An overview of my recent recordings

Since leaving the London Philarmonic, I have been able to concentrate on building up a new solo repertoire,composing, and playing chamber music.

My greatest joy is performing with the magisterial violinist Michael Bochmann whose many musical insights have inspired my own performances.

For many concerts, we have also been joined by the soprano, Jane Leslie Mackenzie. She is well known in many Opera Houses, including Covent Garden,and is a remarkable artist. For many of her classical opera arias, I have arranged accompaniments for violin and harp. This combination sounds like a miniature orchestra.

The combination of violin and harp, as in our recording,"Sacred and Profane," thrills me more than the combination of flute and harp.

The flute with harp is a delicious combination, mellifluous and pleasing and much music has been written for these two instruments including Mozart's famous Concerto. In "Music for Flute and Harp" Clive Conway and I perform music by Mozart, Krumpholtz(Haydn's harpist at Esterhazy) and other classical composers. Jill Hughes joins us in the beautiful Interlude from the "Childhood of Christ" by Berlioz.

 

The famous Baroque violinist, Simon Standage and the Saloman Quartet joined me in "Concerti and Chamber Music" for some exquisite and important eighteenth century harp music. J.C.Bach's Harp Trio(Sonata VI) was written expressly for the harp, rare in a time when music was so often interchangeable between instruments. I rewrote Mozart's beautiful "Adagio and Rondo" for Glass Harmonica for the Harp and with accompaniment for the String Quartet. J.C.Bach's Sinfonia Concerto was published in Paris "for harp or clavier"and is a composition of exceptional vitality. The recording is completed by two works by Haydn.

The "Eternal Dreamer" was recorded in St Mary's Church, Chipping Norton, a venue with the most extraordinary accoustics for concerts and recordings. It is a collection of contrasted Romantic, Impressionist and Modern Pieces which show off the huge range of dynamics and colours possible on the harp.

Prokoviev's three Harp pieces, astringent and fascinating, are played together for the first time. William Mathias's stunning Improvisations, written for me, have huge contrasts in dynamic rhythms and poetry, despite their Grevity. The Cancion y Danza was re-written for me by the composer Antonio Ruiz-Pipo and is performed with remembrances of Renaissance Spain. The Petite Suite was my first composition, winning an International Competition in the U.S.A. and played now by harpists all over the world.

The "In Memoriam" was written in my agony of Iraq and the Asian Tsunami. The last chord, suddenly in the major, invites hope. The Nocturnes by Glinka, Parish-Alvars and Liszt are in sensitive romantic modes and lovely melodic phrases. The two Zabel pieces are in the grand romantic tradition and the Debussy sounding better on the harp than the piano? The recording opens with four characteristic compositions by Marcel Tournier.These explore every aspect of the harp's rich palette of colours.

The "Glory of the Harp" brings together some of the most important pieces of eighteen century harp music. Included also are some earlier compositions.I have always wanted to record on a "single-action" harp. This type of harp was so important at the moment when the early forte-piano was competing with the harpsichord.It was louder and more expressive than contemporary keyboard instruments and spawned a vast number of compositions which are still unknown.

Mozart's famous Sonata in C was played by Francois Petrini (son of the harpist to Frederic the Great) and the Sonatas of Dussek and Cardon give one an idea of contemporary styles.Handel's Variations in Bb may have been written for the Harp and a late eighteenth century version exists. The Mozart Variations by Jean Baptiste Mayer and the Spohr Variations by Philip James Meyer are high points in harp compositions of the period and of course Lois Spohr's famous Fantasia in C minor is one of the great adornments of classical harp repertoire.This recording also includes Sonatas by Parry and Casanovas.

The two CD's of the "Triumph of Time" are subtitled "A Celebration of Love" as the songs and arias show Love in all its aspects. "The Triumph of Time" was Handel's first Oratorio written in Italy in 1707. Handel was 22 at the time and his extraordinary genius was already evident.

The last track on the first CD "Tu del ciel ministro eletto" is the last aria of this Oratotio with a violin obligato written for Corelli. During the recording I was moved to tears by the extraordinary music and Jane Leslie Mackenzie's wonderful singing.

The CD's include Handel's Largo, Where ere you walk, Ch'io Pianga etc: Included are great Arias by Purcell, Mozart, some great religious Arias, such as Bizet's Agnus Dei and Bach-Gounod's Ave Maria. Interspersed are instrumental interludes including my latest composition "A Welsh Landscape".

 

An Overview of my Discography

My first solo recordings were made when I became a Solo Recording Artist for R.C.A. and was able to record my Petite Suite for the first time. Also, a record of some of my favourite Spanish pieces which I often include in my recital programmes.

