Sivan Magen - French Reflections - The New York Times 'Artsbeat'

'The harp became an indelible part of the French musical landscape in the late 19th century. That landscape was, of course, itself in flux, and the harp’s new chromatic flexibility allowed it to reflect those changes, as this enchanting recording shows. From the dreamy “Une châtelaine en sa tour” by Fauré to the increasingly nervous inflections of the influential harpist and composer Marcel Tournier’s Sonatine (Op. 30) and Debussy’s “Estampes,” Mr. Magen’s playing is always responsive and richly colored. Two recent works, Philippe Schoeller’s “Esstal” and Bruno Mantovani’s “Tocar,” hark back to some of the exotic fever dreams of the fin de siècle even as they employ an entirely different harmonic language.'