The album opens with three masterpieces of the harp repertoire: the majestic Godefroid’s Carnival of Venice, the virtuoso Mchedelov’s Variations on a theme of Paganini and Salzedo’s Variations on a theme in the ancient style, performed here in its full, original and seldom heard version. Lamanna has arranged a charming work by the eighteenth-century Spanish composer Félix Máximo López, the Variaciones del fandango español, which was originally written for fortepiano; this composition has only recently been rediscovered and this new arrangement represents a fresh new addition to the harp repertoire. The album closes with Bach’s sublime Chaconne which Lamanna has adapted, from the harp transcription made by Dewey Owens, to create a version free from the more romantic elements and closer in style and intention to the original version for solo violin.

The Royal Academy of Music Bicentenary Series also includes debut recordings by Anna Geniushene (piano), Emily Nebel (violin) and Yoanna Prodanova (cello).