Yolanda Kondonassis' New Album "Air"
Music Inspired by Nature Will Be Used to Save Nature
Jul 13, 2009
The American harpist Yolanda Kondonassis makes music that will change the world: her latest album Air is meant to raise awareness about global warming and to actually do something about it. Proceeds from the sale of the recording will go to support the Environmental Defense Fund.
French Music for Relaxing: The Breathe Album
Kondonassis has previously made artistic connections between environment and music. Her recording Breathe: The Relaxing Harp features a collection of works by French composers Debussy, Satie, Ravel and Fauré as well as other standard composers such as Vivaldi, Mendelssohn and Bach. Cascading streams of sound suggest an untouched nature, creating an environment of repose and meditation.
However, no musical landscape can substitute for the real thing, and a body can't breathe if the air is clogged with pollutants. Traditionally a drawing room instrument meant to showcase leisure and decorativeness, in Kondonassis' hands the harp embarks on a gutsy mission: to harness its fluttery delicateness to promote a message that could change the earth we live on.
Purifying the Natural Air: Works by Debussy and Takemitsu
Air presents the works of two composers who at first glance might seem rather different. The French composer Claude Debussy composed pentatonic impressions of the early 20th century. The Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu worked in the avant garde style of the later 20th century.
Yet Takemitsu was deeply influenced by Debussy, and in fact both composers absorbed a variety of musical styles into their compositions, from jazz to pop music. Both composers were also inspired by nature: Debussy's Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun idealized the carefree romps of pastoral creatures while Takemitsu recorded snippets of the natural world which later surfaced as part of his compositions.
Kondonassis highlights these connections and contrasts between Debussy and Takemitsu on her album. Her performance excels at unifying two distinct approaches to the musical depiction of nature.
The title of the album also reminds listeners that the mission is two-fold: in addition to referring to the atmosphere, "air" is also a light-hearted musical tune. Politics never trump musicianship, but are simply wedded to aesthetics.
The Other Musicians: Joshua Smith, Cynthia Phelps
But this sort of project is not one that Kondonassis has chosen to do alone. The album presents music for flute and strings as well as for harp. Joining her are two other accomplished musicians: Joshua Smith on the flute and Cynthia Phelps on the viola.
Joshua Smith is the principal flute for the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and an avid blogger at Soloflute?. Cynthia Phelps is the principal viola for the New York Philharmonic and has been a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School.
Sources
Child, Fred. "Yolanda Kondonassis: Impressions Of The Harp." June 26, 2009. NPR Music.
Toru Takemitsu Biography at Schott Music.
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