J.S. Bach & Weiss & Galassi - Davidsharfen (CD)

The David harp is a type of harp from the German Baroque period. The figure of King David is usually depicted on the head of the harp column. The strings are fitted with brays, which gives this instrument a typical buzzing sound. In addition to the David harp, however, a number of other types of harp were used in baroque Germany, such as the single-row hooked harp, on which the pitch could be altered with hooks on the strings, or double-row chromatic harps. Mara Galassi and her colleague Flora Papadopoulos present a hitherto unknown German repertoire with their harp duets, which they interpret on five different harp types of this period. The works come from various German collections, such as the Dresden "Musikalische Rüstkammer", the collection of the Silesian Dominican monk Father Pius Hancke, but also works by Silvius Leopold Weiss, whose lute duets were transcribed for two harps. The CD ends with a transcription of Bach's famous "Concerto nach Italienischen Gusto", which the two harpists arranged for themselves in the style of the above-mentioned harp manuscripts and lute duets.