Rachel Talitman and Etienne Plasman - Parish-Alvars: Harp Recital (2023)

Rachel Talitman was born in Tel-Aviv. After graduating the Music Academy at the Tel-Aviv University she came to Brussels to study with Suzanne Mildonian at the Royal Conservatory of Music where she obtained the 'diplome supérieur' for harp and chamber music with distinction. At the same time she specialised in French music Pierre Jamet in Paris. Prize Winner of the Tenuto Virtuosity Competition in 1975, the International Harp Competition of Paris 1976 and the International Harp Competition Cazala 1977. Harp professor at the Antwerpen Royal Conservatory till 1985. In 1980 she created with the bassoon player Luc Loubry the Harpeggio Ensemble, which has the aim of playing, recording and promoting the unknown repertory of the harp, which is rich of composers and compositions that contributed to the virtuosity developement and recognition of this instrumrnt as solo and chamber music. The discography of Rachel Talitman is vast and original, covering the repertoire of the harp solo, chamber music and concertos. Parish-Alvars Elie The famous English harpist and composer Parish-Alvars was born at Teignmouth in 1808. He studied the harp first in London with François Dizi, and later in Paris with Theodor Labarre and Nicholas Charles Bochsa. In Germany, where he gave his first concert- tour (1831) playing in Bremen, Hamburg and other cities his virtuosity as a harpist enchanted the public of his time. To great acclaim he made an Italian tour in 1834. Two years later he played in Vienna where he decided eventually to settle. Here some years later he received the title of chamber harpist to the Emperor. Between 1838 and 1842 he made a tour of the Orient, and, on his return, his career as a solo virtuoso harpist brought him admiration and fame throughout Europe, giving recitals in Leipzig, Berlin, Frankfort Dresden and Prague and elsewhere. Berlioz described him as the 'Liszt of the harp' and' as a magician.' His meeting in Leipzig with Mendelssohn in 1846 and the friendship which developed between them had a great influence on his later compositions. An outstanding composer, he produced harp concertos, fantasias, romances, and various other pieces for the harp, although for a long period many of his works were little played, due to their technical difficulties and virtuoso complications. He died in 1849 in Vienna of tuberculosis. In this recital Rachel Talitman presents the different styles of his compositions from the 'Danse des Fées' which, with particular sonorities and great virtuosity transports us to an imaginary dreamland, to the 'Grande Fantaisie,' a souvenir of his visit to Milan where the Italian romantic influence blends with his most complex and revolutionary virtuoso achievements. 'Voyage d'un Harpsite En Orient'- During his journey to the orient he collected many popular Eastern melodies -Turkish, Greek, Armenian,Bulgarian and an ancient Hebraic prayer -melody . He dedicated these melodies 'to the instrument of the poesie- the harp.' They were first performed by him before the Sultan and Princesse Morousi of Constantinople .By composing these charming pieces he succeeded in accentuating the possibilities of the harp as an especially melodious instrument. .Together with his friend the Austrian composer Joseph Fahrbach (1804-1883) who was himself a gifted flutist (and guitarist),they composed the 'Fantasia sur les themes de Bellini 'for flute and harp. At the end of an impressive introduction comes the main theme which includes dazzling and brilliant variations for both the flute and harp.