Repertoire RX

Musical prescriptions for technical maladies

A solid technical foundation is one of the most important tools a harpist can have. We all know there’s no substitute for etudes, exercises, practice, and of course, a wonderful teacher. Those are the over-the-counter medication for your technical maladies—your first line of defense. However, once the hard work and practice hours have been logged, you still have to put techniques into the context of a concert piece—music that hones in on a specific technique. Think of this repertoire as prescription medication—music you cannot master without technical proficiency. We reached out to some expert teachers and performers, including Valerie Muzzolini, Bridget Kibbey, Andrea Mumm, and Phala Tracy, to help write some musical prescriptions to fill your technical needs.

Let’s find out what the doctors ordered!

All our experts agree that evenly played arpeggios are a telltale sign of technical control. Some of the greatest harp moments in music depend on flowing cascades of notes—just think of the Nutcracker cadenza. In fact, the word “arpeggio” comes from the Italian word “arpeggiare,” meaning “to play upon the harp.”

Arpeggios can be practiced in a myriad of ways; you can change up rhythms, isolate fingers, and break them apart into chords. Luckily, these exercises can be easily adapted to concert repertoire, and for this, Mumm says The Little Fountain can’t be beat. Samuel O. Pratt’s charming piece can be played on lever or pedal harp, and is a perfect primer with a quintessential harp sound. It’s hard to imagine the composer wasn’t inspired by Alphonse Hasselmans’ La Source, which is a great next step in practicing your arpeggios. Both pieces describe rippling water, vividly evoked by the downward-pouring notes. 

In consensus once again, our experts agree that Gabriel Fauré’s Impromptu is an excellent arpeggio workout. In addition, this staple in the harp repertoire gives you a chance to show off your wonderfully even rolled chords.

Dexterity, which encompasses a range of small technical elements, is crucial in any harpist’s tool box. Your finger independence and crossover/under fingerings serve to control your all-important clarity and articulation. For this, Kibbey has found herself delving into the rich world of baroque transcriptions. Baroque music demands clear articulation and trains your ear for counterpoint and harmony. Often, when harpists think of technical fireworks, we tend to focus on the right hand. In this repertoire, however, Kibbey likes that the left hand takes the lead. “The resonance of the harp is unlocked with a warmer, clearer left hand,” she says. “It’s wonderful for expanding the ears and articulation. [The left hand] has to be a strong voice—when it articulates clearly, it drives the harmonic shifts.”

There is a wealth of options for harpists of all levels in baroque repertoire. Kibbey enjoys J.S. Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, which the composer wrote as a teaching tool for his students. By working through these 24 sets of preludes and fugues, she believes you can develop the ability to “sustain notes while making others float. The fugues will train your ears to listen for the hierarchy of notes and to track different lines.” She also recommends Bach’s lute suites, French suites, and any of Scarlatti’s 555 sonatas. But you’re not limited to your own transcriptions—another approach is to explore the great harpist-transcribers. Kibbey loves Henriette Renié’s baroque transcriptions. “Seeing the way she fingers things is a lesson in technique itself. She’s problem solving. You can see what choices she makes and why.”

Dexterity
Minuet in G Minor, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, arr. Mildred Dilling
Pièce en Sol, J.S. Bach arr. Henriette Renié
Any J.S. Bach suites or Scarlatti sonatas
(extra credit: transcribe it yourself!)

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Hand crossing, the act of switching between hands for long runs and arpeggios, poses several challenges. The transitions have to be undetectable and seamless, and the musical line must not be lost. Little Playmates, by F.X. Chwatal, is an excellent introduction to the concept. This sprightly piece requires each hand to jump past the other in order to produce the melody. For intermediate and advanced harpists, Muzzolini believes that the music of Tournier presents wonderful hand crossing challenges. “Even hand crossing is so crucial in creating the sweep of sound and color,” she says of both his gently rolling Au Matin and sumptuous Sonatine. “There can be no discerning factor between the hands.”

