Harp Dances (2012)

Her recordings for smaller labels have been considerably more experimental, but here, for the major Decca label, Italian harpist Floraleda Sacchi attempts a revival of the rather hoary genre of the harp recital, putting together a program of Spanish and Latin American music further unified by its concentration on dance rhythms. That said, the program's appeal resides in its variety. Much of the music is arranged for harp from piano works, but there are several harp originals: those by Carlos Salzédo and the short Danza de ... Read More

Her recordings for smaller labels have been considerably more experimental, but here, for the major Decca label, Italian harpist Floraleda Sacchi attempts a revival of the rather hoary genre of the harp recital, putting together a program of Spanish and Latin American music further unified by its concentration on dance rhythms. That said, the program's appeal resides in its variety. Much of the music is arranged for harp from piano works, but there are several harp originals: those by Carlos Salzédo and the short Danza de la amapola of Rodrigo. There's an interesting tension between these two groups. The Salzédo pieces, rather dry evocations of dances from several period of musical history, are filled with special harp effects and are scaled to the capabilities of the instrument, but in the likes of the transcription of Ernesto Lecuona's fiery Zambra Gitana, heard here on the harp for the first time, the harp is in unfamiliar territory. Sacchi excels here: she can spin a web of notes in the harp's... Read Less