Ginastera: One Hundred—Yolanda Kondonassis, harp; Jason Vieaux, guitar; Gil Shaham, violin; Orli Shaham, piano; Oberlin Orchestra/Raphael Jiménez (Oberlin 16)
Executive Producer Yolanda Kondonassis writes, “This project celebrates the life and work of Alberto Ginastera. To harpists, [he] was much more than a leading force in contemporary music. He wrote our piece. He created the work that pushed the harp out of its box and gave us the kind of indelible, substantive composition that makes or breaks a solo career like mine. By my best estimate, I have performed Ginastera’s Harp Concerto close to 200 times, but in every performance, I discover something new—a hidden motivic layer, a subtle orchestral color I hadn’t noticed before, or just another interpretive pathway to explore…So much of our culture today is made to be consumed and discarded—and it is often created as quickly as it is devoured. There is such beauty and substance in work that has been sculpted, revised, sculpted some more, and revised again. [Ginastera’s daughter] Georgina remembered her father saying, “I do not search for things; I find them.” In many ways, the same could be said for my experience with this project, since the pieces of the journey have fallen into place almost as if they were meant to be. The artists, the timing, the resources—all have come together like treasures waiting to be found…Happy 100th birthday, Mr. Ginastera. Your life was well spent and your legacy continues to grow. We thank you.” In addition to the Harp Concerto, the disc offers Pampeana No. 1 with Gil and Orli Shaham, the Guitar Sonata Op 47 played by Jason Vieaux, and Orli Shaham in the Danzas Argentinas. See the album trailer here.
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