fully-fledged European artist. He travelled extensively, working alongside Carl Czerny and gained the esteem of Mendelssohn and Berlioz, who declared that 'this man is a magician', with a 'passionate impulse to express the music of another world'. Composed in a Romantic style, Parish Alvars' fantasias and refined elaborations on themes by Bellini explore every aspect of the harp's technical and expressive qualities, from spectacular virtuosity to evocative and transparent effects that were revolutionary in their time. These works are performed here by Paola Perrucci, who currently teaches at the Conservatory of Bologna.

On this album you are able to hear Czech music by composers Krumpholtz and Dussek performed on the single-action harp of their era the Louis XVI. Model from the year 1779 built by the Parisian harp builders Renault & Chatelain and restored - exactly 240 years later, in 2019 - by the German harp builder Rainer Thurau. This album is historically the Czech Republic's first played on an original 18th century single-action harp. Barbora Placha is a young artist who both plays classical music and participates in multi-genre projects. She has completed her studies at the Prague Conservatory, the Royal Conservatory in Brussels and the Norwegian Academy of Music in the harp class with Isabelle Perrin.