John THOMAS: Complete Duos for Harp and Piano, Volume One

Catalogue No: TOCC0561
EAN/UPC: 5060113445612
Release Date: 2020-09-04
Composer: Charles Gounod, George Frideric Handel, John Thomas, Ludwig van Beethoven
Artists: Duo Praxedis

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:

    Souvenir du Nord (1854)

  1. Introduction: Allegro con spirito –
  2. Theme: Andante con moto –
  3. Var. 1: Moderato –
  4. Var. 2: Allegro brillante –
  5. Var. 3: Andante cantabile –
  6. Var. 4: Allegro scherzando
  7. BEETHOVEN: Adelaide, Op. 46 (c. 1795, transcr. 1875)

  8. Adelaide, Op. 46
  9. Welsh Duets*
    No. 1, Dyddiau Mebyd (‘Scenes of Childhood’) (1862)

  10. I Serch Hudol (‘Love’s Fascination’): Moderato spiritoso
  11. II Toriad y Dydd (‘The Dawn of Day’): Larghetto affettuoso – Allegro agitato
  12. III Gwyr Harlech (‘Men of Harlech’): Moderato maestoso
  13. No. 2, Cambria (1863)

  14. I Y Gadlys (‘The Camp’): Allegro maestoso
  15. II Y Ferch o’r Scer (‘The Lady of Sker’): Andante espressivo
  16. III Tros y Garreg (‘Crossing the Stone’): Allegro scherzando
  17. No. 3, Dewch i’r Frwydyr (‘Come to Battle’) (1886)

  18. I Dewch i’r Frwydyr: Maestoso
  19. II Cwynfan Prydain (‘Britain’s Lament’): Larghetto
  20. III Hela’r sgyvarnog (‘Hunting the Hare’): Allegro
  21. Duet on Subjects from Bizet’s Carmen (1885)

  22. Duet on Subjects from Bizet’s Carmen
  23. HANDEL: Gigue from Water Music, Suite No. 3 in G major (1736, transcr. 1882)

  24. Gigue
  25. GOUNOD: Marche solennelle (1889)

  26. Marche solennelle
  27. Grand Duet in E flat minor (1865)*

  28. I Allegro con brio
  29. II Adagio
  30. III Allegro con spirito

FIRST RECORDINGS
*FIRST RECORDINGS IN THIS VERSION

1 review for John THOMAS: Complete Duos for Harp and Piano, Volume One

  1. :

    ‘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

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