Königsplatz is one of the biggest squares in Munich and is charged with history. It was built by Ludwig of Bavaria in a Europeans neoclassical style. Our video was filmed in front of the Propylaea gate. During the Third Reich, the square was used for Nazi rallies. Book burnings happened there. The square is located close to the Führerbau, built for and used by Hitler as the headquarters of the party. This building is now used for the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, where Laudine studied her Masters. Filming the video on this square meant also digging into its history and sharing it with the world while bringing beauty to a place that witnessed such obscure times.

“It happened, and thus it can happen again.” – Primo Levi, 1986

The Bach Suite BWV 996, originally written for Lautenwerck (lute-harpsichord) between 1708 and 1717, works particularly well on the harp, here in an arrangement made by Cristina Bianchi, Professor at HMTM. The Allemande is the second movement of the Suite and presents the typical binary dance form.

Laudine Dard, praised as a lively and engaging harpist, is much in demand internationally as a solo, chamber and orchestral musician. Passionate about chamber music, she plays frequently with several ensembles including the quintet Levedy Ensemble, composed of four singers and a harp, which was announced winner of the prestigious Carne Trust Chamber Music Competition in October 2020. Laudine Dard was awarded the 2021 John Marson Harp Prize for Outstanding Musicianship. Recent solo repertoire includes the Dances by Debussy and the Concerto for flute and harp by Mozart. Laudine Dard has played with many orchestras such as Cameristi della Scala, London City Philharmonic, the CBSO Youth Orchestra, the Swiss Youth Orchestra (SJSO) and the Orchestre Symphonique Genevois. She performs regularly in prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall in London, the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Tonhalle in Zürich and the Birmingham Symphony Hall. Laudine studied in the Geneva Conservatoire and in Vienna with Julia Reth. She was then awarded a scholarship to study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London with Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly, where she graduated in 2021 with First Class Honours. She continued her studies with a Master of Music in the class of Prof. Cristina Bianchi in the Hochschule für Musik und Theater of Munich, where she graduated with the highest mark in June 2023. She was selected to perform in masterclasses with Marie-Pierre Langlamet (Berliner Philharmoniker), Fabrice Pierre, Emmanuel Ceysson and Germaine Lorenzini among others to perfect her playing.

Laudine Dard
WEBSITE: https://laudinedard.com/
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Audio recorded at @hochschulefuermusikundtheater by Sebastian Kienel