Marcello, A: Oboe Concerto in D Minor

Today’s leading virtuoso of the harp presents famous Baroque concerti by Albinoni, Marcello and Vivaldi in unique new arrangements.

“A selection of wonderful Baroque concerti by Venetian composers, like Marcello, Albinoni and Vivaldi – arranged for my instrument. In his famous “Winter” from The Four Seasons, the glass-like sounds of the harp create an ethereal mood astonishingly reproducing snowflakes and splintering icicles. So all these fantastic pieces which everyone knows suddenly seem fresh and new, and can be rediscovered thanks to the very special sound of the harp.” Xavier de Maistre

Xavier de Maistre is generally fêted as the artist who has managed to liberate the harp from its reputation for wonderful but very soft sounds, and establish it as a solo instrument in the concert hall.

On his new album "Notte Veneziana", the internationally successful harp virtuoso plays well-known concertos by the Venetian composers Vivaldi, Marcello and Albinoni in new arrangements, combining them with original compositions for solo harp such as the sonata by Giovanni Pescetti, Godefroid’s stunning set of variations on the popular tune “Carnaval de Venise”, and “La Mandoline” by 19th-century composer Elias Parish Alvars.

Xavier de Maistre's aim is to make the listener forget completely that most of the Baroque concertos heard here were not originally written for the harp, but for different melody instruments. He finds it fascinating to bring out new timbres in the arrangements, some of which he pens himself. Vivaldi's famous concerto "Winter", in particular, seems to him to be predestined for playing on the harp, and his interpretation does indeed present this often-heard work in a totally new guise.

“Xavier de Maistre is a virtuoso of the highest order, profoundly musical and capable of realizing a remarkable range of nuance.” (Gramophone)

This is a collection of some of the musical “lollipops” which are as agreeable to play as they are to listen to; maybe it is because of their simplicity that these jewels get straight to the hearts of their listeners.

The CD includes favourites such as Pachelbel’s Canon, Mozart’s Serenade from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Purcell’s Chaconne as well as Marcello’s Concerto for Oboe, Strings and Continuo.

Following an unprecedented chart record for a woodwind player in his native Germany, Albrecht Mayer has now signed an exclusive contract with Decca. Albrecht Mayer is the principal oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic and succeeds to impress critics and casual music listeners alike – as did flautist James Galway in the 1990s. His first Decca record is a Baroque album themed around Venice and features famous repertoire by Vivaldi, Albinoni and Marcello as well as some world premiere recordings of that era.

Albrecht Mayer is accompanied by a Baroque chamber ensemble featuring some of the finest period players of today. At least since the age of Goethe, German artists have been flocking to Italy as their Promised Land of Mediterranean sunshine and adventure. For the oboe virtuoso Albrecht Mayer, the lure is more specific. “Baroque Venice,” he says, “is where the oboe came into its own.” La Serenissima — Venice herself, floating like a mirage on her Adriatic lagoon — has held him spellbound since he first visited the city at the age of ten. He returns at least once a year. “I think,” Mayer says of the present anthology, “that this project has been growing in my heart for many years. Venice is such a fantastic island in every sense. Every time I visit, I feel like I’m stepping backwards in time — especially at night. By 10.30pm, all the tourists are gone. There are no cars. You stroll through the streets and feel completely alone.” There is always more to explore.