Hand crossing
Little Playmates, F.X. Chwatal
Au Matin, Marcel Tournier 
Sonatine op. 30, Marcel Tournier

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Slides can be perilous. Pulling either the thumb or fourth finger across two or more strings allows for longer, quicker runs and provides an alternative to otherwise awkward fingerings. But it’s ripe for risk of unevenness and fumbles. In Suzuki Harp Book 2, J.S. Bach’s Minuet 1 is a wonderful introduction to fourth finger slides. It requires the harpist to control the slide to create that well-known and timeless melody. Mumm, who refers to slides as “a necessary evil, to be used sparingly,” nevertheless enjoys working on them in Tournier’s La Volière Magique. Thumb slides help evoke the bird-like tinkle throughout the piece. Godefroid’s La Danse des Sylphes, another piece full of vibrant imagery, is one of Muzzolini’s favorite pieces. “After I learned it, I thought thumb slides were fun!” she exclaims.

Slides
“Minuet 1” from Suzuki Harp Book 2, J.S. Bach 
La Volière Magique, Marcel Tournier
La Danse des Sylphes, Félix Godefroid

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Accurate rhythm is crucial in realizing a composer’s vision. Without rhythmic control, a musician wouldn’t be able to create toe-tapping dances, driving beats, sparkling toccatas, or solemn marches. 

Kibbey believes one of the most rewarding ways to explore this is to dip your toes into the rich world of Latin American music. Alfredo Rolando Ortiz has published many volumes of exceptional pieces that introduce harpists of all levels to zesty, syncopated tunes. You can play what’s written on the page, or use it as a jumping off point for improvisation and jam sessions. 

Bernard Andrès’ Epices (Spices) are another set of flavorful pieces to challenge both pedal and lever harpists. Whether played as a set or individually, they delight audiences and performers alike. 

A standard of the harp repertoire, the Hindemith Sonate für Harfe requires the player to maintain a steady pulse throughout each movement. Muzzolini says, “Hindemith is so good for understanding the resonance of the harp. It’s brilliantly written for that and it forces you to keep track of your internal rhythm.” She goes on to note that the real challenge lies in controlling the resonance to serve the rhythm. When do you muffle and when do you let the chord ring?

Rhythm
International Rhythmic Collection, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
Epices, Bernard Andrès
Sonate für Harfe, Paul Hindemith 

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Harmonics are one of the most magical sounds a harp can produce. The difficulty lies in reliably placing them on the string, and creating a perfect, bell-like sound. Because the hand position required is so different from our usual playing position, it can take time to adjust, and pieces that alternate between regular plucking and harmonics can prove especially challenging.

Tracy, who notes that harmonics have been particularly difficult to teach virtually, loves Petite Etude by Van Veachton Rogers. She describes it as “harmonics 101.” “It’s fun, engaging, and actually written by a harpist. You’re learning and developing a skill that when applied is musically rewarding.”

The “Interlude” from Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols is Mumm’s favorite example of harmonics creating a magical atmosphere. She notes that the key to consistently good harmonics lies in placing your hand in concordance with your pedal position. “You need to mentally track your accidentals which will give you an immediate yes or no. Your pedal position will dictate your hand height [on the string].”

Muzzolini recommends Elias Parish Alvars’ Sérénade for a real challenge. The charming opening is composed entirely of harmonics in both hands, with the left hand playing double harmonics. 

Harmonics
Petite Etude, Van Veachton Rogers 
“Interlude” from A Ceremony of Carols, Benjamin Britten
Sérénade, Elias Parish Alvars

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Pedals, which change the pitch of the strings, are a challenge unique to our instrument. They have to be moved quietly and quickly, and one wrong move can send you into atonal cacophony. According to Muzzolini, the great French harpist Pierre Jamet always said non-harpists shouldn’t be able to tell from a performance that the harp has pedals. The changes must be undetectable.

The transition from lever to pedal harp can be difficult. Once pedal drills and footwork have been practiced, Mumm likes Betty Paret’s arrangement of Bach’s Prelude in C for an introduction to accidentals. She also enjoys the pedal slides in André Caplet’s incredibly fun Divertissement à l’espagnole. 

For a challenge, advanced players can walk the pedal high-wire with Renié’s Danse des Lutins. With feet flying, you’ll feel just like the elves and spirits described in the piece.

Pedals
Prelude in C, J.S. Bach, arr. Betty Paret
Divertissement à l’espagnole, André Caplet
Danse des Lutins, Henriette Renié

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Extended techniques are becoming more and more standard in the harp repertoire. Instead of being intimidating, they should be a fun way to add color and keep both players and listeners on their toes. Comfort with extended techniques will open up a world of contemporary repertoire for all harpists.

