Classical Lever Music

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

What are the best collections or pieces of Classical-period music (and baroque) for lever harp that you know, and do they have “correct” ornamentation?

[tony-morosco]

Barbara’s are by far the best in my opinion. I would say they are as “correct” as they possibly can be for lever harp. She rarely makes any major compromises in making them accessible for the lever harp, which is why many are rather difficult, but all worth the effort. But there is generally not the sense of something being off or missing that I often find with other lever harp arrangements.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

For those who don’t know whose arrangements you mean, I am assuming you mean Barbara Brundage? Correct me if I’m wrong.

[tony-morosco]

Yes, sorry, “our” Barbara.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I thought you meant Barbara Feldon.

[tony-morosco]

I am not familiar with Barbara Feldon’s arrangements. In fact I had to look her up because the only Barbara Feldon I knew was agent 99.

On the other hand I think I have every classical arrangement for lever harp that Barbara Brundage has done and am still struggling diligently through her arrangement of Premiere Arabesque because as challenging as it is it is such a great arrangement it is worth the effort.

[sherry-lenox]

Unfortunately for me, although I long for them, I’m still not technically adroit enough to play Barbara Brundage arrangements, but her pieces and the contemporary pieces of Laura Zaerr are my dream goals.

Therefore the following disclaimer- since I haven’t seen them (it’s torture to look at music, hear it in the imagination and not yet be able to perform it) I don’t know how Barbara handles ornamentation. It is most interesting to me to consider the use of Baroque or Classical ornamentation to be heard by the Neo-Romantic ear. There are raging battles on some of the bowed strings threads because for example Bach sounds so odd to the current “ear” when played in Baroque style. Many of the violin and cello pieces sound “wrong” without the lush vibrato that is obligatory in players that have been trained in the last 100 years.

Some time last spring I was in the car and chanced upon a piano piece played by Glenn Gould. It was a small

[gorman-jones]

Sherry – a quick hijack response: I have a CD called The Glenn Gould Edition on the Sony label, SMK 52589. I bet it has the piece you heard. A great CD. Apologies for the second phase hijack. Gorman

[kay-lister]

I second what Tony said.

[sherry-lenox]

Gorman, the piece I’m looking for is “Sellinger’s Round”. I’ve tried to get it on Amazon.com but there seems to be some problem with the pieces matching the listing on the CD. I will certainly check this. I was absolutely blown away by this piece. I even went so far as to contact the radio station on which I heard it. I’m headed to check it out right now. (Sorry for the 3rd highjack, Saul).

[sherry-lenox]

It’s on its way! Amazing, they didn’t have it listed under Glenn Gould the last time I’d run a search, but did have under the correct title, Thanks Gorman!

[unknown-user]

Hi,Sherry.William Byrd’s set variations on elizabethan melodie “Sellinger’s Round” is available for free download in some renaissance music sites.I can’t remember right now,however I

[sherry-lenox]

How wonderful! I will begin looking, and should you happen to run across them, please post! So this really does wind slowly back to Saul’s post.

A tiny bit of background for those not familiar w the piece- It is obviously William Byrd’s writing from the English Reinassance, but hearing them played on piano by Gould, I assumed erroneously that the variations

[harpglo-jean]

Hi Sherry,

I have a lap harp music book by Suzanne Guildimann, “Pastime With Good Company” that has this tune, “Sellenger’s Round”….It’s a really simple version and of course can be played on a large harp as well…Suzanne always includes a brief history of each of her songs and on this one she states, “A circle dance popular with Morris dancers, “Sellenger’s Round” was originally danced around the Maypole.

[sherry-lenox]

Aren’t they terrific books Gloria? I bought it last summer at Somerset, actually to get that very piece, although I haven’t worked

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