Ulla van Daelen 83 Strings Hybrid Stereo SACD

83 strings. 2 harps. One virtuoso. Ulla van Daelen impresses with her second solo album, released on Stockfisch Records.

The enigmatic title of Ulla van Daelen's new Hybrid-SACD is revealed as soon as you look at the cover. Two harps 'come into play' and expand the already broad spectrum of expressive possibilities of a concert harp with numerous additional colors.

van Daelen knows how to confidently juxtapose the smaller lever harp of Celtic origin (36 strings), and its rather 'folkloristic' sound, with the large concert harp (47 strings) and to bring them into direct dialogue in the CD's final track "Zweisamkeit."

Most of the titles recorded are original compositions by Ulla van Daelen — or arrangements by her. The stylistic diversity of the titles presented is captivating: from the arabesque-influenced "Oriental Moments," in which the harp also serves as a percussion instrument, to the minuet-like "Perückentanz" and hits such as "Tulpen aus Amsterdam" or the chanson "Für mich soll's rote Rosen regnen." And even "Satchmo" Louis Armstrong would have paid his respects to Ulla's version of "What a Wonderful World."

Quotes from many genres are skillfully combined here to create what one might call the 'van Daelen style.' Wonderful music, played with virtuosity on 83 harp strings.