Christmas Harp Music / Anna Pasetti

Christmas has always been a source of inspiration for musicians, and this harp album contains many Christmas pieces and famous melodies. Robert Nicolas Charles Bochsa (1789–1856) wrote much harp music, including his fantasy on Adeste fideles. Joseph Mazzinghi’s (1765–1844) Andante from Sonata Op.30/3 consists of a series of variations on the melody that almost a century later would become the famous song Deck the Halls. Charles Oberthür’s (1845–1924) “Virgo Maria” is based on the ancient Marian hymn O Sanctissima. Edmund Schüecker's (1860–1911) Weihnachtslied is not inspired by any traditional Christmas melody. Dutch composer Johannes Snoer’s (1868–1936) Phantasia combines the two themes of the Christmas carols Stille Nacht and Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen. In France, Alphonse Hasselmans (1845–1912) was the most important harp tutor at the Paris Conservatory, teaching Tournier, Renié, Grandjany, and Salzedo. Rather than depicting a light-hearted holiday scene, Hasslemans’ Conte de Noël