Harp Concertos by Claire Jones

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Reinhold Glière, Claude Debussy

Claire Jones

Harp Concertos

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Signum Classics
UPC: 0635212021620
Catnr: SIGCD 216
Release date: 01 November 2010
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Label
Signum Classics

UPC
0635212021620

Catalogue number
SIGCD 216

Release date
01 November 2010

Album

Artist(s)

Composer(s)

About the album

The Gliere Harp Concerto has always been a favorite among harp enthusiasts; written in the 1930s, the work’s stylistic features are reminiscent of the Viennese classical style united with Russian romantic nationalism. This album highlights the extraordinary talent of the Official Harpist to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Claire Jones.

She is joined by renowned flautist William Bennet OBE, and the English Chamber Orchestra to complete the release with Mozart’s Concerto for flute, harp and Orchestra and Debussy’s Danses pour Harpe Chromatique.
Claire has performed for members of the Royal Family on more then 70 occasions and has recently performed a brand new Royal Commission by Patrick Hawes at Highgrove House with the Philharmonia Orchestra. She is also featured on a new release with the National Youth Choir of Scotland, performing Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols.

Jones brengt haar uitzonderlijke talent ten gehore in harpconcerten
Het Harpconcert in Es groot opus 74 van Reinhold Glière is altijd al een favoriet geweest onder harpliefhebbers. Het concert is gecomponeerd in de jaren '30, en zijn stilistische kenmerken doen denken aan de Weense klassieke stijl verenigd met Russisch romantisch nationalisme.

Dit album benadrukt het buitengewone talent van de officiële harpist van Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid de Prins van Wales, Claire Jones. Ze wordt bijgestaan door de vermaarde fluitist William Bennet en het English Chamber Orchestra om de uitgave te voltooien met Mozarts Concert voor fluit, harp en orkest en Debussy’s Danses pour Harpe Chromatique.

Claire Jones heeft op meer dan 70 gelegenheden voor leden van de koninklijke familie gespeeld. Daarnaast voert ze ook soloconcerten uit met vermaarde ensembles als het European Union Chamber Orchestra en het Ulster Symphony Orchestra, en heeft ze meegewerkt aan een opname van Brittens A Ceremony of Carols door het National Youth Choir of Scotland.

Artist(s)

Claire Jones (harp)

Born in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1985, Claire began her musical education at the age of seven. She soon excelled in three instruments Harp, Violin, and Piano and achieved three grade 8 distinctions at the age of 14. Claire studied harp with Buddug Stephens until entering the Royal College of Music at 18 years old where she then studied with Ieuan Jones, graduating with 1st class honors in 2007. In 2009 Claire graduated as an M.A. scholar from the Royal Academy of Music where she studied with Professor Skaila Kanga. Claire was one of the first recipients of the Prince of Wales Advanced Study Awards in 2007 and 2008. This award recognising her as one of Wales’ most outstanding young musicans. She is also supported by the Victor Salvi Foundation, the Cork Fund, the Countess of Munster Trust, and the Harriet Cohen Memorial Music Award. In 2007, Claire was appointed Official Harpist to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales and regularly performs for the Royal Family and distinguished guests at the Royal palaces. Claire made her concerto debut with the English Chamber Orchestra in the same year. In 2008, she performed a concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. This was a performance of a special commission written for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales’ 60th birthday by Patrick Hawes. The event culminated in a surprise choir of 60 harps organized by Claire. She has also performed solo concertos with such illustrious ensembles as the European Union Chamber Orchestra, the Ulster Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Academy of Music Soloists. A highlight was being invited to perform as soloist with the world renowned conductor Maestro Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet. At the opening of the International Rugby games in 2008, Wales V South Africa, Prince William Cup saw Claire play to a sell out crowd of 75,000 and 4 million viewers on BBC. 2009 Highlights included a sold out recital at Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, concerto appearances with the English Chamber Orchestra, and a duo recording with Julian Lloyd Webber. 2009 also saw the launch of a brand new exciting duo with talented percussionist and arranger – Chris Marshall. Claire has performed throughout the UK at all major music festivals and concert venues. In 2010, Claire performed the private premiere of the ‘Highgrove Suite’ at HRH’s residence, Highgrove House – a work written in celebration of the work of the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts by Patrick Hawes. It is released on Classic FM label. She also features as soloist on a CD from the National Youth Choir of Scotland - which features the Britten ‘Ceremony of Carols’, and ‘An English Day-book’, by Elizabeth Poston, released by Signum Classics. Other notable artists Claire has collaborated with include Bryn Terfel, Alfie Bow, William Bennett OBE, to name only a few. Claire also performed as a soloist on a Mediterranean cruise with the English Chamber Orchestra, Joshua Bell and Steven Isselis, and has entertained many International audiences and cruise ship passengers through her solo recitals. She has appeared on many major TV and radio networks in the UK, and America including GMTV, BBC, Classic FM and Radio 3, and also featured in a BBC 2 documentary about the ‘Highgrove Suite’ presented by Alan Titchmarsh, as well as being regularly seen on S4C – the Welsh TV network. - 11 - Passionate to promote the harp to all, Claire has been a featured artist in Classic FM Magazine. She encourages youngsters to play the harp through her workshops in schools, and takes great pride in being an ambassador by encouraging and inspiring the next generation of young harpists.

