{"id":416,"date":"2021-08-07T16:07:16","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T14:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/?p=416"},"modified":"2022-02-07T11:35:14","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T10:35:14","slug":"paul-lewis-romantic-music-for-harp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/?p=416","title":{"rendered":"Paul Lewis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00ab\u00a0Un mariage artistique heureux, pour un disque hautement s\u00e9duisant.\u00a0\u00bb &#8211; \u00ab\u00a0A happy artistic marriage, for a highly seductive disc.\u00a0\u00bb The words of reviewer Michael Sebaoun. Another appreciation of my collaboration with the wonderful Rachel Talitman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Paul LEWIS (b. 1943)<\/strong><br><em>Songs of Israel<\/em>, for harp and string quintet [18:46]<br><em>Memories of Amboise<\/em>, for solo harp (2020) [9:09]<br><em>Concerto Romantico<\/em>, for harp and strings (2020) [26:44]<br>Rachel Talitman (harp)<br>Israel Strings Ensemble\/Doron Salomon<br>HARP &amp; COMPANY CD5050-46 [54:39] <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em><strong>L&rsquo;interpr\u00e9tation de Rachel Talitman et des excellents musiciens de l&rsquo;Isra\u00ebl Strings Ensemble sous la direction du r\u00e9put\u00e9 Doron Salomon est rayonnante.&nbsp;Ce disque est un voyage musical alternant la passion, la sensibilit\u00e9, les r\u00eaveries, le fantastique avec des m\u00e9lodies sensibles<\/strong><\/em><\/p><cite> Crescendo Magazine <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong><em>beautiful and sensitively played music that appeals in its timeless romantic form.<\/em><\/strong><br><strong><em>Rachel Talitman\u2019s wonderful harp playing adds a particularly lovely touch to the CD<\/em><\/strong><\/p><cite> Pizzicato.lu, \u2013 Remy Franck <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"480\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 854 \/ 480;\" width=\"854\" controls src=\"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Patisserie-Bigot.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"516\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Paul-Lewis-CMJK.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Paul-Lewis-CMJK.jpg 516w, https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Paul-Lewis-CMJK-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Paul-Lewis-CMJK-40x60.jpg 40w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px\" \/><figcaption>Paul Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mevo Hama - Nocturne\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ayD_oPYCUII?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hava Nagila - Rumba\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t4qDAt7ISX8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Review<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2022 \u2014\u2014&nbsp;Micha\u00ebl Sebaoun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Paul Lewis :&nbsp;<em>Romantic Music for Harp<\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicologie.org\/22\/i\/paiul_lewis.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Paul Lewis,\u00a0<em>Romantic Music for Harp<\/em>\u00a0(1<sup>er\u00a0<\/sup>enregistrement mondial), Rachel Talitman (harpe), Isra\u00ebl Strings Ensemble, sous la direction de Doron Salomon. Harp &amp; Company 2021 (CD 5050-46).<\/p><p>Fondatrice du label Harp &amp; Co, la harpiste Rachel Talitman a publi\u00e9 une impressionnante liste de disques. On y trouve notamment des programmes originaux : celui intitul\u00e9\u00a0<em>In the Light of Ravel<\/em>\u00a0(CD5050-39), d\u2019une belle coh\u00e9rence stylistique, avec des \u0153uvres de musique de chambre avec harpe de Ravel, Robert Groslot, John Metcalf, Sergiu Natra et Michel Lysight.