Praxedis Hug-Rutti - Complete Duos for Harp & Piano, Vol. 2 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Harpist to Queen Victoria, the Welsh composer John Thomas (1826-1913) also wrote prolifically for his own instrument, both for solo harp and for duos of two harps or harp and piano - a combination where the different sounds of the two instruments enhance the clarity of the texture. Thomas' original works use the elegant Romantic style of his own day, but he often drew on Welsh folksong for his inspiration and also left a generous legacy of transcriptions, especially of operatic favourites. Although some of his music was intended for the Victorian drawing room, other pieces require a virtuoso technique - and all of it has a thoroughly engaging melodic appeal. Album Tracks 1. Il Bacio. Valse (1861) 2. Meyerbeer's Favorite Opera 'Dinorah' (1860) 3. Duet on Themes from 'Norma' (Arr. 1884) 4. La Carità 5. The Ilma Valse (Arr. 1866) 6. L'estasi. Valse (Arr. 1867) 7. Harp Concerto No. 1 (1847) 8. March of the Welsh Fusiliers (1896)

For more than ten years the Duo Praxedis has been convincingly showing us the fascination of the unusual combination of harp and piano. With this recording, mother and daughter present a family project with compositions by Carl Rutti (*1949), the husband of harpist Praxedis Hug-Rutti. It is almost needless to mention that the pieces are tailor-made for the two ladies. Duo Praxedis is comprised of harpist Praxedis Hug-Rutti and the pianist Praxedis Genevieve Hug. Together the Duo's mission is to revive the once popular repertory for harp and piano that flourished between 1700 and 1915. Since 2010 Duo Praxedis has been performing regularly throughout Europe and the United States, invariably with great success. To date, the Duo has released nine albums, all of which have been acclaimed by public and press alike. Album Tracks 1. Pastorale 2. Harfenbüchlein~Im silbernen Wassergrund 3. Harfenbüchlein~O tgei buontad 4. Harfenbüchlein~Weihnacht im Frühling 5. Harfenbüchlein~...Einst... 6. Harfenbüchlein~Ave Maria 7. Harfenbüchlein~Der Schleier der Veronika 8. Harfenbüchlein~Tanz der Magdalena 9. Harfenbüchlein~Flucht 10. Harfenbüchlein~Die Kristallstadt 11. Insel 12. Nachts 13. Winterlandschaft 14. Drei Weihnachtslieder für das ganze Jahr~Weihnacht im Frühling 15. Drei Weihnachtslieder für das ganze Jahr~Hochzeit mit Dir, Mensch 16. Drei Weihnachtslieder für das ganze Jahr~Die Erde singt

The Welshman John Thomas (1826-1913), harpist to Queen Victoria, wrote prolifically for his own instrument, both for solo harp and for duos of two harps or harp and piano - a combination where the different sounds of the two instruments enhance the clarity of the texture. Thomas' original works use the elegant Romantic style of his own day, but he often drew on Welsh folksong for his inspiration and left a generous legacy of transcriptions, especially of operatic favourites. Although some of his music was intended for the Victorian drawing room, other pieces require a virtuoso technique - and all of it has a thoroughly engaging melodic appeal. This fifth album of his duets for harp and piano ends a series that has seen the revival of music unheard for over a century and a half. Album Tracks 1. Wedding March from a Midsummer Night's Dream 2. Valse de 'Faust' 3. Duet on Melodies from 'La Favorite' (1873) 4. March of the Men of Glamorgan (1879) 5. Olivia. Valse (1859) 6. Ben È Ridicolo. Canzone (1868) 7. Duet on Melodies from 'La Sonnambula' (1868) 8. The Bride of Neath Valley Welsh Dance Music (1866) 9. Llewelyn Bridal March (1863) 10. Bardic Fantasia. Duet on Subjects from 'Llewelyn' (1863, Arr. 1874)