Violin Artist
CARPATHIAN TALES
Carpathian Tales is a musical dedication to Romania’s beauty, telling the story of its country, nature, and culture in a way that has never been attempted before. Unique and new recordings as well as inspiring arrangements are part of this unique project. What began with a vision to explore her roots and shine a light on Romania’s unique music and culture, led the young German-Romanian violinist Lelie Cristea on a two-year journey to previously undiscovered musical beauties.
„The Unbridled Joy of Playing. Spirit of Romania. A Musical Journey that Arouses Curiosity.“
The spirit of Romania
Mountains of incomprehensible beauty, surrounded by the very last primary forests of Europe, with untamed natural rivers that still shape the deep valleys to this day. Rhythms and melodies that stimulate your imagination and invite you to dance. Composers from all backgrounds, whose colorful lives and visions have been immortalized in their musical legacy. A violinist who merges all these facets into one musical essence, presenting the Romanian repertoire in an unprecedented way.
The Spirit of Romania can be found in each of the works – whether melancholic or full of temperament – but above all, the emotional musical value is revealed in the interpretation of compositions steeped in history. Even though Lelie never met any of the composers, she has built a deep connection to them through her father’s stories and the tales passed on to her by the composers’ descendants.
Two Etude Caprices by her grandfather Ionel Cristea that are especially near and dear to her heart are also included in the album.
During her research, she increasingly sensed that her second home in the Carpathians had many more stories to tell than she had realized.
Different perspectives
With her ambition to paint as holistic of a picture as possible, connections to people and organizations dedicated to protecting the Romanian Carpathians, Europe’s last surviving Green Lung, emerged during the creation of this record. Seeing her second home from the perspective of a wide variety of composers, looking at it through the eyes of nature enthusiasts, and then linking it back to her own experiences has transformed Lelie’s vision and given it far more meaning than she ever thought possible.
It is far more than art that makes Romania a meaningful country.