<\/p><p>Celui encore consacr\u00e9 \u00e0 des compositeurs juifs peu connus du 20<sup>e<\/sup>\u00a0si\u00e8cle,\u00a0<em>Jewish Composers The Escapers<\/em>\u00a0(CD 5050-40) o\u00f9, toujours autour de la harpe, la dimension m\u00e9lodique est pr\u00e9dominante.<\/p><p>On n\u2019oubliera pas de mentionner de pr\u00e9cieuses monographies consacr\u00e9es aux \u0153uvres avec harpe du compositeur fran\u00e7ais Jean-Michel Damase (1928-2013).<\/p><p>C\u2019est la musique de l\u2019anglais Paul Lewis (n\u00e9 en 1943), qui se pr\u00e9sente lui-m\u00eame comme compositeur pour le concert, le cin\u00e9ma et la t\u00e9l\u00e9vision que nous d\u00e9couvrons avec cet album,\u00a0<em>Romantic Music for Harp<\/em>.<\/p><p>Il s\u2019ouvre sur\u00a0<em>Songs of Israel<\/em>, un cycle bas\u00e9 sur trois chants traditionnels juifs. \u00ab\u00a0Shalom Chaverim Fantasia \u00bb donne le ton stylistique du compositeur. Le th\u00e8me expos\u00e9 \u00e0 la harpe d\u00e9roule sa m\u00e9lancolie, se pare de fr\u00e9missements de cordes, de variations et de marches harmoniques, se mue en valse l\u00e9g\u00e8re, est trait\u00e9 en cadence, puis dans un \u00ab\u2009style klezmer\u2009\u00bb. \u00ab\u00a0Hava Nagila Rumba\u00a0\u00bb s\u2019appuie, dit le compositeur, sur des rythmes syncop\u00e9s, tandis que \u00ab\u00a0Mevo Hama Nocturne\u00a0\u00bb est une pi\u00e8ce lente d\u2019esprit onirique.<\/p><p>Suit\u00a0<em>Memories of Ambroisie<\/em>, deux pi\u00e8ces pour harpe seule, \u00ab\u00a0Au Cheval blanc\u00a0\u00bb et \u00ab\u00a0La P\u00e2tisserie Bigot\u00a0\u00bb, \u00e9crites dans le souvenir \u00e9mu de lieux et de personnes. Elles fourmillent d\u2019invention derri\u00e8re leurs accords de septi\u00e8me et neuvi\u00e8me.<\/p><p>Paul Lewis raconte dans la notice qu\u2019un jour Rachel Talitman \u00e9couta\u00a0<em>Rosa Mundi<\/em>\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ua-5lI02yRo\">disponible sur YouTube<\/a>) pour orchestre \u00e0 cordes, et qu\u2019elle souhaitait interpr\u00e9ter un concerto romantique dans la m\u00eame veine.<\/p><p>C\u2019est le\u00a0<em>Concerto Romantico<\/em>, en quatre mouvements, \u00e0 l\u2019origine une musique pour un film, jamais tourn\u00e9, relatant une histoire d\u2019amour naissante dans un camp de concentration, finalement v\u00e9cue de longues ann\u00e9es apr\u00e8s, au hasard d\u2019une rencontre. L\u2019\u0153uvre touche nos cordes sensibles, m\u00eame si l\u2019Isra\u00ebl Strings Ensemble dirig\u00e9 par Doron Salomon semble ici parfois un peu distant, dans le second mouvement, \u00ab\u00a0Bitter-Swett Blues\u00a0 \u00bb, notamment.<\/p><p>Le compositeur Paul Lewis a le don d\u2019\u00e9crire des m\u00e9lodies simples et p\u00e9n\u00e9trantes, agr\u00e9ablement lancinantes, port\u00e9es par la d\u00e9licatesse de la harpe de Rachel Talitman et l\u2019Isra\u00ebl Strings Ensemble. Un mariage artistique heureux, pour un disque hautement s\u00e9duisant.<\/p><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"130\" height=\"22\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musicologie.org\/images\/plume_4.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><cite><strong>Micha\u00ebl Sebaoun, 19 janvier 2022. \u00a9 musicologie.org.<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong>Paul Lewis<\/strong> (\u00b01943) : Musique romantique pour harpe et cordes. Rachel Talitman, harpe ; Isra\u00ebl Strings Ensemble sous la direction de : Doron Salomon. 2021. Livret en anglais. 52&rsquo;79.