Harriet Brown Obsessions

Volume 8 of our complete Brahms songs proves the ideal platform for Harriet Burns in her debut album. As usual, Graham Johnson’s scholarly booklet notes are an indispensable companion.

The French Album is the debut album of a young and exciting cellist Harriet Krijgh. Harriet is a member of the Live Music Now Foundation which was established by Yehudi Menuhin. On this recording she performs a selection of works by Fauré Debussy, Franck and Offenbach, accompanied by Kamilla Isanbaeva on piano.

Jeanne Falquin se reconstruit d’un traumatisme psychologique depuis huit ans. Une reconstruction qui est mise à mal lorsqu’elle découvre sa chienne éventrée au milieu de son appartement, un soir en rentrant chez elle. Mais également quand elle reçoit un courrier l’impliquant dans de sombres desseins. Elle a toujours vécu dans la peur de voir ses barrières se fissurer. Les démons se réveillent et l’assaillent. Va-t-elle se battre ou renoncer comme elle l’a toujours fait ? …

After experiencing two devastating miscarriages in 2021, I subsequently felt a profound need to channel grief into something constructive. Whilst a collection of traditional Christmas carols might not seem an obvious musical choice for a personal journey through loss, I have always taken comfort in the warmth, feelings of nostalgia, and hope that festive music inspires. Arranging these carols for solo harp has been a healing experience for me as an artist, and I hope that the Christmas message shines through in each arrangement. Arranging often feels like an easier option than composing from scratch as there isn’t the pressure to formulate an original idea.

With some 800 songs in his repertoire, James Brown influenced countless contemporary artists from virtually every popular music genre –rock, funk, soul, jazz, R&B, hip hop and rap. His polyrhythmic funk vamps reshaped dance music, and Brown was by far the most sampled artist during the early days of hip hop. Though he would be dogged by legal troubles and controversy in later life, he was a principled artist, adamantly refusing to conform to anyone’s vision. This 3-D set presents five of his best albums, along with 8 bonus tracks from the same period.