John THOMAS: Complete Duos for Harp and Piano, Volume One
Harpist to Queen Victoria, the Welsh composer John Thomas (1826–1913) was also a prolific composer for his own instrument, writing works both for solo harp and for duos of two harps or harp and piano – a combination where the different sounds of the two instruments enhances 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
Duo Praxedis: Praxedis Hug-Rütti (harp); Praxedis Geneviève Hug (piano)
Listen To This Recording:
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Souvenir du Nord (1854)
- Introduction: Allegro con spirito –
- Theme: Andante con moto –
- Var. 1: Moderato –
- Var. 2: Allegro brillante –
- Var. 3: Andante cantabile –
- Var. 4: Allegro scherzando
- Adelaide, Op. 46
- I Serch Hudol (‘Love’s Fascination’): Moderato spiritoso
- II Toriad y Dydd (‘The Dawn of Day’): Larghetto affettuoso – Allegro agitato
- III Gwyr Harlech (‘Men of Harlech’): Moderato maestoso
- I Y Gadlys (‘The Camp’): Allegro maestoso
- II Y Ferch o’r Scer (‘The Lady of Sker’): Andante espressivo
- III Tros y Garreg (‘Crossing the Stone’): Allegro scherzando
- I Dewch i’r Frwydyr: Maestoso
- II Cwynfan Prydain (‘Britain’s Lament’): Larghetto
- III Hela’r sgyvarnog (‘Hunting the Hare’): Allegro
- Duet on Subjects from Bizet’s Carmen
- Gigue
- Marche solennelle
- I Allegro con brio
- II Adagio
- III Allegro con spirito
BEETHOVEN: Adelaide, Op. 46 (c. 1795, transcr. 1875)
Welsh Duets*
No. 1, Dyddiau Mebyd (‘Scenes of Childhood’) (1862)
No. 2, Cambria (1863)
No. 3, Dewch i’r Frwydyr (‘Come to Battle’) (1886)
Duet on Subjects from Bizet’s Carmen (1885)
HANDEL: Gigue from Water Music, Suite No. 3 in G major (1736, transcr. 1882)
GOUNOD: Marche solennelle (1889)
Grand Duet in E flat minor (1865)*
FIRST RECORDINGS
*FIRST RECORDINGS IN THIS VERSION
MusicWeb International :
‘Well recorded and accompanied by excellent documentation, these fine performances by Duo Praxedis are thoroughly enjoyable and also constitute a valuable document of the work of an important Victorian musician now too often forgotten. I am pleased by the implicit promise in the use of the phrase “Volume One” in the title of this disc.’
—Glyn Pursglove, MusicWeb International