CDs recorded by John Hadden -- Andrew Lawrence-King - La Harpe Royale

Fanfare
"If any earthly harpist has booked his place among the heavenly hosts it must surely be Andrew Lawrence-King. Mind you, on the evidence of this disc, if he does pass through the pearly gates (not for a long time yet, one fervently hopes) there are likely to be more than a few raised eyebrows, for this is playing as far removed from the traditional image of the harp as a pretty, tinkling instrument as it is possible to go. Playing a large triple harp based on Italian seventeenth century models, Lawrence-King draws an almost unbelievable variety of sonorities and dynamics that range from soothingly whispered arpeggios to hard-hitting percussive chords, from silvery treble to a rich black bass that appears to emerge from the deepest of depths. But it would be quite wrong to give the impression that the program is primarily a shop window for the performer's virtuosity, for the music is of too high a quality, and Lawrence-King too sensitive a player, to fall into that trap. He has taken as his starting point the harp's historical royal connections, basing the recital around music that has connections with the court of Louis XIV. All of the pieces are of course transcribed from either lute or keyboard works; but given the close relationship between timbre of the triple harp and the larger members of the lute family, and given that so much French keyboard music of the period derives from lute techniques, they are adaptations that work highly effectively. Indeed, so versatile is the instrument and so persuasive is the playing that there are times when the listener is prone to the rather naughty feeling that this is the ideal way to hear these works. Further detailed comment really would be superfluous, for this is the kind of artistry that utterly disarms critical faculties. Suffice it to add that the performer has provided a note of unusual interest that includes a concise and valuable description of the instrument, and that DHM's engineers have captured every subtle nuance with the utmost fidelity. Unreservedly recommended to both mortal and angelic hosts."

Jean le Flelle, harpist to the Queen of England, enjoyed an international reputation as a player of the gut-strung Triple Harp. According to Mersenne's 'Harmonie Universelle' (Paris 1636), the triple harp was invented in Naples by 'Luc Anthoine Eustache', improved by the Roman composer 'Horace Mihi' and played by le Flelle 'en perfection'. Mersenne also states that the French harpists shared a common repertoire of dances and descriptive pieces with keyboard players.

The renaissance art of the improvised Fantasia, transformed into the flamboyant Neapolitan Stravaganze and the elaborate Roman Toccata, was adapted for French taste as the Prelude. Louis Couperin's 'preludes non mesurees' preserve the improvisatory freedoms of the toccata style - rich arpeggios and short fragments of melody, mingled with the gentle swing of triple-time dance metres. Although the notation does not specify exact note values, the music is not un-structured, but is organised like a vocal recitative, by the association of expressive devices. This 'stream of conciousness' serves as a contrast to the metric rhythm and formal patterns of the dances that follow, in the same way that an operatic recitative prepares the way for the ensuing aria.

The French taste for 'Gayety and Fashion' was expressed not only in lively dances and modish preludes but also in many character-pieces, with descriptive, even whimsical titles and instrumental special effects. Louis Couperin imitates the pealing chimes of the Paris carillons, and the tolling of funeral-bells in the Tombeau. This musical tombstone for a distinguished patron of music imitates an operatic lament, with passionate changes of tempo, abrupt dissonances and expressive harmonies. Andrew Lawrence-King

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