Spohr: Fantasy in C minor, Op. 35

Together with the soloists Christine Wolff, Britta Schwarz, and Maria Graf, Rondeau Production approaches this Romantic Zeitgeist from a new perspective: well-known and unknown duets are clothed in fresh robes by the accompanying harp, and the spirit of chamber music making in private homes is reawakened.

The outstanding soloist Astrid von Brück performs music from the virtuoso harp repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries. The featured composers are Salzedo, Rosetti, Britten, Spohr, Pierné, and the highly regarded French/Canadian composer Pierick Houdy.

Harpist Astrid von Brück was born in Leipzig in 1966. She first attended the special school, and later the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin and completed her studies in the subjects of harp (with Siegfried Weinberger) and piano. Aged just 23, she was principal harpist of the Staatskapelle Dresden, where she has worked since then. Astrid von Brück has been a prize winner at major international competitions in Paris 1988 (Louise Charpentier), and Soka in Japan, 1995.

On her third CD for Channel Classics, the harpist Lavinia Meijer (28) has brought together popular Fantasies and Impromptus by Spohr, Fauré, Pierné, Saint-Saëns, Roussel and Glière. Added to these are world premieres on CD of two completely forgotten harpist composers: Johannes Snoer (1868-1936) and Gabriel Verdalle (1845-1912).

On her first and very successful CD for Channel Classics, 'Divertissements', Lavinia Meijer also recorded only compositions originally written for the harp, with works by Carlos Salzedo, André Caplet and Jacques Ibert. On her highly commended CD 'Visions' she presented twentieth-century repertoire, with works by Byrnes, Isang Yun and Takemitsu, in addition to Britten and Patterson.

Lavinia Meijer graduated cum laude at the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2005. She was awarded the Netherlands Music Prize in 2009.