Ashfield cellist releases first CD
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Rebecca Hartka, 36, is an Ashfield resident with an appreciation for the folk traditions of her upbringing in rural New England. As an internationally renowned cellist, she expresses her admiration for folk culture in her debut album, "Folkfire," which will be celebrated Friday at 7 p.m. at a CD release party at the Ashfield home of her friend Ricki Carrol.
Hartka's album is the product of her collaboration with pianist Azusa Komiyama, who performs regularly in Japan, the United States and Southeast Asia.
The two artists have been collaborating for several years, working together on a performance series that will be featured in an upcoming PBS documentary, and traveling together across the U.S. and Southeast Asia. This is their first recording together.
Each of the 23 tracks on the album showcase the special chemistry between the two musicians who emote a passion worthy of an entire symphony orchestra, using only their two instruments. The artists will perform songs from the album together on Friday.
Hartka covers a wide range of composers and genres on the album, which contains six Spanish, six English, and six Romanian folk songs, as well as compositions by Heitor Villa Lobos, Ernest Bloch, Miyagi Michio, Astor Piazzolla and Igor Stravinsky.
Hartka evokes the natural world in the hidden intricacies of folk song refrains, allowing the cello melody to rise and fall like a peaceful sea in Michio's "Sea in Springtime Calm," curve like the neck of a swan around a tide of piano arpeggios in "The Song of the Black Swan," and jarringly climb up and down octaves as if traversing history along the jagged piano chords and folktale melody of Stavinsky's "Russian Maiden's Song."
The album lulls the listener into the type of trance one might enter while watching the sun rise over a misty foliage-filled New England morning.
Friday's release party is open to the public with a $10 suggested donation. Reservations are required. To reserve a seat, call 628-4568. CDs are available for purchase online at www.rebeccahartka.com and at Elmer's Store in Ashfield.
