Byrd & Koll & Pianca - Toys for Two (CD)

The very special mixture of virtuosity and melancholy, so characteristic for the British way of making music, is clearly dominated by composers like John Dowland or Britten, Henry Purcell or the Beatles. So, by arranging the tunes written by Jimmy Page for Led Zeppelin (acoustic works, with strong celtic roots), the duo didn't notice any substantial difference between Page and the ancients, and the result is that these pieces too are fitting perfectly the iconic instruments of the Irish/Scottish/English/Welsh tradition: the lute and the harp. Journey with Margret Koll and Luca Pianca through composers like John Dowland, Thomas Robinson, William Byrd and more on this trip through English music. After initially studying piano, Margret Koll went on to study harp with Nicoletta Alberti at the Mozarteum in Innsbruc, and with Dr. Ruth Inglefield in Baltimore, before finally participating in Helga Storck's class at the Hochschule fue Musik in Munich. As a principal harpist she has worked with the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Orchestra and the Philharmonic der Nationen. Lutenist Luca Pianca, during his long and celebrated career, has cofounded early music ensembles, performed with symphonies and opera houses, collaborated with many soloists, and has released more than 20 albums.