&nbsp; Harp &amp; Co. CD 505046<\/p><p><em>La harpiste isra\u00e9lienne Rachel Talitman a cr\u00e9\u00e9 en 2004 son label ind\u00e9pendant Harp &amp;Co. La discographie de Harp &amp; Co est vari\u00e9e et originale, plus de 50 enregistrements couvrant diff\u00e9rents registres du r\u00e9pertoire de son instrument : concertos, musique de chambre et r\u00e9citals de l&rsquo;\u00e9poque baroque (G.F. Haendel) aux raret\u00e9s de la musique du XXe si\u00e8cle. (Mieczyslaw Weinberg) en passant par des cr\u00e9ations contemporaines. Plusieurs compositeurs ont d\u00e9di\u00e9 des compositions \u00e0 Rachel Talitman et ses amis. C&rsquo;est un apport consid\u00e9rable pour le r\u00e9pertoire de la harpe.<\/em><\/p><p><em>Le compositeur britannique Paul Lewis a compos\u00e9 plus de 150 partitions pour des s\u00e9ries t\u00e9l\u00e9vis\u00e9es. Depuis 10 ans, il compose \u00e9galement des oeuvres symphoniques et concertantes et la harpe est son instrument de pr\u00e9dilection. Sa rencontre avec Rachel Talitman a donn\u00e9 naissance \u00e0 cet album.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><p><em>Ses compositions sont romantiques, tr\u00e8s color\u00e9es, vivantes et m\u00e9lodieuses. Elles rappellent les partitions l\u00e9gendaires de John Williams.&nbsp;Songs of Isra\u00ebl est une suite de th\u00e8mes populaires habilement arrang\u00e9s. La fantaisie Shalom Haverim fait chanter la harpe entour\u00e9e du quintette \u00e0 cordes. On passe d&rsquo;une m\u00e9lodie nostalgique, \u00e0 une valse espi\u00e8gle pour terminer par un th\u00e8me klezmer. La c\u00e9l\u00e8bre chanson Hava Nagila devient une Rumba endiabl\u00e9e alors que Mevo Hama Nocturne est un songe nostalgique.<\/em><\/p><p><em>Souvenirs d&rsquo;Amboise est une r\u00eaverie pleine de tendresse, qui \u00e9voque les rencontres de Paul Lewis avec la propri\u00e9taire espagnole de l&rsquo;h\u00f4tel Au Cheval Blanc et celles de la P\u00e2tisserie Bigot.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><p><em>L\u2019album pr\u00e9sente \u00e9galement le Concerto Romantico. Il \u00e9tait originalement compos\u00e9 pour un film qui n&rsquo;a finalement pas \u00e9t\u00e9 tourn\u00e9. On imagine parfaitement le sc\u00e9nario gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la musique. Un savant m\u00e9lange de th\u00e8mes <\/em>nostalgiques, rhapsodiques, jazzy.<\/p><p><em>L&rsquo;interpr\u00e9tation de Rachel Talitman et des excellents musiciens de l&rsquo;Isra\u00ebl Strings Ensemble sous la direction du r\u00e9put\u00e9 Doron Salomon est rayonnante.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p><p><em>Ce disque est un voyage musical alternant la passion, la sensibilit\u00e9, les r\u00eaveries, le fantastique avec des m\u00e9lodies sensibles<\/em><\/p><p>Son: 9 &nbsp; Livret : 8 &nbsp; R\u00e9pertoire : 9 &nbsp; Interpr\u00e9tation : 10<\/p><p>Paul Lewis<\/p><cite> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescendo-magazine.be\/les-oeuvres-pour-harpe-du-compositeur-paul-lewis\/\">Crescendo Magazine<\/a><\/strong> Le 4 septembre 2021 par <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescendo-magazine.be\/author\/carloscreiber\/\">Carlo Schreiber<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">13\/09\/2021, Pizzicato.lu, \u2013 Rezension von Remy Franck<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Paul Lewis (*1943) ist ein bekannter britischer Film- und Fernsehkomponist, der im klassischen Bereich zur sogenannten British Light Music zu z\u00e4hlen ist. Als solcher ist er gefordert, viele und vor allem gute Einf\u00e4lle zu haben. Diese CD beweist, dass er darin vortrefflich re\u00fcssiert.<\/p><p>In Songs of Israel komponierte er brillante Fantasien um die Lieder Shalom Chaverim, Mevo Hama und Hava Nagila und in den Solost\u00fccken Memories of Ambroise verarbeitet er sch\u00f6ne Erinnerungen an einen idyllischen Aufenthalt in der franz\u00f6sischen Loire-Stadt, die Rachel Talitman in einen lebhaften und ausdrucksvollen Spiel zu Geh\u00f6r bringt.