Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) is a distinctive voice in twentieth-century classical music, and together with the master of the tango, Astor Piazzolla, he is the towering musical figure of Argentina. Born in Buenos Aires of an Italian mother and a Catalonian father, Ginastera is a complex composer and personality, shaped by the traditional folk culture and history of his native country and by impulses from the world at large, during a time of radical upheavals in the realm of Western classical music. The Harp Concerto was commissioned in 1956 by Edna Phillips. The work was not premiered until 1965, and then it was the Spanish harpist Nicanor Zabaleta. When the concerto first appeared, it became a brilliant addition to the harp literature and twentieth-century instrumental concertos. Variaciones concertantes was completed more than ten years earlier and was premiered in Buenos Aires in 1953. The music is an irresistible combination of orchestral timbres and virtuosity communicating directly with the listener, especially as regards the entertainment aspect inherent in virtuosic orchestral sound and a demanding soloist performance.

Tracklist:

Harp Concerto, Op. 25: I. Allegro Giusto
Harp Concerto, Op. 25: II. Molto Moderato
Harp Concerto, Op. 25: III. Libramente Capriccioso - Vivace
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: I. Tema Per Violoncello Ed Arpa
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: II. Interludio Per Corde
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: III. Variazione Giocosa Per Flauto
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: IV. Variazione In Modo Di Scherzo Per Clarinetto
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: V. Variazione Drammatica Per Viola
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: VI. Variazione Canonica Per Oboe E Fagotto
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: VII. Variazione Ritmica Per Tromba E Trombone
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: VIII. Variazione In Modo Di Moto Perpetuo Per Violino
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: IX. Variazione Pastorale Per Corno
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: X. Interludio Per Fiati
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: XI. Ripresa Dal Tema Per Contrabasso
Variaciones Concertantes, Op. 23: XII. Variazione Finale In Modo Di Rondo Per Orchestra

UPC: 7090020182049
Label: Lawo Classics
Release Date: 10.18.19
Format: CD

Ginastera / Walstad / Norwegian Radio Orchestra - Harp Concerto 25 (CD)