Recitals of classical repertory from the leading harpists of the day are readily available, but this one, the sophomore release by
Lauren Scott, is something else again.
Scott offers a few classical works in her own arrangements, but most of the music is original, by herself or others. It is designed to showcase unusual sounds from the harp.
Scott begins with the titular
Sea of Stars, on which she plays both a lever harp (an instrument for which she has written manuals) and a pedal harp; she composed the work, which explores the difference in timbre between the two instruments. As the program proceeds,
Scott goes further into harp sounds.
Grace-Evangeline Mason's
Glass Cathedrals is a remarkable virtuoso work that is highly evocative of its subject.
Scott's
The Sun and Her Flowers uses a prepared pedal harp with paper stretched across the strings to create a persuasive percussion effect. This is a crossover album that will be admired by other players of the instrument; even for the general listener,
Scott's technical accomplishment seems substantial. The production at a London studio by
Andy Scott (no word on whether there is any relation) serves
Lauren well, reproducing the shades of sound that are at the heart of her recording. This is a release that harp enthusiasts will treasure. ~ James Manheim