<\/p><p>Das Concerto Romantico f\u00fcr Harfe und Streicher beginnt mit einer \u00fcppigen Cantilena Rapsodica. Die Melodie kommt aus einer Filmmusik zu einem Film, der letztlich nie gedreht wurde: \u00ab&nbsp;Zweiter Weltkrieg: Ein Mann und eine Frau sehen sich durch den Zaun eines Nazi-Konzentrationslagers und verlieben sich ineinander. Sie \u00fcberleben den Krieg, aber keiner wei\u00df, ob der andere noch lebt. Viele Jahre vergehen, sie vergessen sich nie, dann treffen sie sich pl\u00f6tzlich zuf\u00e4llig, erkennen sich wieder und merken, dass sie sich immer noch lieben.&nbsp;\u00bb Die Trennung ist im schmerzlichen Bitter-Sweet Blues unschwer zu erkennen, w\u00e4hrend das Moto Perpetuo beschreibt, wie das Leben weitergeht und der letzte Satz greift das Liebesthema aus dem 1. Satz wieder auf und beschreibt das Wiederaufflammen der ehemaligen Liebe. Das alles ergibt eine sch\u00f6ne und einf\u00fchlsam gespielte Musik, die in ihrer zeitlos romantischen Form anspricht.<\/p><p>Rachel Talitmans wunderbares Harfenspiel gibt der CD einen besonders liebenswerten Touch.<\/p><p><strong><em>Paul Lewis (*1943) is a well-known British film and television composer, who in the classical field belongs to the so-called British Light Music. As such he is required to have many and above all good ideas. This CD proves that he succeeds admirably in this task.<\/em><\/strong><br><strong><em>In Songs of Israel he composed brilliant fantasies around the songs Shalom Chaverim, Mevo Hama and Hava Nagila, and in the solo pieces Memories of Ambroise he processes beautiful memories of an idyllic stay in the French Loire town, which Rachel Talitman expresses in a lively and sensitive playing.<\/em><\/strong><br><strong><em>Concerto Romantico for harp and strings opens with a lush Cantilena Rapsodica. The melody comes from a score to a movie that was ultimately never made: \u00ab&nbsp;World War II: a man and a woman see one another through the fence at a Nazi concentration camp and fall in love. They survive the war but neither knows if the other is still alive. Many years pass; they never forget each other, then suddenly they meet by chance, recognise one another and realise they are still in love.&nbsp;\u00bb The separation is readily apparent in the painful Bitter-Sweet Blues, while the Moto Perpetuo describes how life goes on, and the last movement picks up the love theme from the 1st movement and wonderfully describes the rekindling of former love. It all adds up to beautiful and sensitively played music that appeals in its timeless romantic form.<\/em><\/strong><br><strong><em>Rachel Talitman\u2019s wonderful harp playing adds a particularly lovely touch to the CD.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicweb-international.com\/classrev\/2021\/Sep\/Lewis-harp-CD505046.htm\">Music Web International<\/a>, from John France:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>In the composer\u2019s brief biography in the insert, we read: \u201cAt the heart of [Paul Lewis\u2019s] output is his favourite instrument, the harp, for which he has produced an extensive catalogue of solo, chamber and concertante works, culminating in the concerto recorded here.\u201d Harpist Rachel Talitman has an equally prolific recording career. Lewis notes that this is \u201cher sixtieth album \u2013 surely a unique achievement for a harpist\u201d.<br><br>I was a little disappointed with the <em>Songs of Israel<\/em>. One is always reminded of Constant Lambert\u2019s dictum: the only thing that can be done with a folk song is to play it again \u2013 louder. And that applies to Scottish, Irish, Hungarian or Hebrew exemplars. To be fair, Lewis has tried to avoid Lambert\u2019s warning. The opening movement, <em>Shalom Chaverim Fantasia<\/em>, takes a traditional song of farewell to old friends, and amends and transforms it in a variety of subtle ways. Equally transformative is the \u201crumba-fication\u201d of <em>Hava Nagila<\/em>, a 19th century melody of Ukrainian origin put here through its paces. The composer explains that the final movement presents a tune of his own devising, <em>Mevo Hama Nocturne<\/em>. It is an elegy to his wife\u2019s aunt Helen Corran. Despite Lewis\u2019s skillful manipulation of these folk tunes, there is always a danger of falling into a pastiche of <em>Fiddler on the Roof<\/em>. Whether this fear is justified or not, the listener will decide. Despite my concerns, the result is often magical and quite lovely.