This disc has been out for more than a decade now. It was first
issued in 1998. Apart from its clamant musical attractions it
also reflects Marcia Dickstein's demanding approach to establishing
as close to the urtext as possible and of purging errors from
published sources. In this she has had authoritative allies
in the shape of Lewis Foreman, Graham Parlett and the Bax Trust.
I am just delighted to be able to enjoy such a well executed
collection. The harp is a troubadour instrument - as Sibelius
has reminded us - as well as one of Gallic elegance. Bax's use
of the harp here as well as in the orchestral works (first movement
of Sixth Symphony or In the Faery Hills) is part Bardic
and part feline elegance. The quirky Valse for solo harp
(1931)despite coming from the peak symphonic years has
more in common with Ravel. Dickstein impresses here as elsewhere
with her powerful delivery and her delicacy in matters of dynamics.
Coming from 1931 the Valse is therefore from his maturity.
It was written as a gift for the long-lived Sidonie Goossens,
for many years the harpist of the BBCSO. In Memoriam
is a most beautiful piece of probing Celtic poetry - a love-song
and a lament to the memory of Padraig Pearse, a leading Nationalist
killed in the Easter Rising. You may know it from the Chandos
CD by the ensemble of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields
where it is differently coupled.
The Fantasy-Sonata for viola and harp has been recorded
before. It is bitter-sweet. Written idiomatically it is technically
challenging for each instrument. The fairytale spells of the
Allegro moderato second movement are evocative of illustrations
by Edmond Dulac or Kay Nielsen. The third movement epitomises
the plangency of the travelling harper while the finale takes
us into dark realms as easily as the Viola Sonata and several
of the two-piano pieces.
The Harp Quintet of 1919 has been around for many years going
back to Laura Newell and the Stuyvesant Quartet’s American
Philharmonia LP on PH102/PH109 and a Chandos LP (ABRD1113) then
CD with Skaila Kanga and the English String Quartet. It's a
lilting and concise single-movement piece. It's not without
drama, ecstatic longing or heart-melting melodies.
The 1928 Sonatina for Flute and Harp is more playfully Gallic
than Celtic though the Lento does take us into the Faery
courts. The finale is jaunty.
Bax had the Polish harpist, Maria Korchinska in mind when writing
many of these works.
Dickstein points out in her liner-note that this is not all
the Bax chamber music with harp. There was room for more and
I do hope that in the fullness of time these same forces will
tackle the remaining Bax harp works.
This is a disc you may have overlooked. I had until recently.
It is a most desirable thing and one guaranteed to draw in all
Baxians but also the legion admirers of Ravel's Septet, Ropartz's
Prélude, Marine et Chanson and Debussy's Danses
Sacrées et Danse Profanes.
Rob Barnett
Marcia Dickstein (harp) 
