Martin Stauning, the composer of the Harp Concerto, trained as a ballet dancer and had early stage experience portraying Marie's son in Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck.
Performer Biography
Zachary Hatcher, the American harpist for whom the concerto was written, started playing the harp at age four and was the first American harpist admitted to the Paris Conservatory.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stauning often creates 'greatly reduced tonal spaces' in his work, allowing listeners to freely associate with the titles rather than providing actual narratives or program music.
Recording & Production
This album is a world premiere recording of Martin Stauning's Harp Concerto, captured live at Koncertsalen, DR Koncerthuset, in May 2021.
Compositional Technique
A central 'mirroring' technique in the concerto involves the solo harpist's plucking of a string eliciting an instantaneous 'mirror' reaction from the orchestra, as if the ensemble were a giant puppet theatre.
Composition History
Stauning's Harp Concerto was commissioned by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra for its solo harpist, American harpist Zachary Hatcher, and composed during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
Compositional Technique
The Harp Concerto uses a reduced upper string section, with eight players in each section, to give the solo harp greater freedom and space, inspired by Luciano Berio's Chemins I for harp.
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