De La Nuit [CD]

For his debut solo album, Zachary Hatcher explores the contrasts that define the harp: the shift between ancient and modern and the thin line between dreams and nightmares. The album is built around Zachary's own transcription of Maurice Ravel's Ondine. The piece has long been absent from the harp repertoire because of it's immense difficulty; Zachary is currently the only harpist performing it. This focus on the outer limits of the instrument continues with his own Sonata for solo harp, a work in three movements-Burlesque, Waltz, and Prayer-that reflects his recent return to composition. The album also features Consolation and Swan Descending, two works by Per Norgård that capture a specific Nordic introspection, as well as Paul Hindemith's Sonata and Henriette Renie's Piece Symphonique; these two works, while standard for harpists, are stylistically unusual for their composers.