Harpist Rachel Talitman and bassoonist Mavroudes Troullos present with the recording of a new album the world premiere of the Six Sonatas Progressives by Luigi Concone (ca.1846-?) for harp and bassoon.

The combination of harp and bassoon won't immediately ring a bell with music lovers—it's a fairly unusual instrumentation in classical music practice. For musicians, it's a challenge to find suitable repertoire; they're often forced to arrange existing works. So it's remarkable that these pieces were originally composed for harp and bassoon in the early 19th century. A true hidden gem that Talitman and Troullos bring to life! Six Sonatas Progressives Why this instrumental pairing isn't more common is hard to explain, but the moment you hear the opening notes, the beautiful tonal blend becomes immediately apparent. The warm sound of the bassoon, often playing in a lyrical role, melts seamlessly with the bright harp chords. It's literally music to the ears.

Something harpist Rachel Talitman clearly knew well already, having recorded several albums with bassoonist Luc Lourby. Now it's the turn of bassoonist Mavroudes Troullos, once a student of Lourby at the Brussels Conservatory, to present his debut album with this recording.

How they stumbled upon Luigi Concone's compositions remains a mystery, and little is known about the composer himself. In the accompanying CD booklet, we learn that he was probably born in Turin in the early 19th century into a family full of important musicians and artists. Besides being a composer, he was also a harpist and gave lessons. He wrote many works for solo harp, including a whole series of études, likely intended for his students.

So the

as the title suggests, are composed in progressively increasing levels of difficulty. Each sonata begins with a prelude for the harp. As the sonatas become 'more progressive,' Concone increasingly plays around with different elements. He doesn't always stick to the typical fast-slow-fast model, and the melodies become increasingly romantic in their development. Besides, it's quite a bold move to compose for harp and bassoon in the early 19th century. He's clearly searching for innovation. Six Sonatas ProgressivesThe first three sonatas are characterized by simple and pure melodies. They stay easily lodged in memory. Talitman plays her harp with precision and creates a sparkling tone, with attention to beautiful light bass notes. Troullos engages in dialogue with his warm bassoon sounds, setting a beautiful stylish atmosphere with restrained playing. As a listener, you immediately feel transported to stately circles of the early 19th century.

In the last three sonatas, the dialogues between the two instruments intensify. Troullos produces beautiful melodic lines on the bassoon, for example in the 'romanza' of the fifth sonata. He also makes impressive dynamic contrasts—it's remarkable how pronounced he makes the pianissimos sound on his bassoon. Talitman gets to showcase all manner of virtuosic runs, including in the 'maestoso' of the fifth sonata. Despite the challenges, the harpist maintains a beautiful, clear tone.

The recording quality is truly sublime. Where getting a harp to shine on a recording is genuinely challenging, the Harp&co label lives up to its name and demonstrates real expertise in this field.

Rachel Talitman [harp] and Mavroudes Dakis Troullos [bassoon]

• WHO: Luigi Concone: Six Preludes Followed By Six Progressive Sonatas for Harp and Bassoon, Op.2
• WHAT: Harp & Co CD505047
• PUBLISHED BY: JPC
• ORDER: JPC