Re: Granados Twelve Spanish Dances

[unknown-user]

Um, I think these are very pianistic pieces and do not translate well to the harp except with very careful revision apart from #5. I have transcribed #4 for harp duo, and I don’t see any way of playing it well as a solo unless you don’t mind constantly jumping for those high notes. Number two has a very problematic area where the melodic line is in the bass and it descends very low, which is completely muddy on the harp unless you muffle very carefully, and if you don’t, you lose all the clarity and phrasing, which is very important. I think that multiple harps is the only answer for most of these dances, but that doesn’t mean they’ll really work. Zabaleta performed the Valses Poeticos at Carnegie Hall, and they totally fell flat, bombed, did not work as harp music. There are a few pieces by Granados elsewhere that are very natural to the harp, so let’s not get stuck on these beautiful dances. I actually think Salzedo’s Eight Dances are a more-modern equivalent to them.