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Fantasien - Magen

Fantasien - Magen

Linn Records  CKD 441

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Instrumental


*CPE Bach: Fantasie in E-flat major, H. 277 Wq. 58 No. 6
*Brahms: Intermezzi Opp. 116 No. 2 & 4, 117 No. 1 & 2
Ekaterina Walter-Kuhne: Fantasie on Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
*Mozart: Fantasie in D minor, K. 397
*JS Bach: Chromatic Fantasy in D minor, BWV 903
Henriette Renie: Ballade fantastique d'apres Le Coeur revelateur d'Edgar Poe

Sivan Magen, harp (and *: arranger)


Harpist Sivan Magen dazzles audiences wherever he goes with his formidable virtuosity and demonstrably perfect technique. Recorded at the famous Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, ‘Fantasien' marks Magen's Linn debut. The recording is a showcase of the modern concert harp demonstrating the powerful expression, dynamic range and sheer excitement this popular instrument can generate in the right hands.

Sivan Magen has recorded two previous albums, both of which received critical-acclaim; his Britten recital was listed in the New York Times' ‘Best Recordings of 2012'. Praised by the press as ‘a magician' (WQXR, New York), of ‘unheard of depth of colours, range of expression and rhetorical flow' (American Record Guide), Sivan Magen is the only Israeli to have ever won the prestigious International Harp Contest in Israel. Magen also won the Pro Musicis International Award in New York and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust's 2012 Award for exceptional young musicians.

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Review by Graham Williams - March 6, 2014

This new SACD from the young Israeli harpist Sivan Magen demonstrates the marvellous range of sonorities and expressive possibilities that can be obtained from the modern double action pedal harp in the hands of a virtuoso performer like Magen.

The imaginative choice of music on this recording spans three centuries; from CP E Bach - whose tercentenary is being celebrated this year - to the French harp virtuoso and composer Henriette Renié (1875-1956 - not 1986 as stated in the liner notes). While most of the items on the disc are arrangements by Sivan Magen of familiar works for keyboard, those by Ekaterina Walter-Kühne and Renié are original compositions.

The disc opens with an arrangement of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's fantasy in E flat major that demonstrates wide ranging tone colour in Magen's playing, and this is followed by four Intermezzi taken from Brahms late piano works Opus 116 and 117. The delicacy and wistful melancholy of these lovely intermezzi seem to suit the harp perfectly and Magan's arrangements are both apt and tasteful. The level of this artist's virtuosity and immaculate technical control is further confirmed by his performances of the familiar Mozart and Bach Fantasias that follow.

Two of the items on the disc are especially enjoyable. The first is the 'Fantasia on Themes from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin' for solo harp. This is the work of the distinguished Russian harpist Ekaterina Walter-Kühne. It was published in 1909 and is one of a number of fantasies on popular operas of the day that Ekaterina Walter-Kühne wrote for the instrument. The second is the 'Ballade fantastique d'après Le Coeur révélateur d'Edgar Poe' by Henriette Renié whose literary interests inspired this unusual and technically challenging piece of programme music in 1913.

This recital was recorded in the commodious acoustic of the Menuhin Hall of the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey. Philip Hobbs's engineering produces a realistic image of the soloist and for the most part avoids the capture of unwanted mechanical noise from the instrument. Excellent liner notes from Alexander Rider complement this release.

Without doubt Sivan Magen's fine musicianship and scintillating performances on this disc will further enhance this artist's burgeoning reputation.

Copyright © 2014 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

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