View and Order CDs by Violinist Ioan Harea

 Ballade

I would like to see a return to the violin recitals given in the first half of the century by the great performers such as Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler and Mischa Elman. Their programs featured one or two large works surrounded by short, contrasting pieces such as those found on this CD. More recently, shorter works have been relegated to the ranks of “encore” pieces. I feel this minimizes their value. The greatness of these works is the freedom that they give the violinist to show off his or her individual personality, to the delight of the listener.

I feel equally at ease with the fiery technique of Fritz Kreisler’s Recitative and Scherzo as with the beauty of simple melody as found in Paganini’s Cantabile. Mozart’s Rondo gives me an opportunity to showcase my classical training from the Conservatory in Bucharest, as well as my many years as a working orchestral concertmaster.

Ballade both complements and contrasts with my prior recordings. All the offerings here are classical compositions, with the exception of “The Lark,” which is a Romanian folk melody better known as Romanian Rhapsody #1 by George Enescu. I have included “The Lark” on this CD because of its great popularity with my public. The remaining works have been chosen for the warmth, passion and joie de vivre that people have come to expect of my performances.

In spite of my constant critiques, which distinguish me as a technician, I do not consider myself a virtuoso performer. I feel that my strength lies in my ability to reach out and touch people at the very core of their being. Ciprian Porumbescu’s “Ballade” is a good example of this. It somehow expresses the spirit of the Romanian people. Yet when I play the “Ballade” anywhere, you can hear a pin drop! I first performed “Ballade” in Bucharest at the age of 13. It was a great moment for my parents. “Ballade” was always a favorite of my father, Arcadie Harea. He died of cancer some years ago, and I was not able to be with him. For that reason, I dedicate this performance to his memory.

—Ioan Harea

Ioan Harea wishes to thank Dr. Guillermo Valentiner and Nicholas Pora, whose generosity has made the realization of this CD possible.

 Classic Gypsy

The barriers of our world are coming down. Cultures that once knew nothing of one another’s existence now live side by side. Food, drink, clothing, language and music are all being transformed, influenced by the international community living on our doorstep. Pitas, croissants, shawarma, espresso, burritos, stir-fry and curry have all become part of our regular diet, symbolic of the greater number of cultures within our borders and the opening of our minds. Our bodies move to the rhythms of salsa, reggae, merengue and tango. Our hearts beat to the rhythms of the world.

We crave the exotic. We have the ability to communicate instantaneously with new worlds and travel to faraway lands. It is human nature to want it both ways: we want our security, yet at the same time, we want adventure.

The blending of folk and art music—the contrast between the improvisatory and the ordered—has fascinated all of the great musicians. Brahms played with a gypsy from Romany. The works of Bartok are based in folklore. Yehudi Menuhin dabbled in jazz with Stephan Grappelli. Perlman found release in Klezmer.

With “Classic Gypsy,” Ioan Harea transforms the folk music of Europe and South America into a new genre of virtuoso violin playing, elevating music of the campfire and dance hall to the symphonic stage.

In “Classic Gypsy, violinist Ioan Harea will guide you into a world of fantasy—a world of dancing skirts swirling around a campfire, a world of dark eyes staring intensely, drawing you into dreams of a nomadic life, free of responsibilities, full of passion and adventure. In the words of the immortal gypsy in Verdi’s opera Il Trovatore, “the sky is our roof and our country, the world.”

Ioan Harea and “Classic Gypsy” release the gypsy in your soul!

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to John Dooher and Sound of One Hand Studios, without whom this CD would never have happened.

Ioan Harea would also like to thank his longtime friend and supporter Guillermo Valentiner, president of Laboratorios Vargas in Caracas, Venezuela, for his continued sponsorship on this, the fourth of Ioan’s recordings.

Thanks also to the Music Department of the University of Ottawa for facilitating the use of Tabaret Hall.

 Sentimental Strings

The Harea String Quartet was formed in 1987 by violinist Ioan Harea with the sole purpose of providing high-quality classical music for special events in Canada’s capital.

Represented exclusively by Virtuosi Productions, the Harea String Quartet is now considered Ottawa’s foremost event music ensemble. Thanks to the fine leadership of violinist Ioan Harea, the artistic dedication of all of its members and superb arrangements by Matthew Naughtin, the Harea String Quartet has elevated the performance of background music to artistic levels.

The Harea String Quartet has performed at events hosted by the Governor General of Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons and the American Ambassador to Canada. The Harea String Quartet is the core of Virtuosi Strings, which performs at state dinners hosted by the Prime Minister of Canada.

Sentimental Strings is a collection of some of the best loved and most often requested works performed by the Harea String Quartet.

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to John Dooher and Sound of One Hand Studios, without whom this CD would never have happened.

Ioan Harea would also like to thank his longtime friend and supporter Guillermo Valentiner, president of Laboratorios Vargas in Caracas, Venezuela, for his continued sponsorship of Ioan Harea’s recordings.

 Versatility

Versatility is an experience of everything from Baroque through classical and 20th-century art music to gypsy and jazz. On this CD, I have chosen to interpret a wide variety of musical styles in collaboration with some of my favorite musicians. The works I have chosen to play all reflect who I am, what I have experienced in life and what I love most about music.

It has been a real privilege and pleasure to work together with such good friends and fine colleagues on Versatility. I particularly want to thank those who collaborated with me in the creative process as composers and arrangers. I want to thank Roddy Ellias for trusting me to give voice to his very heartfelt and personal compositions. Sol Gunner continues to amaze and enlighten me as to the inner science of the “shuffle.” Ian Clyne’s reworking of the three songs that make up “Nostalgie” brings freshness and humor to the music, which is otherwise all too familiar.

Playing duos is perhaps the most difficult project I have yet worked on. The writing is so transparent. There is nowhere to hide. The blend. The intonation. The colour. The articulation. The rhythmic ebb and flow! In a successful duo you move as one with your partner, sensing when to lead and when to follow. It is a lot like dancing a tango!

Creating Versatility has been a privilege and an enriching experience; I hope it will bring joy to those who listen to it!

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to John Dooher and Sound of One Hand Studios, without whom this CD would never have happened.

 Unaccompanied

Ioan Harea wishes to thank his great friends Michel Legault and John Dooher at Sound of One Hand Studios and his wife and manager Jo Ann Simpson at Virtuosi Productions for their generous and ongoing support, as well as the City of Ottawa, whose project grant made this recording financially possible.

 Alegria