<br><br>I liked <em>Memories of Amboise<\/em> for harp solo best. It was inspired by Paul Lewis\u2019s several visits to this beautiful Loire Valley town since 1978. The music is dedicated to the four ladies who offered hospitality at Le Cheval Blanc hotel (still there). Back in the day, the proprietress, Teresa, was a Spanish lady whose \u201canimated gestures of a flamenco dancer quite disarmed\u201d the composer. He began writing this work on his arrival back in England. Wistfully, he remarks that this lady moved away from Amboise, possibly unaware of the music she inspired. This first piece, Au Cheval Blanc, is full of Iberian rather than Gallic tropes. Both flamenco dancing and sultry southern nights seem to dominate. It is a wonderful Spanish tone poem. The second piece recalls La Patisserie Bigot (also still in business), Lewis\u2019s favourite Salon de The in the town. He was lucky enough to know all three of the Bigot family matriarchs who ran the premises. The music here is gentle, thoughtful and ultimately timeless, as befits the longevity of the family concern. The music was completed in 2020, at the request of the present soloist.<br><br>The <em>Concerto Romantico<\/em> is equally enjoyable. It has its basis in an unwritten film score. The movie was to have been a wartime story about a man and woman who meet briefly in a German concentration camp and fall in love. The plot revolved round their rediscovery of each other after the war, and the enduring nature of their love. I understand that the film was never made. However, on the strength of a possible contract, Lewis had already devised the main theme. This was later re-used in a series of romantic variations for a proposed CD. This project also never came to pass. Rachel Talitman asked Lewis for a concerto that would have a similar effect as his well-loved <em>Rosa Mundi<\/em> for string orchestra \u2013 one of the most beautiful string orchestra works by any composer, ever! Lewis obliged with this four-movement concerto completed in February 2020. The original love theme, written back in the 1990, heard in the first and last movements, provides a satisfying cyclical structure. The second is the most challenging section: a blues and jazz theme is heard, with several interruptions. The \u201cscherzo\u201d is a moto perpetuo that balances anger, wistfulness and nervous energy. In other words, life carrying on as \u201cnormal\u201d. Naturally, the concerto comes to a happy conclusion, with lovers reunited in \u201cquiet contentment.\u201d Never mind its deeply emotional programme of love lost and found, this remarkable concerto can be listened to as absolute music.<br><br>Now for the liner notes. Paul Lewis\u2019s commentary on all three works is ideal. There is lots of relevant background information, and a brief biography of the composer and the conductor. For some reason, nothing is written about the harp soloist. (The font is quite small, so a downloadable PDF file would have been of value but none is available at the Harp &amp; Company CD webpage.) The recording dates and venues are not given. The composition dates are absent from the track listing, although to be fair, the text does place two of the pieces in 2020. There are photos of the composer and the conductor, and a very indistinct snap of the soloist hidden behind the harp strings. The evocative painting used on the CD cover is not acknowledged.