Customer Reviews

Music for Solo Harp

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For a long time, I've loved music for the solo harp. For a long time, too, I've (please forgive me) not been a fan of the market of solo harp recordings. Why? Honestly, it comes down to the selection of peices. That is, too many solo harp records either tend to fall into a mode of ultra-glissando bombasticness, or are simply trying to be too 'pretty' and end up instead as pretty boring.

That is no more. This CD is neither. We have a wide range of classical and romantic pieces here. Instead of the 'showpiece' mentality of relying way too much on glissando heavy arpeggiation, these peices are very tasteful and melodic, all the while being well suited for harp (both single- and double-action by the way). Second, while a few of these peices are quite pretty and charming, there is enough of a mix here to keep things from being 'too' polite and ornament-like.

The show stealers? My favorites here are Rosetti's sonata 2 (and Rosetti really is a great classical period composer so you should check him out anyway), both Liszt arrangements, and Willhelm Posse's etudes. But as I said before, these peices range from a fantastically tense harp solo from a Donizetti opera to a Chopin etude. Quite diverse, and all of the pieces have a different beauty to them.

I've not even mentioned Elizabeth Hainen yet. What is most striking is that while these pieces cover such diverse territory, she plays each in a style completely appropriate to it. The Rosetti, for instance, she plays in the 'pretty' and lyrical fashion one would expect from a classical period etude, while the Liszt 'Sospiro', she plays with the grace and out-and-out emotionalism that Liszt himself likely would have wanted. Long and short, she keeps it appropriate at all times.

This recording is not to be missed, both for harp officionados and casual listeners.

Elizabeth Hainen does a super job on this CD with a broad range of pieces composed originally for harp. There is enough diversity among the selections to keep the CD from becoming monotanous. I found the Impromptu Op. 28 by Hugo Reinhold to be a surprizingly delightful work with which I was unfamiliar prior to purchasing the CD. The selections range from classical works by Rosetti, intricate and complex, to more emotional romantic works by Liszt.

The solo harp has an odd immediacy and minimalism that can be quite meditative and pensive at times. Of course the solo harp can also be full of fluff and candy but there is little of that in this careful selection of music.

Louis Spohr's Fantasie Op. 35 has a meditative quality, in which the silence between the notes is tangible. I recomend the entire selection of music.

"Virtuosity and expression are not the first two traits most listeners associate with the harp. But Elizabeth Hainen makes a case for the instrument as something more than the angel-food cake of the orchestra in this budget release of transcriptions and works written especially for harp. Her fine, fast work in Liszt's Liebestraume brings to a harpist of considerably more skill than we ordinarily have a chance to hear from her principal harp chair in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Elias Parish Alvars' Serenade is a kind of bel canto for harp-fanciful ornamentation and strong melody-and Hainen treats it as such. She also gets a lovely bell tone. The best thing about Hainen's playing is the way she makes a melody sing. It's hard to imagine Glinka's Nocturne sounding more musical.

(excerpt)Perhaps to the credit-or detriment-of producers and engineers, solo harp recordings often seem to have an overly-present quality, leaning toward brighter timbres and crisp articulation. But Hainen's offering is indeed reminiscent of the Philadelphians' legendary and eponymous sound: Warm, broad, and yes, lush.
Appropriately enough, Hainen leads off the album with an old Philly favorite, the third of Liszt's three Liebestraume. Hainen shows admirable restraint and exemplary musicality in her tasteful rendition of what has become largely a Liberacean confection for many pianists. And indeed, there is something about her sound that sets her apart from most soloists and even other orchestral harpists.
Especially interesting for a Philadelphia Orchestra aficionado is how Hainen's playing reflects the present soundscape of a group once known primarily for its reading of Romantic works: Her playing is as expansive as it is lean, as flashy as it is reserved, and as technical as it is expressive. Indeed, the congnoscenti will tell you, accurately, that the Philadelphians have never sounded better. A most impressive crop of new principals have, in their brand-new concert hall, shown that the band still leads the pack in its ability to blend, dazzle, and alter its style as the music dictates. Elizabeth Hainen is a wonderful embodiment of the "new" Philadelphia sound and a perfect example of how the best musicians can make their instruments become a symphony orchestra, even on their own.

I read it in a magazine a few months ago that there were two musical instruments, which had a particularly good influence on a human body. Solo harp and solo violin create unique sound waves. I also found out that almost all of the harpists are long-livers.

I like classic music but I am not sure I heard solo harp before. I decided to buy this CD not only for my `soul' but for my `body' too.


I really enjoy this CD. It contains pieces by my favorite composers (F.Liszt, M.I. Glinka, F.Chopin). The music is very calm and pleasant.

Now this person can play! No strumming to make airy sounds. Real classical music! Only the harp, and it's enough. Absolutely beautiful.

I thoroughly enjoy this CD. It is quite relaxing, and soothing. I use it when I do Yoga and when I meditate, but it is also nice just to listen to. I would highly recommend this title.

It is all harp, all the time! No piano or orchestral accompanyment. If you want all harp this is it. I wonderful work.

Beautiful music. Very relaxing. Good for meditation or going to sleep at night. The following "Product Link" is a meditation training CD that I produced about a year ago. Meditation: The Awareness Approach

Music for Solo Harp is a beautiful collection of music played with exceptional versatility. I have enjoyed it very much. Elizabeth Hainen is a master at her instrument. Love the cover photo, too.