Lavinia Meijer: Voyage

Classic FM Drive Featured Album, 23 March 2015, after 6pm

For her latest release, the Korean-born Dutch harpist takes an imaginative musical journey through the French repertoire - from favourites by Debussy to two tracks from the Amélie soundtrack by Yann Tiersen.

Following on from her gold-selling album of music by Einaudi, it is clear that Meijer is on a mission to expand the harp repertoire. All transcriptions and arrangements were created by Meijer herself, who sets out to imitate the sounds of the original instruments on the harp.

The instantly recognizable Clair de Lune by Debussy, and Satie’s various Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes are very attractively played and crisply recorded, and the Tiersen tracks certainly bring back memories of a great film.

Meijer is ably assisted on Debussy's Dances for Harp and Orchestra by the gifted Amsterdam Sinfonietta.

You'd be hard pressed to find a more deeply relaxing album to chill out to.