TALES OF THE HARP
"Tales of the Harp” is a new solo project sponsored by a bursary from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Poland
It is a story told not only with music but also with words as between the pieces, the harpist introduces anecdotes about composers and artists related to the harp - starting with ceremonies in ancient Egypt, through Celtic
tales of wandering bards or Renaissance interludes during court balls. Stories continue of Monteverdi Handel, continuing his journey
through the times of Russian Romantics, French Impressionists and ending with Polish contemporary music.
The concert “Tales of the Harp” is also an extraordinary answer to many questions from the audience during and after the recital,
as the listeners rarely have the opportunity to listen to and see the harp as a solo instrument and the spellbound narrative takes them
on a fantastic musical adventure with compositions originally composed for the harp, showing the history
of development of one of the oldest instruments in human history.
PROGRAM
1. A Tale from Ancient Egypt
Hymn to Osiris and Isis
2. Italian Tale
Vincenzo Galilei (1520-1591) - Callipe, Euterpe, Polinnia Villanella
Claudio Monteverdi (1567 1643) - Harp cadenza from the aria Possente Spirto
3. Irish Tale
Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) - Fanny Power, Planxty Sudley, Madam Maxwell
4. An English Tale
Georg Friedrich Händel (1686 - 1759) - Largo from the concerto in B minor, Op. 4, No. 6 (England)
5. Russian Tale
Michał Glinka (1804 - 1857) - Nocturne in E flat major
6. A French Tale
Claude Debussy - Arabesque
7. A Polish Tale
Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz - Improvisation (Poland)
Gary Guthman - Margarita
MAŁGORZATA ZALEWSKA
As a soloist, she has performed with such noted artists as Francisco Araisa, Brigitte Balleys, Massimiliano Cialdi, Sławomir Chrzanowski, Claudio Ferrarini, Jose Maria Florencio, Chikara Imamura, Agnieszka Duczmal, Adrew M.Kurtz, Atsushi Nukii, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Wojciech Michniewski, Daniel Stabrawa, Tomasz Strahl, Małgorzata Walewska, Tadeusz Wojciechowski.
She has given a multitude of solo recitals and played with orchestras worldwide. She has made over 50 various recordings for Decca, Dux, EMI, Hungarton, Pro Musica, Philips, Sony, and the Polish Radio and Television labels.
.At the request of the CAMAC, harp producer Joel Garnier, Zalewska took part in the promotional campaign for the Atlantide Harp, which resulted in her picture on the cover of prestigious magazines HARPA and HARP INTERNATIONAL.
Her CD "Harp Solo", on DUX label was entirely sponsored by the Polish Ministry of Art. The last album (DUX) entitled "Master&Margarita" is a masterpiece collection of modern pop music compositions and it was specially composed for her by American composer Gary Guthman. Concerto Romantico, composed for her by Gary Guthman, was premiered on February 23, 2018, with the Zabrze Philharmonic under the baton of Sławomir Chrzanowski,