Amalie’s Cosmos

Amalie’s Cosmos is a harp recital by Anne-Sophie Bertrand inspired by the vibrant artistic salons of Amalie Beer, an influential cultural patron in early nineteenth-century Berlin. Through a wide-ranging program of Romantic and Impressionist repertoire—alongside a contemporary world premiere—the album recreates the atmosphere of these intellectual gatherings where composers, performers, philosophers, and scientists exchanged ideas and music.

Amalie Beer’s salons were an important cultural hub, welcoming figures such as Franz Liszt, Fanny Mendelssohn, Niccolò Paganini, and the philosopher Hegel. The repertoire on this album reflects that cosmopolitan environment, presenting music associated with this artistic circle and the broader nineteenth-century salon tradition. Works by Liszt, Weber, Spohr, Glinka, and Paganini appear in virtuosic arrangements for harp, demonstrating how instrumental music circulated and evolved within salon culture.

The program highlights the expressive and technical range of the harp through transcriptions and original works. Among them are Liszt’s poetic Un Sospiro, Glinka’s lyrical The Lark, and Paganini’s energetic Caprice No. 9, “La caccia.” Romantic virtuosity is further represented by works connected to the Meyerbeer family circle, including arrangements by Elias Parish Alvars and Albert Zabel—figures who expanded the harp’s expressive possibilities during the nineteenth century.

The album also foregrounds the contributions of women to the musical culture of the salon. Fanny Hensel’s Notturno in G minor and Pauline Viardot’s Sérénade evoke the creativity and influence of female composers and performers active in these circles. Complementing the historical repertoire is Capriccio, Op. 107 by Nimrod Borenstein, presented here in a world-premiere recording and conceived as an homage to Paganini’s virtuosity.

The recital concludes with harp transcriptions of Debussy’s Estampes, whose exotic colors and evocative imagery reflect the nineteenth century’s fascination with global cultures and artistic exploration. Recorded in Frankfurt in 2025, Amalie’s Cosmos celebrates the harp as a richly expressive instrument capable of capturing the elegance, virtuosity, and imaginative spirit of the European salon tradition.

Anne-Sophie Bertrand, Harp