Susann McDonald and Linda Wood’s book Haiku for the Harp cleverly uses sound effects and the structure of traditional Japanese poetry to paint pictures that are humorous, tranquil, and evocative. Playable on both pedal and lever harps, these short pieces are a wonderful introduction to extended techniques for beginning harpists or advanced harpists who want to have fun while acquainting themselves with new sounds. 

Song in the Night is a prime example of Salzedo’s groundbreaking use of the harp. Incorporating mysterious tapping and fingernail sounds, he expands the sonic world of the instrument.

With perhaps the greatest concentration of extended techniques in any solo harp work, The Crown of Ariadne is a tour de force of sound and showmanship. The score itself is a work of art, and requires the player to utilize over 20 percussion instruments, pre-recorded sound, and their own voice. It’s an incredible piece of music theater, and after learning it there’s nothing you won’t be able to tackle.

Extended techniques
Haiku for the Harp, Susann McDonald and Linda Wood
Song in the Night, Carlos Salzedo
The Crown of Ariadne, R. Murray Schafer

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A glissando is the quintessential harp sound, but harnessing its power can be difficult to master. You must control speed in addition to managing undetectable turn-arounds, color, and volume. 

An exciting and lever-friendly piece, A Moorish Garden serves up swaying rhythms and glissando flourishes, all while building to an exhilarating finale.

Mumm loves playing Grandjany’s tranquil Automne. For her and her students, it’s an opportunity to practice avoiding “hiccups” in glissando turn-arounds while the right hand delicately swirls over the left hand harmonics.

Salzedo’s Scintillation shows off glissandi at their most virtuosic. With dance-inspired rhythms, this showpiece masterfully demonstrates how to produce colorful bursts of sound. 

Glissandos
A Moorish Garden, Nancy Gustavson
Automne, Marcel Grandjany 
Scintillation, Carlos Salzedo

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Only an etude will do

For a lot of technical practice, often there is nothing better than etudes. Read the article “A New Attitude about Etudes” from the November/December 2019 issue of Harp Column, and check out these tried and true etude collections:

Method for Harp, Maria Grossi
12 Etudes and Theme and Variations, F. J. Naderman
50 Etudes, op. 34, R. N. C. Bochsa

One-stop shop

A theme-and-variations piece can offer a one-stop shop, of sorts, when it comes to technical work. There are countless compositions out there using this style, but here are a few favorites to consider:

Baroque Flamenco (advanced-beginner arrangement), Deborah Henson-Conant
Theme and Variations in C Major, F. J. Haydn
Variations on a Theme of Mozart, Mikhail Glinka
Sicilienne Variée, Jean-Michel Damase
Variations on a Theme in Ancient Style, Carlos Salzedo
Introduction and Variations on Bellini’s Norma, Elias Parish Alvars

With all these repertoire prescriptions, it’s impossible not to want to start your course of treatment right away. But of course, there’s no quick fix or miracle pill to replace hard work. Instead, these recommendations are a way to celebrate all the effort you’ve put in on those exercises and etudes. So dig in, be patient, and let your newfound technical health shine in these wonderful pieces of music. •

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What’s your biggest technical challenge?

Every hand and every harpist is different. Some techniques present more of a challenge than others, depending on the harpist. Author Sophie Baird-Daniel posed the question, “What’s your biggest technical challenge?” to herself and other harpists. So what is yours? Weigh in on Facebook and Instagram @harpcolumn.

“Large stretches. I don’t have a very large hand, so I have to decide—do I hop? Stretch? Pivot? I have to have a strategic plan. You have to make it ergonomic and comfortable for your body.”
—Phala Tracy

“Fourth finger slides…I’d walk over hot coals to avoid them.” —Andrea Mumm

“One-handed trills are my Achilles’ heel.”
—Sophie Baird-Daniel

“Harmonics, because it’s hard to find the exact spot on the string, and pedals, because I just got my first pedal harp!”
—Isla M., age 11

“Glisses! Controlling color, smooth turnaround, length, and speed.”
—Annabelle Taubl, San Francisco Ballet

“Fourth finger sliding. For me, they’re awkward, so I try to avoid them.”
—Valerie Muzzolini

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