Cordes rêvent

We have been working regularly with the harp since the ensemble was founded in 2006. We have always felt that this fascinating instrument has great sonic potential for contemporary aesthetics. It took our meeting with contemporary composer Claire-Mélanie Sinnhuber to set up this project of commissions and recordings with these two pieces, Héliotrope and Renouée des oiseaux. This delicate, precise writing transports us into a dreamlike world where the harp envelops and embraces the staccato writing of the strings. The flowers, always wild, connected to time, which serve as her inspiration, such as the ‘eleven o'clock flower’ or ‘heliotrope’, always open and close at the same time, linked to the course of the sun.

At the same time, we discover a forgotten masterpiece, the trio by Henriette Renié, the great harpist, composer, soloist and teacher who significantly developed the harp and its technique, turning it into the solo instrument we know today. In addition to the masterful beauty of this piece, this woman paved the way for generations to come by establishing herself as a composer and soloist at a time when, at the end of the 19th century, these professions were not open to women. In view of this masterpiece, one can only regret that much of her repertoire has been lost due to the lack of attention paid to female composers at the time.

Two women, two eras, two unique destinies juxtaposed in this album.

Agnès Pyka

Claire-Mélanie Sinnhuber - Renouée des oiseaux, Trio pour violon, violoncelle et harpe (2024)

Henriette Renié - Trio pour violon, violoncelle et harpe (1910)

Claire-Mélanie Sinnhuber - Héliotrope, Trio pour violon, violoncelle et harpe (2024)

Henriette Renié - Andante religioso, pour violon et harpe (1895)

Ensemble des Équilibres

Agnès Pyka, violin
Jordan Costard, cello
Marcel Cara, harp