I recorded Ravel's Introduction and Allegro with the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Gerhardt. Both Zabeleta and I were heavily criticised for playing the work with extra strings. However I found a letter from Ravel to the conductor Ingelbrecht where he states that the work with extra strings would sound "better than the original"!! This recording became a best seller in the United States.

A very special memory is my friendship with the Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly. We re-wrote together his powerful "Wainamoinen Makes Music" for choir and Harp

Elizabeth Poston loved the harp and wrote "An English Day Book" for me and the Farnham Girls Choir. She also included beautiful harp parts and solos in "Welcome Child of Mary" which was founded on her "Penguin Book of English Carols."

I have never forgotton the recording of Guillaume de Mauchaut's music with the singer Nigel Rogers. The music still haunts me and I accompanied Nigel in "Nuls ne doit avoir merveille" on the small harp.

Andrzej  Panufnik's "Universal Prayer" is an astonishing and moving piece scored for solo singer, three solo harps, organ and choir. We were all rather frightened as Stokowski was so difficult to follow.

In the "Roman Dream" by Alun Hoddinott, I can still remember Margaret Price's memorable voice.

When I joined the "London Early Music Group" directed by James Tyler I thought I was in a musical heaven, although sometimes it was difficult commuting between a very small medieval harp and a very large modern concert harp.

In "Songs of the Hebridies" I collaborated with the singer Alison Pearce. I was completely beguiled by the music even though-and perhaps inappropriately-I accompanied the songs on a modern concert harp. However, it seems to have worked.

Raymond Leppard in his voluptuous orchestrations of Baroque Operas (the way he combined continuo instruments-harpsichords, lute and harp) made a huge impression on me. His "Leppardisatious" probably wouldn't be acceptable now- but how dramatic and exciting they were. One day, playing harp continuo in "Ritorno d'Ulisse" at Glynebourne, I broke a pedal spring in the Overture. Starting to sweat quietly, as there was another one and a half hours before the interval, I had to keep kicking the pedal up with a stocking foot. Apologising to Ray, he said "I thought you were rather slow on the uptake tonight."!

The harp plays an important role in the music of Elgar and Vaughan Williams. The lovely variations on "Dives and Lazarus" and the "Wasps" Suite by Vaughan Williams have prominent and tricky harp parts which lend a voluptuous romantisism to the music.

I was only 19 (with two years of harping behind me) when I played with the National Youth Orchestra. The harp arpeggi at the end of the Overture come out loud and clear!

The Trojans by Berlioz was one of the most spectacular productions when I was at the Royal Opera House. A battery of six harps sounded as impressive as they looked and the touching Aria "Chant d'Iopas" has a beautiful harp obligato.(see Music Gallery for photographs).

Nicolai Gedda was one of the great tenors that sang at Covent Garden and it was wonderful to accompany him.

Massenet's Werther has one of the most beautiful harp parts in any opera -not too difficult but very effective.

Rudolf Kempe was for me the greatest of all conductors-a musicians conductor-and I remember him guiding me through the tricky harp obligato in Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with Kyung-Wha Chung.

Leoncavallo's Pagliacci has a very telling harp part in a very exciting score and what an impressive line-up of famous singers!

When my father was confused about me wanting to become a profesional harpist, Sir Adrian Boult gave us much support (see letters) and so it was special to play under his baton, and of course the music of the Elgar was dear to his heart. I first played Britten's" Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra" under his baton and before the solo, was confused by the bar lines and suddenly PLAY BOY!!!

Alicia de Larrocha is one of my favourite pianists of all time-she made a single note sound so beautiful and with such carrying power. Ravel's Piano Concerto in G has a lovely and evocative Harp Cadenza.

Haitink recorded Stravinsky's Firebird with three harps (myself, Cherry Isherwoods,Frank Sternefeld) and what an exciting score.
 
I shall never forget recording the Valse des Fleurs Cadenza (The Nutcracker Suite) with Stokowski. He could not see very well and when I started to play, he shouted "Is it a Boy" (that took a long time to live down...) and kept on saying "I want it more 'ad libitum'." So I added lots of glissandi at the end. "No, I want it more 'ad libitum'," I am afraid I shouted back "Maestro, Isn't it 'ad libitum' enough. That kept him quiet!!  Vernon Handley, a greatly underestimated conductor, a disciple of Boult and with a similar technique, has been a great champion of English Music. Vaughan Williams' Greensleeves has a lovely but simple harp part.

Sir George Solti was an energetic and exciting conductor with a confusing beat. However I have a great debt of gratitude to him, as his protege, I was shown how to play in the orchestra. He became a champion of English Music and I recorded and played Elgar's Symphonies many times.

