The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 2002
“bel canto for harp”
—Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 2002
Music for Solo Harp
“Virtuosity and expression are not the first two traits most listeners associate with the harp. But Elizabeth Hainen makes a case for the instrument as something more than the angel-food cake of the orchestra in this release of transcriptions and works written especially for the harp.
Her fine, fast work in Liszt’s Liebesträume brings to light a harpist of considerably more skill than we ordinarily have a chance to hear from her principal chair in the Philadelphia Orchestra. Elias Parish Alvars’ Serenade is a kind of bel canto for harp – fanciful ornamentation and strong melody – and Hainen treats it as such. She also gets a lovely bell-tone.
The best thing about Hainen’s playing is the way she makes a melody sing. It’s hard to imagine Glinka’s Nocturne sounding more musical – Peter Dobrin
The Philadelphia Inquirer
© 2002