Berlin-based harpist Joel von Lerber is releasing his second album, Légende, on May 27 on the Claves Records label. The album will be available on all platforms, including Spotify and Amazon Music, and through Claves Records. We reached out to von Lerber to learn more about his CD.
How did you come up with the idea for Légende? How did you choose the repertoire for the album?
This is my second CD, and the first one was also solo works for harp. This time most of the pieces are based on poems or stories. Légende [by Renié] is based on a poem, also Châtelaine en sa tour [by Fauré] and Danse des lutins [by Renié]. Then there’s Rossignol [by Liszt, arranged by Renié], and Carnival of Venice [by Posse]. Everything tells a story—except Paganini Variations [by Mchedelov], but Paganini was a legend.
Can you tell us about the recording process? What were the most challenging and the most rewarding moments of making the CD?
One of the most rewarding moments was when it finally came out. There are a lot of satisfying moments, but it was quite a long project—it’s been almost a year since I recorded it. Since I’m from Switzerland, I thought this time I would like to release something with a Swiss label. [Because Claves Records is] one of the biggest Swiss labels, they only release 15 CDs a year, so they said the next available spot is in May 2022.
Definitely, the rewarding thing is when the music is out, and people can listen to it and enjoy it.
Do you have any other upcoming projects?
I have a lot of concerts next week. I’m playing another live show next Monday, similar to my pre-release event here in Berlin. Then I’m playing two concerts in Italy and teaching close to Venice in the Salvi harp factory. After that, in June, I will perform the Concierto Serenata by Rodrigo three times: in Brandenburg, Potsdam (close to Berlin), and in Poland.
Also during the pandemic last year, I started the Berlin International Harp Master Class. The deadline is June 31. This will happen every year here in Berlin, for one week of masterclasses with a concert.
Check out our interview with von Lerber in the January/February 2019 issue of Harp Column, following his second-place finish at the 20th International Harp Contest in Israel. For a sneak peek at the album, watch von Lerber’s video single of “Colorado Trail” by Marcel Grandjany, below. You can also visit his website or Instagram account.
