Harp Concerti = ALBERTO GINASTERA: Harp Concerto Op. 25; XAVIER MONTSALVATGE: Concerto Capriccio; SOLER: Harp Sonatas Nos. 48, 19, 84 – Godelieve Schrama, harp/Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra/Gérard Korsten – NorthWest Classics

by | Jun 16, 2006 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

Harp Concerti = ALBERTO GINASTERA: Harp Concerto Op. 25; XAVIER MONTSALVATGE: Concerto Capriccio; SOLER: Harp Sonatas Nos. 48, 19, 84 – Godelieve Schrama, harp/Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra/Gérard Korsten – NorthWest Classics Stereo-only SACD NWC 411087, 59:05 ****:

Concert harpists don’t have a great many concertos for their instrument to choose from, but Ginastera’s is one of the most-played. The coupling of the Argentine composer’s concerto with that of Catalan native Montsalvatge benefits from several similarities. Both works make use of atonality and some serialism, but neither composer uses it consistently nor in the strict manner of Schoenberg or Webern. Folk music of their respective countries provided some of the material for both concertos, and both were originally premiered by the great harpist Nicanor Zabaleta.

The composer of the Panambi ballet used folk material in his concerto in a fashion similar to Bartok’s.  This influence keeps Ginastera’s forays into dodecaphony more accessible and lively than typical serial works. The work requires a virtuoso harpist, especially in the Vivace closing section of the third movement. concerto is also in three movements, but he places a giant cadenza between the second and third. The percussion section gets a workout during this work. Though even more atonal than Ginastera’s concerto the exciting rhythms of Montsalvatge’s  work, as well as it’s exchanges between the soloist and orchestra, make it much more palatable than the typical serialized composition. The three Soler sonatas for solo harp are previews of an upcoming all-Soler SACD on the NWC label. The harp is not an easy instrument to record, having often very strong transients and a wide dynamic range.  These recordings were made directly to DSD format and such challenges are well met.

 – John Sunier

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