<br><br>This is a most enjoyable recital. My one caveat is that it is best listened to one piece at a time. For harp enthusiasts, it is a valuable addition to their collection. The music is always approachable, with nothing too challenging. Rachel Talitman\u2019s playing sounds to my ear like sheer perfection. The band make a valuable contribution in supporting the soloist.<br><br><strong><em>John France<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cultuurpakt.be\/cd-lp\/romantic-music-for-harp-paul-lewis-schrijft-voor-harpiste-rachel-talitman-en-orkest\/?fbclid=IwAR2wWNHUfGt04L3ZqQhlv70DObdOG4YLD0QX_QUKd3b4EtKXyn6JCO_b5vI\">CULTUURPAKT<\/a>, written by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cultuurpakt.be\/author\/adm_veerle\/\">Knopskaya<\/a> augustus 22, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Met haar label <em>Harp&amp;co<\/em> weet Rachel Talitman telkens nieuwe paden te bewandelen. Ze brengt oude muziek tot leven en inspireert hedendaagse componisten zodanig dat ze met graagte in haar droomwereld binnentreden. Romantiek is net als het strelen van gevoelens en bevestiging van identiteit tijdloos. Dat had componist Paul Lewis (geb. 1943) goed begrepen tijdens het componeren voor Rachel Talitman en het <em>Israel Strings Ensemble<\/em>. De uitvoering die u op dit album kunt horen werd gedirigeerd door Doron Salomon. Zijn expertise is gekend in vier windstreken en op evenveel continenten.<\/p><p><strong>Monty Python<\/strong><br>Paul Lewis houdt van drama en literatuur op z\u2019n Orson Welles\u2019, maar ook van een flinke brok satire. Al dat kon hij ten volle beleven tijdens zijn carri\u00e8re bij de BBC. Zo werkte bij bvb. mee aan producties zoals Benny Hill en Monty Python. Toch is en blijft zijn favoriete instrument de harp, het instrument dat&nbsp; hem zo dicht brengt bij alle historische figuren die hem wisten te inspireren. Zo kwam hij op het pad van Talitman en ontstond er muzikaal vuurwerk en symbiose. Op dit album , zijn zestigste trouwens, wist hij zich ten volle te geven. De schijf staat vol sentiment, nostalgie en getuigt van niets dan warmte.<\/p><p><strong>Kibbutz<br><\/strong>Bovenop de liefde voor de harp, delen Talitman en Lewis hun afkomst, beiden hadden een Russisch Joodse grootvader. Lewis\u2019 echtgenote had een tante die in 1960 naar de Kibbutz vertrok, om kort daarna te sterven. Dit alles zorgde voor de creatie van<em> Songs of Israel<\/em>. Het mooie is dat het een driedelig werk is over afscheid en vertrek, en toch hoort men zoveel invloeden, tot zelfs rumba toe \u2013 als de echo van een volk dat overal thuis is en toch weemoed&nbsp; en heimwee kent naar het land van de voorvaderen.<\/p><p><strong>P\u00e2tisserie<\/strong><br>Toch eindigt het verhaal helemaal niet in Isra\u00ebl, maar in Frankrijk . De volgende compositie, <em>Memories of Amboise<\/em>, brengt een lieflijke mijmering over fijne herinneringen van samenzijn. Lewis herinnert zich het hotel en de lokale bakker, de lieftallige dames achter de schermen en vergelijkt hun gastvrijheid aan die van Talitman.<\/p><p><strong>Script<\/strong><br>Verloren en teruggevonden liefde. Een jong koppel kijkt mekaar in Auschwitz in de ogen en wordt verliefd. Jaren later blijken ze beiden nog in leven en komen ze mekaar opnieuw tegen. De vlam slaat opnieuw over. Het was het scenario voor een film dat op Lewis\u2019 bureau terechtkwam. De film werd nooit gemaakt, maar het verhaal raakte de componist zozeer dat hij wel moest schrijven. Verdriet, verlangen, weemoed, een rapsodie en tenslotte een bluesachtig gedeelte waarbij de gitaar vervangen wordt door een viool. De opening naar de nieuwe wereld. <em>Concerto Romantico.&nbsp;<\/em>Uiteindelijk komt alles goed, het leven wordt hernomen en kan kabbelen.