Granados Twelve Spanish Dances

[unknown-user]

Does anyone play some or all of these? I’ve always loved #4 and I just noticed how harpistic it is.

[barbara-brundage]

Everyone plays #5 and number 2 is also very popular. I think they are mostly pretty standard literature for harp transcriptions.

[zoraida-avila]

Dear Ann,
The Granados’ Dances N. 2-4-5- & 7 was transcribed for harp by spanish harpist Nicanor Zabaleta and italian harpist-pianist Ginevra Bruno. These are edited by Union Musical Española, now called Union Musical de Ediciones. In Madrid is posible to find them.
Hope this helps you. If you need one of these, please email me.
Zoraida

[unknown-user]

Thank you both. #4 appears to be lever friendly. Zoraida, is the adaptation you mention for lever or pedal, or OK for both?

[barbara-brundage]

Five has been transcribed for lever harp. It is also called andaluza, playera, and various other titles.

There are many pedal harp transcriptions of 5, including Grandjany and Salzedo’s duo harp version. Zoraida is speaking of pedal harp.

[unknown-user]

Thank you. 🙂

[barbara-brundage]

Oops. Just realized I made the duo sound like a joint effort. Mr. Grandjany has a solo transcription (available through International Music), Salzedo a duo version.

Bonnie Biggs has a duo lever harp version in addition to the various solo versions for levers.

[zoraida-avila]

The names of 12 Spanish Dances are:

12 Danzas Españolas:

1. Minueto

2. Oriental

3. Zarabanda

4. Villanesca

5. Andaluza

6. Jota (Rondalla Aragonesa)

7. Valenciana

8. Asturiana

9. Mazurca

10. Danza Triste A

11. Zambra

12. Arabesca

Is possible to play a few of them only on pedal harp.

Zoraida

[Jerusha Amado]

Zoraida,

Thanks for this list!

According to my Lyon and Healy harp music catalog for 2008,

[patricia-jaeger]

Ann, in the Lyon and Healy catalog under Pedal Harp Collections, you’ll see Mcdonald/Wood: Spanish Music for the Harp, Volume 3.

[zoraida-avila]

Patricia!
Thank you for your so detailed information. It is very useful for my non-pedal harp students.
Best regards.
Zoraida

[barbara-brundage]

Zoraida, do you know anything about Ginevra Bruno? I’ve seen her name on transcriptions but I’ve never been able to get any biographical info about her, and obviously her transcriptions were very influential on McDonald’s.

BTW, Anne, thanks for starting this thread–you’ve gotten me inspired to go back and play some of these pieces again.

[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.

[unknown-user]

Just a few thoughts Saul, from a gurgling baby as a harpist but a wizened old crone as a musician. Although of course the 12 Dances were written for piano, I really have heard them played by any number of traditional and non-traditional instrumentations. Some I like, and some I don’t. One of my children bought me a CD of them played on guitar, which sort of logically might work, from the standpoint of traditional Spanish sound and form, but the result is unfortunate.

They are often played by as orchestral versions, usually quite successfully, to my ear.

When I found my piano version the other day, I played through #4 (did I say several times that it was a favorite of mine?

[barbara-brundage]

I think the Oriental (#2) is very effective, and it is frequently performed on harp.

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