Fiori ritrovati

Emanuela Battigelli, harp. Artesuono, 2023.

Also of note this month is Emanuela Battigelli’s captivating world premiere recording of solo works by Francesco Bellotta, Fiori ritrovati(Flowers Rediscovered). He was described shortly before his untimely death in 1907 as having written “many beautiful compositions for harp…of a simple, confident style, and of a particular and brilliant genius.” Like bel canto arias, these melodies were born in Naples during the height of opera’s popularity. Each is a polished gem played with grace and panache. Take the deceptively simple Melodia which Battigelli accords an alluring refinement, even as things venture into more complexity. Similarly I canarini, Scherzo caratteristico is ebullient and exuberant. Bellotta further explores line, phrasing, and legato in a series of Sei Studi in forma di Melodie, offering an opportunity for Battigelli to expand her range of nuance and expressiveness. Of particular loveliness is Il mormorio del Mediterraneo taking us to a gentle surf lapping at our toes in warm sand. 

Nel Dolce Tempo

Daniele Garella

Also from Italy is another set of world premiere recordings from the dreamily eloquent music of Daniele Garella for solo harp, Nel Dolce Tempo. This set of 23 masterfully presented compositions is drawn from mandatory works for the International Harp Contest in Italy ‘Suoni d’Arpa.’ The talented Emanuela Degli Esposti interprets three Celtic Suites, Nos 3, 4, and 5, with a deft touch. Singable melodies, these works are like visions of another world as seen through the lens of a Florentine; ancient-sounding as if a part of the musical vocabulary for centuries and yet products of our time. Espoti offers each of these tiny three-minute jewels a poetic quality. Harpist Ieuan Jones brings a crisper sound to a final set of solo compositions. Racconto d’autunno and Le Colline di Firenze areparticularly lovely. If you have had the good fortune to visit Florence and stood in front of Botticelli’s magnificent Primavera, Daniele Garella’s music would be a fitting soundtrack. And worth noting, all of these compositions are available as downloadable sheet music. •