Mary Did You Know?: Harp Solo: Instrumental Album

Harp Solo-Consolation - Like A Roselike Flower (Consolazione - Flos Ut Rosa) for Harp solo by Per Nørgård (2002). Written for and dedicated to Tine Rehling. Programme note by the composer: The concept of Mary has a depth that transcends all religious persuasions. All over the earth symbols of the gentle and maternal are known. But the word ´Maria´ is also associated - in sound - with the Latin word for the sea mare and she thus become the Star of the Sea Maris Stella.  In my 3rd Symphony the Maria motif is used in a hymn section in the second and last part of the work. Thechoral song “Flos ut rosa floruit” was composed directly in the context of the symphony and the melody had a ´stamina´ that carried it over into many later vocal and choral compositions for instance the “Concerto for Harp No. 2 – through thorns” (2003) and the present Consolazione for harp solo both works dedicated to Tine Rehling. 

A year after their composition in 1866, Brahms?s popular 16 Waltzes op. 39 for piano duet were arranged by the composer for piano solo, thus fulfilling the request of his publisher for a simplified version.

Brahms himself described the first version as suitable for reasonable hands , that is for proficient players, and the easier version as perhaps for prettier hands , that is, for domestic music-making. He initially described the latter version to his publisher as a children?s edition . The catchy and musically easily accessible pieces are among the composer?s most popular works and are particularly suitable for piano students and lovers of the Romantic repertoire.

Both versions of the Waltzes op. 39 (BA9602, BA9603) are available in separate editions and form an important contribution to Bärenreiter?s series of Brahms?s works in scholarly-critical Urtext editions. Both editions include fingering, a well-presented musical layout and optimum page-turns. The Urtext editions are complemented by explanations on performance practice used by Brahms, an informative foreword on the genesis, sources and significance of the works together with comments on the primary sources.

- A key work in the Romantic piano repertoire
- All known sources and the latest research findings taken into account
- Well-presented musical layout with optimum page-turns
- Includes fingering
- Suggestions on performance practice and interpretation (Ger/Eng)
- Informative foreword (Ger/Eng) and critical commentary (Eng)

The editor
Christian Köhn has been awarded several scholarships as well as winning major international music competitions in Germany.
He has released 24 CDs to date, including the first ever complete recording of the piano duo works of Johannes Brahms. Christian Köhn is a lecturer at the Musikhochschule Detmold. / [Valses op. 39 / Versions Simplifiées] / Classique / Partition / Agrafé /