This album was recorded in September 2016 at the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Presentación in Alconadilla, Segovia, Spain.
Album & Artwork
The album title, 'The Harp's Theatre,' reflects the performer Sara Águeda's concept of imagining the solo harp repertoire as theatrical scenes with characters and situations.
Instruments
The 'cross-strung harp' (arpa de dos órdenes) appeared in Spain in the mid-16th century, as confirmed by Juan de Bermudo in 1555, to accommodate the increasing chromaticism in music.
Composer Biography
Juan Hidalgo, a prolific composer of 'Tonos' featured on this album, was a musician of the Royal Chapel, right-hand man to playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca, and a distinguished harp player.
Instruments
The cross-strung harp was an innovative Spanish invention that added a chromatic set of strings between the diatonic ones, making it a chromatic instrument.
Composition History
Many pieces on this album are 'Tonos,' vocal works for one or two voices with religious ('Tonos Divinos') or secular ('Tonos Humanos') poetic texts, often performed with harp.
Historical Context
For two centuries (1650-1750), the cross-strung harp was a prominent instrument in the Iberian Peninsula, used in church services, palace theatre, and 'corral de comedias' (comedy theatre).
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