"La Mer" is certainly my most favourite composition by Debussy and the harps are an integral part of the tone palette. Debussy also wrote well for the harp so the parts are a delight to play. The opening of "Prelude a I'apres midi d'un faune" is lent impressionistic magic by a soft harp glissando after the flute solo.

Rimsky-Korsakov used the harp in "Capriccio Espagnol" to enhance the Spanish Atmosphere, and there is also a brilliant cadenza which is most enjoyable to play.

John Prichard was a consummate musician and elegant conductor. His direction of Mozart Operas was legendary.

Bartok's second violin concerto has a very effective but difficult harp part and opens with solo harp. It is a fascinating work with many quicksilver changes of mood.

Klaus Tennstedt was an extraordinary conductor and probably the finest when it came to the interpretations of Mahler and Bruckner. Juliana Markova, the pianist, was on tour with him in the United States and told me how wonderful he was, so I told Eric Bravington (the L.P.O.Chairman) about him and the rest is history!

Mahler's songs with orchestral accompaniment have a powerful simplicity and the harp is often a pivotal part in the orchestration. In Mahler's 5th Symphony, the adagietto became famous in the film "Death in Venice". Tennstedt always wanted the harp to sound important in this movement for strings and harp and not "thin rain drop sounds" as in some recordings. He always gave me confidence in the difficult "placing"of the notes.

In the last part of "Ariadne auf Naxos" the harps have a very prominent but tricky part to play. In a semi-staged performance at the Royal Albert Hall, I broke another pedal spring in the first part and wondered what we should do. As the harps and the piano were at the side of the stage, we upended the harp (I thought nobody would notice) but a new spring would not fit. We managed the parts quite favourably and maybe nobody noticed a little bit of simplification. However the music critic praised the performance and added: "Towards the end of the opera, there was a commotion in the orchestra when one of the harps was up-ended and adjustments seemingly being made. I suppose this is quite usual in the pit at Glyndebourn but on the stage at the Royal Albert Hall it was altogether too fascinating".

Job. A Masque for Dancing by Vaughan Williams is a rather lugubrious piece and certainly not a barrel of laughs-We always felt rather depressed after performing it.

Not much harp in this wonderful Requiem by Brahms and the harp is silent after the second movement and only appears in the last few bars. One prays that it has stayed in tune.

Again one of Vaughan Williams' telling harp parts in the "Sinfonia Antartica". I shall never forget Tennstedt's recording of Mahler's 8th Symphony-the "Symphony of a Thousand". The excitement, the changes of mood, fine singers and the thundering organ at the end. The harps only enter about 45 minutes after the beginning and then there is a moment of repose with the strings and solo harp. It is a moment of sheer musical magic.

I am covered in confusion when I remember (and many people too-no doubt) when I was so nervous that I got the chimes of Big Ben wrong -that was long before this magnificent recording conducted by Bernard Haitink of Vaughan Williams' London Symphony.

The Wagner Scenes with Jessys Norman and Tennstedt was my last orchestral recording with the London Philharmonic. Jessye Norman's vocal equipment was so extraordinary that she could sustain melodic lines so slowly and yet with such a warm tone. "Isn't she wonderful" I said to a colleague "Yes he said"-"If you like a bucket of cream thrown over you." During one take of the Liebestod, tears were running down my face and I could not see the music and I did not play. I was worried that it might have been Jessye's best take. Klaus said "don't worry- we shall do it again" and then I packed up my harp and left the orchestra....

 

