Review (hometheaterhifi)
What is it about the harp that speaks to us so strongly? Is it its ethereal, resonant sounds; its graceful shape; its Judeao-Christian association with angels; or its frequent appearance in Busby Berkeley cinematic fantasy? Whatever the reasons, harp music has long served to soothe and uplift the spirit.
This is not just another pretty harp disc. Yolanda Kondonassis made her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 18, and has since performed with major orchestras and at major festivals throughout the United Sates and the Far East. Kondonassis is an artist, not just someone who hits the right notes. If you play this disc on its own, especially by candlelight, rather than in the background, you will discover a wealth of emotional and poetic nuance. These are wonderful performances.
Kondanassis assembled her 17 selections with "the singular purpose of creating a consistently serene listening experience," and stimulating "one's inner realm in a way that only seems to happen when the 'everyday' part of the brain begins to quiet down." She succeeds admirably. Some of the selections, such as Erik Satie's Gnoisiennes, three of Chopin's Preludes, and Debussy's Rйverie and Sarabande will be familiar from other recordings. Others, such as two selections by Salzedo, a Respighi Notturno, and a Sibelius Berceuse, are less frequently encountered. Rarely, if ever, will you hear them performed as beautifully as here. Nor, thanks to Telarc's extraordinarily rich DSD recording, are you ever likely to hear another harp disc sound as lifelike, rich and entrancing. Highly recommended.
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