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English Chamber Orchestra

The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world, its discography containing 860 recordings of over 1,500 works by more than 400 composers. The ECO has also performed in more countries than any other orchestra, and played with many of the world’s greatest musicians. The American radio network CPRN has selected ECO as one of the world’s greatest ‘living’ orchestras. The illustrious history of the orchestra features many major musical figures. Benjamin Britten was the orchestra’s first Patron and a significant musical influence. The ECO’s long relationship with Daniel Barenboim led to an acclaimed complete cycle of Mozart piano concertos as live performances and recordings, followed later by two further recordings of the complete cycle, with Murray Perahia and Mitsuko Uchida. The Orchestra has...

The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world, its discography containing 860 recordings of over 1,500 works by more than 400 composers.

The ECO has also performed in more countries than any other orchestra, and played with many of the world’s greatest musicians. The American radio network CPRN has selected ECO as one of the world’s greatest ‘living’ orchestras. The illustrious history of the orchestra features many major musical figures. Benjamin Britten was the orchestra’s first Patron and a significant musical influence.

The ECO’s long relationship with Daniel Barenboim led to an acclaimed complete cycle of Mozart piano concertos as live performances and recordings, followed later by two further recordings of the complete cycle, with Murray Perahia and Mitsuko Uchida.

The Orchestra has been chosen to record many successful film soundtracks including Dario Marianelli’s prizewinning scores for Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, and several James Bond soundtracks, and has taken part in a variety of other film and television projects.

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Paul Watkins (conductor)

Composer(s)

Claude Debussy

Claude Debussy was a French composer. He and Maurice Ravel were the most prominent figures associated with impressionist music, though Debussy disliked the term when applied to his compositions. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed. Debussy's music is noted for its sensory content and frequent usage of non-traditional tonalities. The prominent French literary style of his period was known as Symbolism, and this movement directly inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active cultural participant Among his most famous works are his Clair de Lune, his Three Nocturnes...

Claude Debussy was a French composer. He and Maurice Ravel were the most prominent figures associated with impressionist music, though Debussy disliked the term when applied to his compositions. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticism influenced many composers who followed.
Debussy's music is noted for its sensory content and frequent usage of non-traditional tonalities. The prominent French literary style of his period was known as Symbolism, and this movement directly inspired Debussy both as a composer and as an active cultural participant Among his most famous works are his Clair de Lune, his Three Nocturnes and his orchestral piece La Mer.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose actual name is Joannes Chrysotomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a composer, pianist, violinist and conductor from the classical period, born in Salzburg. Mozart was a child prodigy. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart is considered to be one of the most influential composers of all of music's history. Within the classical tradition, he was able to develop new musical concepts which left an everlasting impression on all the composers that came after him. Together with Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven he is part of the First Viennese School. At 17, Mozart was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position. From 1763 he traveled with his family through all of Europe for three years and from 1769 he traveled to Italy and France with his father Leopold after which he took residence in Paris. On July 3rd, 1778, his mother passed away and after a short stay in Munich with the Weber family, his father urged him to return to Salzburg, where he was once again hired by the Bishop. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security. During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his death.

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Reinhold Glière

The Russian composer Reinhold Glière was born in Kiev in 1875, but was of German-Polish heritage. He graduated in 1900, having received a gold medal in composition and composed a one-act opera Earth and Heaven, and went on to teach at the Gnesin School of Music, the Kiev Conservatory and the Moscow Conservatory. Many of his students, amongst whom are Nikolai Myaskovsky and Sergei Prokofiev, have become famous composers. Glière was melodically oriented on folkloristic examples and his harmonies were presented as ‘Russian’. His works found favour with the Soviet authorities owing to their blend of nationalism and conservatism. Today, he is generally best known for his sumptuous orchestral and ballet scores. The music for the ballet Krasny tsvetok (The Red Poppy)...

The Russian composer Reinhold Glière was born in Kiev in 1875, but was of German-Polish heritage. He graduated in 1900, having received a gold medal in composition and composed a one-act opera Earth and Heaven, and went on to teach at the Gnesin School of Music, the Kiev Conservatory and the Moscow Conservatory. Many of his students, amongst whom are Nikolai Myaskovsky and Sergei Prokofiev, have become famous composers.
Glière was melodically oriented on folkloristic examples and his harmonies were presented as ‘Russian’. His works found favour with the Soviet authorities owing to their blend of nationalism and conservatism. Today, he is generally best known for his sumptuous orchestral and ballet scores. The music for the ballet Krasny tsvetok (The Red Poppy) was praised "as the first Soviet ballet on a revolutionary subject". It is perhaps his most famous work in Russia as well as abroad.

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