Harp Recital Sarah O'Brien

• André Caplet (1878 - 1925): Deux Divertissements:
• 1Deux Divertissements: I. À la Francaise04:22
• 2Deux Divertissements: II. À L'espagnole05:43
• Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983): Sonate pour Harpe:
• 3Sonate pour Harpe: I. Allegretto02:55
• 4Sonate pour Harpe: II. Lento03:38
• 5Sonate pour Harpe: III. Perpetuum Mobile03:03
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 - 1788): Sonata in G Major, Wq 139, H 563:
• 6Sonata in G Major, Wq 139, H 563: I. Adagio un Poco05:43
• 7Sonata in G Major, Wq 139, H 563: II. Allegro05:39
• 8Sonata in G Major, Wq 139, H 563: III. Allegro03:30
• Heinz Holliger (b. 1939):
• 9Präludium07:04
• 10Arioso02:20
• 11Passacaglia04:40
• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976): Suite, Op. 83:
• 12Suite, Op. 83: I. Ouverture03:14
• 13Suite, Op. 83: II. Toccata01:28
• 14Suite, Op. 83: III. Nocturne03:14
• 15Suite, Op. 83: IV. Fugue01:07
• 16Suite, Op. 83: V. Hymn05:19
• Benjamin Britten:
• 17Choral St. Denio01:27
• Total Runtime01:04:26

Info for Harp Recital

"Harp Recital" includes five major works of the harp literature from various periods. The Sonata in G major of C. P. E. Bach marks the beginning of solo literature for the harp; until then, the instrument was only used as an accompanying instrument with an exotic timbre. Heinz Holliger also orientated himself on this sonata, taking up the old movement designations of Bach’s time, among other things. Germaine Tailleferre belonged to the “Groupe des Six;” her Harp Sonata has a neo-classical character. The “Deux Divertissements” of André Caplet are character pieces “à la française” and “à l’espagnole” in the style of the time with impressionistic traits. Benjamin Britten’s Suite, written in 1969, concludes the recording with a technically and musically brilliant work.

Sarah O’Brien is solo harpist of the Munich Philharmonic. She performs as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician. Alongside her position as solo harpist, she is a professor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Music Academy in Basel. Sarah O’Brien regularly gives master courses and serves on juries at various competitions and auditions.

Sarah O' Brien, harp

Sarah O’Brien
harp is an extraordinarily versatile harpist who proves that the harp is no longer to be confined to a narrow Romantic frame but has a voice of its own, from baroque to contemporary literature.

Sarah O’Brien has been Principal Harp with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and the Munich Philharmonic for over 20 years. In 2014 she decided to concentrate her work on her teaching and devoting more time to her students, she is professor of harp at the University of Arts Zurich and the University of Music, Basel.

Her students are prizewinners of international competitions and winners to orchestra positions.

Before her positions in Switzerland, Sarah O’Brien was Professor at the Mozarteum Salzburg and the Music Hogeschool in Rotterdam, next to her work in the orchestra.

She has taught as guestprofessor to the Music Universities of Munich and Amsterdam, the Sibelius Academy Helsinki, the Juillard School New York, and the summerclasses in Montepulciano, Italy.

She is member of Jurys at international competitions and orchestra auditions.

Sarah O’Brien studied at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève with Catherine Eisenhoffer and concluded her studies with a premier prix de virtuosité in 1991.

Further studies with Pierre Jamet, Paris and Susann McDonald, Indiana University, School of Music, Bloomington, USA. She was prizewinner of the Concours d’execution musicale (CIEM) Geneva in 1997.

1991-1994 winner of the study grant of the Ernst Goehner Stiftung Zurich.

1988-1998 harpist of the Sabeth Trio Basel. Winner of the Swiss Chamber Music Competition Migros. A number of internationally known composers, such as Kaija Saariaho, Nicolaus A.Huber, Rudolf Kelterborn and Walter Feldmann have dedicated works to the Trio. Concerts at Festivals in Germany and concert series in Switzerland as well as Rome, Paris, Copenhagen.

Her position as principal harpist to two of the worlds most renown orchestras, has led her on tours through Europe, Asia as well as USA. Concerts the most famous halls worldwide.

To work with such conductors as Zubin Metha, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly, Christian Thielemann, James Levine, Lorin Mazel and many many others, is and has been very enriching.

She performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink and Hans Vonk, with the Munich Philhamronic under Hartmut Haenchen, the orchestra de la Suisse romande under Fabio Luisi, the Radio Sinfonie orchestra Basel and National Polish Radio Orchestra, the Zurich and Basel chamber orchestras and many more.

1992-1998 Sarah was member of the contemporary music ensemble ‘Musikfabrik NRW’”, where she performed at all festivals and concert series for new music.

Sarah O’Brien is working or has worked regularly with such composers as: Luciano Berio, Heinz Holliger, Mauricio Kagel, Wolfgang Rhim, Hans Zender and Klaus Huber.

Numerous CDs and radio recordings as soloist and chamber musician as well as orchestra recordings.

Guest speaker at radio productions or live-emissions.

She is equally a lectorer for new publications in harp literature for the HP editions London and the Henle Verlag Munich.

This album contains no booklet.