Partial Discography 1957 - 1989
Title, Label, Number	Composer	Solo	Soloist	Ensemble Conductor	Date
The Romantic Harp Pyramid PYR LP1	Louis Spohr Nicholas Bochsa Mickhail Glinka Felix Godefroid Franz Liszt Albert Zabel Frédéric Chopin Elias Parish Alvars Alphonse Hasselmans Henriette Renié	Fantasy in C Minor Study in A Nocturne Concert Study Consolations No. 3 The Nightingale The Fountain Sad Marguerite at the Spinning Wheel Nocturne/Prelude in C Minor Romance in A Flat Chanson de Mai/Follets Contemplation			1989
The Kingdom RCA Red Seal - RK87862 (2)	Edward Elgar		Yvonne Kenny Alfreda Hodgson Christopher Gillet Benjamin Luxon	LPO Leonard Slatkin	1988
Scenes from Tristan und Isolde, Tannhäuser, Der Fliegende Holländer, Götterdämmerung EMI - 7 49759 1	Richard Wagner		Jesse Norman	LPO Klaus Tennstedt	1988
A London Symphony EMI - EL 7 49394 1	Ralph Vaughan Williams			LPO Bernard Haitink	1987
Symphony No. 8 EMI - 27 0434 3	Gustav Mahler			LPO Klaus Tennstedt	1987
King Olaf EMI - EX 27 0553 3	Edward Elgar		Teresa Cahill Philip Langridge Brian Rayner Cook	LPO Vernon Handley	1987
Symphony No. 1 Chandos - ABRD 1161	Edward Elgar			LPO Bryden Thomson	1986
La Mer, Prélude à l'aprè-midi d'un faune, Jeux EMI - EMX 41 20901	Claude Debussy			LPO Serge Baudo	1986
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, Wasps - Aristophanic Suite EMI - EMX 41 20821	Ralph Vaughan Williams	Strings & harp only in Dives: harp obligato in Wasps		LPO Vernon Handley	1985
Sinfonia Antartica EMI - 27 0318 1	Ralph Vaughan Williams		Sheila Armstrong	LPO Bernard Haitink	1985
Ein Deutsches Requiem EMI - 27 0313 1	Johannes Brahms		Jessye Norman	LPO Klaus Tennstedt	1985
Job - A Masque for Dancing EMI - EMX 41 20561	Ralph Vaughan Williams			LPO Vernon Handley	1984
Symphony No. 3 EMI - SLS 5195	Gustav Mahler			LPO Klaus Tennstedt	1980
Ariadne auf Naxos DECCA - D103D 3	Richard Strauss		Leontyne Price Edita Gruberova René Kollo Tatiana Troyanos Walter Berry Erich Kunz	LPO Sir Georg Solti	1979
Symphony No. 5 Symphony No 10  (Adagio) EMI - SLS 5169	Gustav Mahler	Adagietto for strings and harp		LPO Klaus Tennstedt	1979
Lieder CBS Masterworks - 76282	Gustav Mahler		Fredrica von Stade	LPO Andrew Davis	1979
Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria CBS Masterworks - 79332	Claudio Monteverdi	Harp Obligato	Fredrica von Stade Richard Stilwell	LPO Raymond Leppard	1979
Falstaff Lambert & Butler Master Series CFP 40313	Edward Elgar			LPO Vernon Handley	1979
The Dawn of Romance EMI - CSD 3785	Music of the Troubadors	Ensemble with Mediaeval Harp		Martin Best	1978
Symphony No. 1 EMI - ASD 3541	Gustav Mahler			LPO Klaus Tennstedt	1978
Violin Concerto No. 2 DECCA - SXL 6802	Bela Bartók		Kyung-Wha Chung	LPO Sir Georg Solti	1978
Songs of the Hebrides Meridian - E77008		Land of H eart's Desire A 13 C. Love Lilt Sleeps the noon in the deep blue sky Heart of Fire-Love The Wild Swan Birds at the Fairy Fulling Dance to your Shadow Uist Cattle Croon The Witchery Milking Croon Kishmul's Galley The Black Loorgin An Eriskay Love Lilt The Rune of Columcill The Harper Loch Leven Love Lament A Fairy's Love Song Skye Water-Kelpie's Lullaby The Cockle Gatherer Benbecula Bridal Procession Aignish on the Machair	Alison Pearce		1978
Music for All Seasons RCA Red Seal - RL 25159(2)	Philip van Wilder Anon Richard Pygott Robert Fayrfax Anon	Je fille Dieu me donne de quay Madame d'Amours Quid Petis, O Fily? benedicite! Whate Dremyd I? Jay Pryse Amours (Harp solo)	Paul Elliott Paul Elliott Paul Elliott	London Early Music Group James Tyler	1978
Introduction and Allegro and French Music RCA Red Seal - RL 25094	Maurice Ravel Satie Fauré		William Bennett James Brown	NPO Charles Gerhart	1978
