Sivan Magen, harp; Linn Records, 2014.

4.75 harps 

(Note: recording reviews prior to 2014 were based on a 5-star system.)


As I write this, celebrations are underway for the 300th birthday of the most famous son of the Bach dynasty, Carl Philip Emmanuel. He is a composer whose quirky inventiveness and heart-on-the-sleeve emotion garnered him adulation from the likes of Mozart, “He is the father, we, the children.” As the first track on Sivan Magen’s marvelous new disc Fantasien, C.P.E. Bachushers us into the gauzy dreamlike nature of the world in between written and improvised notes. Sivan plays with absolute freedom and expression, his lush but gentle tone opening a door to a place out of time. The transcription from keyboard to harp by the performer is natural and leaves no clumsy footprints of the former self, as if the piece were initially composed for harp.

The same holds true for the vastly mysterious and sensual Brahms Intermezzi. For me, the ring of the harp, its resonance and glow, give the Brahms new meaning. Sivan hesitates just the right amount to bask in what is possible. The silence between the notes becomes a key part of the tapestry, adding an element of longing and nostalgia. Perhaps this is what I like best about Sivan’s playing—he’s not afraid to take the luxury of the time needed. And with a sound like his, we have all the time in the world.

The atmosphere changes decidedly in Ekaterina Walter-Kuhne’s Fantasia on Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Ms. Walter-Kuhne was the principal harpist at the Mariinsky Theatre and likely played all the Tchaikovsky ballets with their intricate harp cadenzas, as well as his operas. This piece represents a moment in time when no recordings existed and salon life was filled with these abbreviated re-tellings of the latest hits. Sivan’s ability to disappear into the music’s atmosphere and drama is remarkable. My only desire would be that the contrast from the stage whisper to an all-out forte would be greater. Sometimes it’s as though being contemplative and internal just for its own sake can be a tad gimmicky.

That being said, Sivan’s deeply personal arrangement of Mozart’s Fantasie in D for Solo Piano opens the door to a kaleidoscope of color. Like the J.S. Bach that follows, there’s true “fantasy” in the playing, even when fast pedal changes threaten to shake the momentum. There’s a dream-like quality filled with whatever the imagination can conjure, all emanating from a sense of play. We never feel for a moment Sivan is working, or even performing—it’s as if he personally plans and prepares this CD for the intimacy of our own speakers.

And in that living room, we conclude the CD with a reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s “Telltale Heart” through Henriette Renié’s masterful program piece that unleashes all the harp’s potential, focusing on the murderer’s conflicted love for his victim. Again, Sivan seems to enter our space with closeness, a breathy storyteller chilling us to the bone, though what a beautiful chill it is!

Alison Young is a classical music host and producer at Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media. She left a successful career as a flutist a decade ago after she developed a neurological disorder, but before then enjoyed many years traveling the world giving recitals, performing concertos, playing with some of the finest orchestras, and recording her own discs. Nowadays, Young spins discs and is always on the lookout for the next best thing. You can contact her at ayoung@mpr.org.