Harp

The harp is the ultimate romantic icon: the instrument of angels, and of Cupid, the god of love. One of the world’s oldest musical instruments, yet one of the most versatile and cherished, its modern counterpart also has the largest range of any orchestral instrument.This extensive collection brings together an impressive range of concertos for harp, contrasting the towering figures of Handel and Mozart with gems by lesser-known composers such as Boieldieu, Albrechtsberger, Wagenseil, Krumpholz, Dussek, Spohr, Reinecke, Pierné, Saint-Saëns, into the 20th century with Ginastera, Lutoslawski and Alwyn.A treasure trove of attractive concertos for that still slightly underrated solo instrument, the harp! A worthy successor to the ever extending series of Instrumental Solo Concertos Editions on Brilliant Classics, previous issues including piano, cello, flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, horn, viola da gamba and recorder.

Emmanuel Pahud is one of the most prolific and distinguished flutists active in contemporary France. His repertory is broad, stretching from the Baroque to contemporary music, including jazz. Pahud was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 27, 1970. When he was four, he first heard the flute and immediately demanded to be taught how to play it. His family, which was not musical, traveled frequently for his father's work responsibilities, and he lived as a child in Baghdad, Paris, Madrid, and Rome. In the latter city, the family of flutist François Binet lived in the same apartment building as Pahud, and he began studies with 15-year-old Philippe Binet. Soon he graduated to studies with François Binet. At the family's next stop, in Brussels, he studied with Michel Moinil and Carlos Bruneel, playing a Mozart concerto with the National Orchestra of Belgium at 13. Pahud enrolled at the Paris Conservatory, winning several major prizes while he was a student, and after graduating, he soon landed principal flutist slots with the Basel Radio Symphony in Switzerland and the Munich Philharmonic. He continued his studies with Aurèle Nicolet, who had formerly been principal flutist with the Berlin Philharmonic and coached him on how to approach his audition for that ensemble. The stratagem worked, and in 1992, Pahud was invited by conductor Claudio Abbado to join the orchestra as the principal flutist.

Following releases by cellist Guy Johnston and organist Richard Gowers, King’s College presents the latest album in its alumni series, Bach’s iconic ‘Goldberg Variations’ as arranged and performed by the harpist Parker Ramsay. Parker Ramsay’s artistry is distinguished by its breadth and crossing of instrumental boundaries and genres at the harp, organ and harpsichord. He was the first American to hold the post of Organ Scholar at King’s, following in a long line of prestigious predecessors, and as a harpist specializes in repertoire for early harps and new music for the modern pedal harp. The album is accompanied by extensive notes by leading Bach scholar Burkhard Schwalbach, Pulitzer Prize winning music critic Tim Page and Parker himself.

Emmanuel Pahud is one of the most prolific and distinguished flutists active in contemporary France. His repertory is broad, stretching from the Baroque to contemporary music, including jazz. Pahud was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 27, 1970. When he was four, he first heard the flute and immediately demanded to be taught how to play it. His family, which was not musical, traveled frequently for his father's work responsibilities, and he lived as a child in Baghdad, Paris, Madrid, and Rome. In the latter city, the family of flutist François Binet lived in the same apartment building as Pahud, and he began studies with 15-year-old Philippe Binet. Soon he graduated to studies with François Binet. At the family's next stop, in Brussels, he studied with Michel Moinil and Carlos Bruneel, playing a Mozart concerto with the National Orchestra of Belgium at 13. Pahud enrolled at the Paris Conservatory, winning several major prizes while he was a student, and after graduating, he soon landed principal flutist slots with the Basel Radio Symphony in Switzerland and the Munich Philharmonic. He continued his studies with Aurèle Nicolet, who had formerly been principal flutist with the Berlin Philharmonic and coached him on how to approach his audition for that ensemble. The stratagem worked, and in 1992, Pahud was invited by conductor Claudio Abbado to join the orchestra as the principal flutist.

John Marson was born in 1932 and died in 2007. He studied the harp with Marie Goossens at the Royal College of Music in London, and in 1958, while still a student, began his professional career with the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

I Belong To This Band: Eighty-Five Years Of Sacred Harp Recordings is a 2006 compilation featuring primitive recordings of Christian and religious songs from the outskirts of everywhere. This was released by Dust-To-Digital.

Harpist to Queen Victoria, the Welsh composer John Thomas (1826–1913) was also a prolific composer for his own instrument, writing works both for solo harp and for duos of two harps or harp and piano – a combination where the different sounds of the two instruments enhances 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.

Revelation Fusion Harp is the second in the Revelation series of rule breaking hybrid synths from Sound Yeti. Built on a meticulously sampled orchestral pedal harp with four character filled articulations, Revelation Fusion Harp combines the au naturel acoustic beauty of the orchestral harp with a power trio of sampled instrument layers (50 of them). Once again, the powerful alchemy of synth and acoustic inspires remarkable musicality and expression.

Revelation Fusion Harp is the second in the Revelation series of rule breaking hybrid synths from Sound Yeti. Built on a meticulously sampled orchestral pedal harp with four character filled articulations, Revelation Fusion Harp combines the au naturel acoustic beauty of the orchestral harp with a power trio of sampled instrument layers (50 of them). Once again, the powerful alchemy of synth and acoustic inspires remarkable musicality and expression.