British harpist Alexander Rider’s new album, Fresque Marine: Forgotten French Treasures for Harp, Volume 1, features a selection of French repertoire performed on a 1902 Érard harp. The album will be released worldwide August 5 on Willowhayne Records.
After receiving a fellowship for research at the end of his studies in London, Rider looked for little-known music from 19th- and 20th-century France. Rider describes the music as delicate and intimate, well-suited to the salon concerts of the time. But as the harp developed and became bigger, stronger, and more contemporary, Rider says this music was largely left behind. “I just think it is really a refreshing change for the senses to go back to this music now,” he says. “After World War One the harp just got bigger and bigger and was having to compete with bigger orchestras, but this music goes back to something really different and special.”
Rider plans to record two more volumes of his repertoire finds in the future. To learn more, check out Rider’s Facebook or Instagram pages.
Read Rider’s feature article on the sound of the harp in the March/April 2021 issue of Harp Column.