<\/p><p>Een prachtig doosje vol al die dingen waar u uw hart aan op kunt halen, echte gevoelens, dat wat ons mens maakt \u2013 What music is all about<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishmusicsociety.co.uk\/2021\/09\/paul-lewis-romantic-music-for-harp\/\">Britishmusicsociety<\/a>, written by <strong>Gary Higginson<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Writing for the harp is quite an acquired skill, as I have learned from experience, but composers can, with guidance and study, get \u2018the knack\u2019 and then all is well.<\/p><p>Paul Lewis has been a prolific writer for the instrument, and he has gained more than a \u2018knack\u2019 \u2013 he writes not only idiomatically but also very imaginatively, and he understands how to balance the instrument with an ensemble, as two of the following three works amply demonstrate.<\/p><p>The Concerto Romantico was written for Rachel Talitman, and is a luscious and very romantic work in four movements, with titles like <em>Bitter-Sweet Blues<\/em> and <em>Cantilena<\/em>. And if you think that it sounds like some one who writes film or television music then you are quite right, as not only has Lewis devoted much of his life doing just that, but also some of the ideas were the outcome of a film scenario of two lovers who, after several years, joyously meet up once more. The film never materialised but this concerto was eventually realised from its material. The Israel Strings under Salomon also make ideal advocates for Lewis\u2019s dreamy soundworld.<\/p><p>Another work written especially for Rachel Talitman is <em>Songs of Israel <\/em>for harp and string quartet, which has three sections each based on a Jewish melody, beginning with a Fantasia on <em>Shalom, Cheverim<\/em>. This well-known tune, also used as a hymn in the UK, is a song of farewell in Israel, and Lewis subjects it to a variety of interesting treatments. The second movement uses the even more famous <em>Hava Baglia<\/em> which becomes a Rumba without however losing its Jewish character.<\/p><p>Finally, we hear <em>Mevo Hama<\/em>, which, as a Nocturne, acts a suitable contrast. Both Lewis and Talitman have Russian-Jewish ancestry and this movement is an elegy to the composer\u2019s aunt who is buried on the Golan Heights. Some of the string writing is fascinating \u2013 both evocative and chilling.<\/p><p><em>Memories of Amboise<\/em> for solo harp concerns the lovely ancient town in the Loire Valley, very dear to Paul Lewis. The two movements are <em>Au Cheval Blanc<\/em> which concerns a favourite very hospitable hotel and restaurant run by a Spanish family, and <em>La P\u00e2tisserie Bigot<\/em> which is \u201cmy favourite salon de th\u00e9\u201d (composer\u2019s insert notes). The music is very gentle but lacks any distinctive French character.<\/p><p>This is some of the most relaxing and easy-going music I have encountered for some time, and if it has a strong appeal to you then why not snap it up immediately?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Review by Gary Higginson<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00ab\u00a0Un mariage artistique heureux, pour un disque hautement s\u00e9duisant.\u00a0\u00bb &#8211; \u00ab\u00a0A happy artistic marriage, for a highly seductive disc.\u00a0\u00bb The words of reviewer Michael Sebaoun. Another appreciation of my collaboration with the wonderful Rachel Talitman. Paul LEWIS (b. 1943)Songs of Israel, for harp and string quintet [18:46]Memories of Amboise, for solo harp (2020) [9:09]Concerto Romantico, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-release"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":636,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions\/636"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harpandco.be\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}