Portait of a Lady with Harp Mara Galassi

• Bernardo Pasquini (1657-1710):
• 1Toccata per Milone02:08
• 2Alemanda (Arr. for Double Harp)03:47
• 3Passagagli (Arr. for Double Harp)02:14
• 4Bizzarria (Arr. for Double Harp)01:37
• 5Variazioni per il Paggio Todesco (Arr. for Double Harp)06:18
• 6Toccata ottava (Arr. for Double Harp)03:42
• Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713):
• 7Sonata à 3 in F Major, Op. 1 No. 1 (Arr. for Double Harp): I. Grave01:42
• 8Sonata à 3 in F Major, Op. 1 No. 1 (Arr. for Double Harp): II. Allegro01:53
• 9Sonata à 3 in F Major, Op. 1 No. 1 (Arr. for Double Harp): III. Adagio01:39
• 10Sonata à 3 in F Major, Op. 1 No. 1 (Arr. for Double Harp): IV. Allegro02:04
• Jacques Arcadelt (1504/5-1568):
• 11Madrigali, Book 1: Se la dura durezza (Arr. for Double Harp)03:43
• Anonymous:
• 12Toccata01:01
• 13Tenor di Napoli03:46
• 14Corrente01:29
• Bernardo Pasquini:
• 15Passagagli per Petronilla (Arr. for Double Harp)03:55
• Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682):
• 16Sinfonia a violino solo (Arr. for Double Harp): I. Moderato02:27
• 17Sinfonia a violino solo (Arr. for Double Harp): II. Allegretto01:31
• 18Sinfonia a violino solo (Arr. for Double Harp): III. Andante02:37
• 19Sinfonia a violino solo (Arr. for Double Harp): IV. Allegretto01:15
• 20Toccata (Arr. for Double Harp)04:46
• 21Fuga (Arr. for Double Harp)05:53
• Arcangelo Corelli:
• 22Sonata à 3 in F Major, Op. 1 No. 1: I. Grave (Arr. for Double Harp)01:47
• Total Runtime01:01:14

Info for Portait of a Lady with Harp

With a pattern of recording solo albums which has been positively frugal over the last 20 years, Mara Galassi marks her return on Glossa with a new and striking programme, entitled Portrait of a Lady with Harp. The ambiance into which the noted modern- day harpist from Milan plunges the listener is that of the court of Queen Christina of Sweden who, on renouncing her throne, converting to Catholicism and moving to Rome in the mid 1650s embarked upon a spectacular cultural life, becoming a patron for writers, scientists and especially musicians. Among those composers active in Rome at the time were Alessandro Stradella, Bernardo Pasquini, Arcangelo Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti, all of whom benefitted from Christina’s constant hunger for music of high quality, whether official employees at her court or not.

No Mara Galassi record release is going to be found lacking in an element of mystery: is the portrait of a lady with a harp appearing in the booklet that of the self-exiled queen herself? In the accompanying essay, Arnaldo Morelli investigates the history of this painting in search of answers, and describes Christina’s colourful Italian musical life.

The hectic, turbulent musical climate of mid-Seicento Rome is grasped and expressed by Mara Galassi, filtering the talents of Christina’s protégés through her chosen instrument which, for this new recording, is based on Girolamo Acciari’s 1632 “Arpa Barberini”, a triple harp of great range and subtlety.

Mara Galassi, arpa doppia

Mara Galassi
studied pedal harp with Luciana Chierici in Milano, David Watkins in London, and Emmy Huerlimann in Zuerich, performance practice with the harpsichordist David Collyer and the lutenist Patrick O’Brien and musicology with Michael Morrow in London.

She served as principal harpist for the Opera House in Genova, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and from 1979 to 1989 for the Teatro Massimo Opera House in Palermo, Italy. She develops her activities as soloist and as a member of the most famous early music Ensembles in Europe:Concerto Vocale (René Jacobs), Concerto Italiano (Rinaldo Alessandrini), Mala Punica (Pedro Memeldorff), Concerto Soave (Maria Cristina Kiher, Jean Marc Aymes), Concerto Koeln, Akademie fuer Alte Muik, Freiburger Barockorchester, etc.

As musicologist she has done extensive research in the field of historical harps. She recorded for Tactus, Symphonia, Ricordi, Harmonia Mundi, Opus 111, Glossa and Arcana, Zig Zag. For Glossa Music : Il viaggio di Lucrezia (Choc de la Musique/Cannes Award), Les harpes du Ciel, A Microcosm Concerto.

In Duo with the dancer, actress and regisseur Deda Cristina Colonna she participated in the film “Voluptas dolendi- I gesti del Caravaggio” produced by the Marco Fodella Foundation.

She has recently founded the “Ensemble de harpes Sebastièn Erard”, devoted to romantic music for harp ensemble on original instruments.

She teaches historical harps and chamber music in Milano at the Civica Scuola di Musica and at the ESMUC in Barcelona and has given performance practice masterclasses in Lausanne Conservatory of Music, Lyon Conservatory of Music, Moscow Conservatory of Music etc.

Booklet for Portait of a Lady with Harp