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Harpistry ReviewFor whatever reason, I've had a rash of musical CD's in which a competent performer has fallen into a pattern of over-hype, including excessive production values, extensive professional websites, promises to keep and an output that is miniscule in comparison. Often the performer is worth notice, but the hype tends to promise more than can be delivered, and the musician suffers in the comparison.
This is the case with Julia Thornton, whose sole recording is this disk of music, of which only a few were originally for the harp. Many are quite pleasant, and a few are a bit eye-opening, but for some reason her producer, Craig Leon, has decided to mix in angelic choirs and other gimmicks that make the music hackneyed and a bit too 'new age.' On such case of this is 'Gassenhawer,' and another is Couperin's 'Les Baricades Misterieuses' which is overdone enough to be upsetting.
On other cases - the Vivaldi 'Largo' and the Handel Sarabande Julia is reduced to simple striking of the notes, nothing that shows of either the harp or her capabilities. On the other hand, the Bach Goldberg Variation and the Pescetti Andantino are a bit idiosyncratic, but very musical and interesting. Obviously there is more to Thornton than the album offers, but the album often suppresses these qualities in order to appeal to the popular audience.
The Adagio from Beethoven's Concerto No. 5 is problematic. Your ears will say 'interesting' but your mind will find it a far cry from Beethoven's original intentions. She comes so close to the percussive sound of the piano that it catches you up when she stops disguising her instrument. She does an excellent performance of the Tchaikovsky Lullaby, as well as Debussy's 'The Sunken Cathedral.'
The only piece that was originally written for harp is 'Chanson Dans La Nuit (Carlos Salzedo), which is something of a signature piece for Thornton. I can't say I found the various rattling and thumping which accompany the play very compelling, but they are Aledo's idea, not Thornton's. Chanson is a technical show off sort of thing and a bit to dry compared to the rest of the album (other than the Satie).
In sum, Thornton is an interesting harpist, but hardly the brilliant and inventive advocate of the instrument that the liner notes and website make her out to be. She is not the equal of players like Marisa Robles or Yolanda Kondonassis, and one shouldn't listen to her music expecting that kind of performance. On the other hand, as light listening the album is quite good and hopefully signals more to come.
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