Search - Elizabeth Hainen :: Music for Solo Harp

Gorgeous!

Kevin Currie-Knight | Newark, Delaware | 01/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For a long time, I've loved music for the solo harp. For a long time, too, I've (please forgive me) not been a fan of the market of solo harp recordings. Why? Honestly, it comes down to the selection of peices. That is, too many solo harp records either tend to fall into a mode of ultra-glissando bombasticness, or are simply trying to be too 'pretty' and end up instead as pretty boring. That is no more. This CD is neither. We have a wide range of classical and romantic pieces here. Instead of the 'showpiece' mentality of relying way too much on glissando heavy arpeggiation, these peices are very tasteful and melodic, all the while being well suited for harp (both single- and double-action by the way). Second, while a few of these peices are quite pretty and charming, there is enough of a mix here to keep things from being 'too' polite and ornament-like. The show stealers? My favorites here are Rosetti's sonata 2 (and Rosetti really is a great classical period composer so you should check him out anyway), both Liszt arrangements, and Willhelm Posse's etudes. But as I said before, these peices range from a fantastically tense harp solo from a Donizetti opera to a Chopin etude. Quite diverse, and all of the pieces have a different beauty to them. I've not even mentioned Elizabeth Hainen yet. What is most striking is that while these pieces cover such diverse territory, she plays each in a style completely appropriate to it. The Rosetti, for instance, she plays in the 'pretty' and lyrical fashion one would expect from a classical period etude, while the Liszt 'Sospiro', she plays with the grace and out-and-out emotionalism that Liszt himself likely would have wanted. Long and short, she keeps it appropriate at all times. This recording is not to be missed, both for harp officionados and casual listeners."

The Philly Sound-The Harp Column July/August 2002 Volume 10

eliharp | Philadelphia, Music Critic | 08/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"(excerpt)Perhaps to the credit-or detriment-of producers and engineers, solo harp recordings often seem to have an overly-present quality, leaning toward brighter timbres and crisp articulation. But Hainen's offering is indeed reminiscent of the Philadelphians' legendary and eponymous sound: Warm, broad, and yes, lush.
Appropriately enough, Hainen leads off the album with an old Philly favorite, the third of Liszt's three Liebestraume. Hainen shows admirable restraint and exemplary musicality in her tasteful rendition of what has become largely a Liberacean confection for many pianists. And indeed, there is something about her sound that sets her apart from most soloists and even other orchestral harpists.
Especially interesting for a Philadelphia Orchestra aficionado is how Hainen's playing reflects the present soundscape of a group once known primarily for its reading of Romantic works: Her playing is as expansive as it is lean, as flashy as it is reserved, and as technical as it is expressive. Indeed, the congnoscenti will tell you, accurately, that the Philadelphians have never sounded better. A most impressive crop of new principals have, in their brand-new concert hall, shown that the band still leads the pack in its ability to blend, dazzle, and alter its style as the music dictates. Elizabeth Hainen is a wonderful embodiment of the "new" Philadelphia sound and a perfect example of how the best musicians can make their instruments become a symphony orchestra, even on their own."

Must have harp recording

eliharp | Philadelphia, Music Critic | 07/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Virtuosity and expression are not the first two traits most listeners associate with the harp. But Elizabeth Hainen makes a case for the instrument as something more than the angel-food cake of the orchestra in this budget release of transcriptions and works written especially for harp. Her fine, fast work in Liszt's Liebestraume brings to a harpist of considerably more skill than we ordinarily have a chance to hear from her principal harp chair in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Elias Parish Alvars' Serenade is a kind of bel canto for harp-fanciful ornamentation and strong melody-and Hainen treats it as such. She also gets a lovely bell tone. The best thing about Hainen's playing is the way she makes a melody sing. It's hard to imagine Glinka's Nocturne sounding more musical."