Germaine Tailleferre, a prolific composer and member of the French group Les Six, faced obstacles in her musical education as her father initially forbade her training.
Interpretation
Modern harps offer greater dynamic and tonal possibilities compared to Baroque harps, which had a limited dynamic range due to lower string tension.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Germaine Tailleferre's music, influenced by Pablo Picasso's advice to avoid identical repetition, evolves organically with continual variations and aims for a 'gay, that sparkled' quality.
Composition History
Germaine Tailleferre's Harp Concertino, composed in 1927, is dedicated to her husband at the time, caricaturist Ralph Barton.
Composer Biography
Germaine Tailleferre studied composition with Gabriel Fauré and befriended leading artists like Maurice Ravel, her orchestration teacher, and Pablo Picasso.
Performer Biography
Marie-Pierre Langlamet, the harpist on this recording, has been with the Berliner Philharmoniker since 1993, having previously played with the Orchestre philharmonique de Nice and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Interpretation
The harpist on this recording plays Händel's Concerto on a modern instrument, as the historical triple harp for which it was composed is a 'completely different instrument and, for me, unplayable'.
You might also enjoy...
Bach: Concertos for Two Pianos and Strings & Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Händel
Double Bass Recital: Sinclair, David - Hoffmeister, F.A. / Pichl, W. / Vanhal, J.B. (Forgotten Treasures, Vol. 3)
English Works for Viola & Orchestra
Beyond.
Holmboe: Recorder Concerto / Flute Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
