Lily Laskine
The daughter of Russian immigrants to Paris, harpist Lily Laskine was drawn into music by both parents. Her mother was a pianist, and she took up the piano at first. But she took more strongly to the harp, and soon she was practicing the instrument, at her mother's behest, for six hours a day. All one needs to play the harp, Laskine once said, is good fingers and a sacrificed childhood. At age eight, after some jawboning on her mother's part opened the doors, Laskine started lessons with Paris Conservatoire professor Alphonse Hasselmans, and three years later she enrolled at the venerable music school. By 1906 she had won the conservatory's top prize, and she formally embarked on her career at 13, never taking another harp lesson but continuing to absorb music and its lore throughout her life.
What made Laskine a figure strongly identified with the harp over much of the world was her catholic interest in its entire literature, regardless of genre boundaries. She refused to be categorized as a recitalist and sought out opportunities to play wherever they might be found. In 1909, she became the first female member of the Paris Opéra Orchestra, on any instrument. She remained at the Opéra until 1926, also performing with concert series orchestras such as that of the Lamoureux Association and with an orchestra led by conductor Sergey Koussevitsky. In the 1930s Laskine made several European tours and began her recording career, which included both classical and popular releases. She was heard on records with Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, and other greats of French popular song, and she contributed to many film scores. In 1979 she won the Grand Prix du Film Musical for her work on the score for La Leçon de Musique.
A duet partner of French flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal for several decades, Laskine continued to perform and record until late in life. Several harp concertos were written for her, and she uncovered unknown historical works for harp such as Gossec's Symphonie concertante for two harps. Laskine served as professor of harp at the Conservatoire from 1948 to 1958, in which year she was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
© TiVo
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Magie der Harfe - Harfenkonzerte / Magic of the Harp - Harp Concertos (Inspiration)
Classical - Released by Erato - Warner Classics on 14 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Récital de harpe: Bach, Saint-Saëns, Fauré, Roussel...
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 7 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Concerto for Flute and Harp by Lily Laskine (2023 Remastered)
Lily Laskine, Jean-Pierre Rampal, François-Julien Brun
Classical - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on 28 Nov 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Concerto for Flute and Harp & Clarinet Concerto
Jean-Pierre Rampal, Lily Laskine, Jacques Lancelot, Jean-François Paillard
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 1 Jan 1993
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Concerto pour flûte et harpe & Concerto pour clarinette (Mono Version)
Lily Laskine, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Jacques Lancelot
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Japanese Melodies for Flute and Harp
Lily Laskine, Jean-Pierre Rampal
Classical - Released by Denon on 1 Jan 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart & Debussy: Works
Classical - Released by Artemisia on 3 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sonata per flauto, viola e arpa
Jean-Pierre Rampal, Pierre Pasquier, Lily Laskine
Classical - Released by La Bambolina sas on 20 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Récital de harpe (Stereo Version)
Classical - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1963
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Danse sacrée et danse profane & Sonates (Stereo Version)
Orchestre Jean-François Paillard, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Lily Laskine
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Concerto in Do maggiore per flauto, arpa e orchestra KV 299
Jean-Pierre Rampal, Lily Laskine, Orchestra da Camera Paillard
Classical - Released by La Bambolina sas on 20 Jan 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les blasons du corps féminin (Mono Version)
Gérard Philipe, André Reybaz, Lily Laskine
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Jolivet: Concerto pour ondes Martenot & Concerto pour harpe (Mono Version)
Ginette Martenot, Lily Laskine, André Jolivet
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Musique française du XVIIIe (Mono Version)
Jean-Pierre Rampal, Lily Laskine, Orchestre de Chambre Louis De Froment
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Cor et harpe. Duvernoy, Dauprat & Bochsa
Georges Barboteu, Lily Laskine
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on 29 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jolivet: Suite liturgique & Messe pour le jour de la paix (Mono Version)
Jacqueline Silvy, Jean Giraudeau, Lily Laskine
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart à Paris, vol. 3 (Mono Version)
François-Julien Brun, Lily Laskine, Association des Concerts de chambre de Paris
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Noël de l'Avent & Deux poèmes de Marie Noël (Mono Version)
Suzanne Flon, Maîtrise d'enfants de la Radiodiffusion-télévision française, Lily Laskine
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Récital de harpe (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1963
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Debussy: Sonates (Mono Version)
Jean-Pierre Rampal, Orchestre Jean-François Paillard, Lily Laskine
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Récital (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1952
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo