John Thomas: Complete Duos for Harp and Piano, Volume Four
Harpist to Queen Victoria, the Welsh composer John Thomas (1826–1913) also wrote prolifically for his own instrument, both for solo harp and for duos of two harps or harp and piano – a combination where the different sounds of the two instruments enhance the clarity of the texture. Thomas’ original works use the elegant Romantic style of his own day, but he often drew on Welsh folksong for his inspiration and also left a generous legacy of transcriptions, especially of operatic favourites. Although some of his music was intended for the Victorian drawing room, other pieces require a virtuoso technique – and all of it has a thoroughly engaging melodic appeal.
Duo Praxedis
Praxedis Hug-Rütti, harp
Praxedis Geneviève Hug, piano
Listen To This Recording:
Luigi Arditi arr. John Thomas
- Il Bacio. Valse (1861) (3:46)
Giacomo Meyerbeer arr. John Thomas
Meyerbeer’s favorite Opera ‘Dinorah’ (1860) (22:22)
- No. 1, Shadow Air (5:24)
- No. 2, Cradle Song (5:48)
- No. 3, Fanciulle che il core (4:45)
- No. 4, Santa Maria (6:25)
Vincenzo Bellini arr. John Thomas
- Duet on Themes from ‘Norma’ (arr. 1884) (11:41)
Gioachino Rossini arr. John Thomas
- La Carità (6:26)
Luigi Arditi arr. John Thomas
- The Ilma Valse (arr. 1866) (3:05)
- L’Estasi. Valse (arr. 1867) (4:17)
John Thomas
Harp Concerto No. 1 (1847)
- Andantino (arr. 1854/1868) (6:57)
- March of the Welsh Fusiliers (1896) (3:42)
First Recordings
Pizzicato :
‘Der walisische Komponist John Thomas (1826-1913) John Thomas hat die Harfe als willkommenes Unterhaltungsinstrument angesehen und entsprechend komponiert. Die reizvollen Transkriptionen von Opernhits machen das Programm dieser CD besodnbers gefällig. Der Harfenist von Königin Victoria komponierte und arrangierte in einem eleganten romantischen Stil. Bei ihm ergänzen sich Harfe und Klavier besonders gut, und in den Interpretationen des Duos Praxedis klingt das besonders fein, weil die beiden Musikerinnen ihre Instrumente jeweils charakteristisch und rhetorisch einsetzen.’
—Norbert Tischer, Pizzicato
Fanfare Magazine :
‘The harp’s contributions by Praxedis Hug-Rütti are particularly beautifully varied in this movement, while Praxedis Geneviève Hug allows her melodies to sing with a real sense of cantabile on the piano. Everything seems perfectly proportioned and perfectly scaled.
I mentioned Bellini above, and frankly it comes as no surprise that his music appears here: a duet on Norma. This 1884 medley begins in the grandest of manners: Thomas chooses six themes, not one of which is “Casa Diva,” as if reminding us that Bellini’s endless melody exists elsewhere, too. Adalgisa’s duet with Norma is terrific; somehow, within a limited dynamic range, Duo Praxedis reminds us of Bellini’s capacity for lyric drama. The whole medley is, frankly, heavenly. At nearly 12 minutes, this is one long flow; there is a moment of wonder at around 3:50 when the piano takes over the harp melody absolutely seamlessly. Anyone would think that the players are telepathic sisters. The use of harp harmonics at around six minutes (a Rückblick to the sacred forests of the first act) is perfectly effective. The garlanding of the piano melody towards the end by harp arpeggios is wonderfully managed.
This is the penultimate album of woks for harp by John Thomas: so there is more to come, albeit with an end in sight. All aspects of the disc’s production are superb, but the sheer depth of analysis and historical context given in the booklet notes by Cornelius Witthoefft should be acknowledged. You won’t be disappointed; this disc is fabulous throughout, a pure joy from first to last.’
—Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine, Sept/Oct 2024