Combining performances and interviews, the ARTE cultural channel has produced an elegant portrait of the virtuoso harpist Xavier de Maistre in “Xavier de Maistre et la harpe”.
“The soul of the harp, it is the performer who gives it. The way of making strings vibrate is something very personal.” Xavier de Maistre, born in Toulon in 1973, has been promoting the harp for a quarter of a century both within large ensembles, from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to the Vienna Philharmonic, as a soloist or in smaller groups, such as the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, with which he performs in the documentary as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.
In collaboration with Salvi Harps, Museo dell’Arpa Victor Salvi and Lyon & Healy Harps.
Available from March 3 to June 18, 21 on the ARTE Concert website.
In the documentary, Xavier receives a custom Lyon & Healy Salzedo model finished in “sea” blue and white gold with nickel-plated action and mechanics.
Pieces included in the documentary:
Elias Parish-Alvars
Concertino op.34
Allegro moderato
Andante
Rondo. Allegro
Claude Debussy
Danse sacrée
Leonard Bernstein, arr. Park Stickney
West Side Story
Photo Credit: Nikolaj Lund www.nikolajlund.com