Rossignol en amour Œuvres pour harpe

Description

Do you associate the beauty of flowers with that of birds? I do. Here is a lovely bouquet of these "little servants of immaterial joy" (Messiaen), offered to us by Agnès Clément, a harpist by profession who also has a great sense of humor (photo on the back cover). Birds are not the only focus, as the program obviously includes some works written for the harp. Let's skip over Hindemith's little sonata, which is as discreet as it is anecdotal (via the poem "Ihr Freunde, hänget"). The two pieces by Liszt are indeed legitimate transcriptions by Agnès Clément, but they add nothing to the listening experience, except for a sustained reverberation characteristic of the instrument. On the other hand, the adaptation of 18th-century French works for the harp is delightful. Rameau's "Le rappel des oiseaux," Daquin's "Coucou et Rossignol," and of course Couperin's "Le Rossignol en amour" are little gems, tender and mischievous, crafted like the sanguines of Antoine Watteau. The variations by Parish-Alvars ("the Liszt of the harp" (Berlioz)) and Wilhelm Posse (1919) highlight the virtuoso technique of the performer. Three centuries of music, three repertoires (harpsichord, piano, and harp), three themes (love, nature, still life): this beautiful portrait disc allows us to discover a sensitive artist, currently the solo harpist at the Monnaie orchestra. (Jérôme Angouillant)