Spanish Music for Harp RCA - RL 25099	Antonio de Cabezon Lucas Riuz de Ribayz Alonso Mudarra Manuel Blasco de Nebra Rafael Angles Antonio Soler Joaquin Turina Isaac Albeniz Lopez Chavarri Antonio Ruiz-Pipo Manuel de Falla	Pavane & Variations Hachas Tiento and Fantasia Sonata No. V Aria in D Minor Two Sonatas Sacro Monte Granada El Viejo Castillo Moro Endecha Cancion y Danza Danse du Corregidor Homenage Danse du Meunier			1977
William Byrd and His Contemporaries RCA Red Seal - RL 25110	Robert Johnson Thomas Morley John Dowland William Byrd	Satyres Masque Alman (Harp solo) Can Shee Excuse Praise Our Lord, All Ye Gentiles Wedded to Will is Witless	Paul Elliott	London Early Music Group James Tyler	1977
An American in Paris Porgy & Bess Suite WD & HO Wills Master Series CFP 40240	George Gershwin			LPO John Pritchard	1976
Music for Harp RCA Red Seal - LRL1 5087	William Croft John Parry Thomas Arne Narciso Cassanovas Antonio Soler Domenico Scarlatti Louis Spohr Marcel Tournier Lennox Berkely David Watkins	Sarabande/Ground Sonata in D Gigue from Sonata No.3 in G Sonata in F Sonata in E Minor Sonata in G Fantasie in C Minor Vers La Source dans Le Bois Nocturne Petite Suite			1975
Capriccio Italien Capriccio Espagnol EMI - ASD 3093	Peter Tchaikovsky Rimsky-Korsakov	Solo cadenza in Espagnol		LPO Sir Adrian Boult	1975
La Mer, prelude a l'arpe midi d'un faune, Masques et Bergamasques Suite WD & HO Wills Master Series CFP 40231	Claude Debussy Gabriel Fauré			LPO Vernon Handley	1975
Symphony No.2 DECCA - SXL 6723	Edward Elgar			LPO Sir Georg Solti	1975
Fantasia on Greensleeves WD & HO Wills Master Series CFP 40068	Ralph Vaughan Williams			LPO Vernon Handley	1974
The Nutcraker Suite Capriccio Italien Philips - 6599 766	Peter Tchaikovsky	Valse des Fleurs - cadenza		LPO Leopold Stokowski	1974
Petrouchka Philips - 6599 620	Igor Stravinsky			LPO Bernard Haitink	1974
Firebird Philips - 6599 621	Igor Stravinsky			LPO Bernard Haitink	1974
La Bohéme RCA Red Label - ARL2 0371	Giacomo Puccini		Placido Domingo Montserrat Caballé Sherrill Milnes Raimondi	LPO Georg Solti	1974
Concerto for Left Hand Concerto for Piano & Orch Fantaisie for Piano & Orch DECCA - EXL 6680	Ravel Fauré	Cadenza in piano concerto	Alicia De Larrocha	LPO Lawrence Foster Rafael Frühbeck De Burgos	1974
Falstaff, The Sanguine Fan EMI - ASD 2970	Edward Elgar			LPO Sir Adrian Boult	1974
Pagliacci RCA Red Seal - SER 5635/6	Ruggiero Leoncavallo		Placido Domingo Montserrat Caballé Sherrill Milnes Barry McDaniel Loe Goeke	LSO Nello Santi	1972
Scottish Fantasia DECCA - SXL 6573	Max Bruch	Harp obligato	Kyung-Wha Chung	RPO Rudolf Kempe	1972
Roman Dream Argo - ZRG 691	Alun Hoddinott		Margaret Price Gerald English	Cardiff Festival Players James Lockhart	1972
Werther EMI - ASD 3794	Jules Massenet		Alfredo Kraus Tatiana Troyanos Jules Bastin	LPO Michel Plasson	1971
Universal Prayer Unicorn - RHS 305	Andre Panufnik	Harp solos and accompaniments	April Cantelo Helen Watts Roger Stalman John Mitchinson	The Louis Halsey Singers Leopold Stokowski	1970
Les Troyens Philips - 6500 029	Hector Berlioz	Chant d'lopas	Ian Partridge	Royal Opera House Colin Davis	1969
Popular Arias EMI - ASD 3794	Various		Nicolai Gedda	Royal Opera House Giuseppe Patané	1969
Guillaume de Mauchaut L'oiseau-Lyre - SOL310	Guillaume de Mauchaut	Nuls ne doit avoir merveille and other ensemble pieces	Nigel Rogers	The Ourcell Choir with Instrumental Ensemble Grayston Burgess	1969
Welcome, Child of Mary EMI - HQS 1092		Several Solos	Margaret Price Pamela Bowden James Christiansen	Ambrosian Singers The Garvent Orchestra Douglas Robinson	1967
Farnham Festival ERASE - EO 181	Elizabeth Poston	An English Day Book		Aldershot County High School Festival Choir Pamela Verrall	1967
Kodaly Girls' Choir of Budapest Columbia / EMI - SX 6014	Benjamin Britten Zoltán Kodály	Balulalow, This Little Babe Wainamoinen Makes Music		Kodaly Girls' Choir of Budapest Ilona Andor	1966
National Youth Orchestra GB PYE - CCL 30105	Georges Bizet	L'Arlesienne		The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain Walter Susskind	1957