In search of the perfect piece!

[unknown-user]

Hi! I’m 16, a harpist for 3 years, and pianist for 4 before that. I’m
looking for the perfect piece. Here’s an idea of my level, which I
guess could be “intermediate.”
I just played Grandjany’s Petite Suite Classique, and Tedeschi’s
Presque Rien at an audition, and would like to learn a piece about
that level, or a bit more challenging. Impromptu Caprice (Pierne) is
my dream piece, though it’s too hard right now. I think La Source
(Hasselman) is the same level. If I can not find a more interesting,
fun, and beautiful piece, I will start the Dusik Sonatinas and
Handel’s Passacaille, which aren’t so bad, but my last pieces were
much more lovely. I am listing all these pieces, not to bore you, but
to give you an idea of my level so you can suggest the most perfect
piece! Any ideas? Please, please help! I want to play beautiful music!
Rafaella

[Ruth Mar]

I haven’t played the pieces myself, but the Hasselmans Trois Petite Pieces are nice (especially Reverie), and not too hard.

[Ruth Mar]

I thought about it a little more, and I also like Renie’s Feuillets d’Album, Minuet from Salzedo Suite of Eight Dances (well, all of them are great but that one’s the prettiest) and the Prokofiev Prelude and a song called May Night by Palmgren. The Renie album is the easiest of the lot; May Night has a lot of pedals and Prokofiev has its technical problems too. The Grandjany Trois Petite Pieces are cute; not necessarily lovely, but easy and fun to play. And the Brahms Waltz in A-flat is charming. Ah, there’s so much!!!

[unknown-user]

GLinka Nocturne
Tournier Au matin
Godefroid etude de concert
Mozart harp-flute concerto
I understand Pierne is your dream piece, I just have played it….lovely piece to play indeed!
Oh, I remember a lovely piece, not really difficult, but a beautiful theme: John Thomas: Watching the Wheat

[unknown-user]

I love Handel’s Passacaille myself, but anything by Salzedo is great. I recently played the second movement from his Concert Variation on Adeste Fideles at a recital.

[unknown-user]

Have you played Salzedo’s Suite of 8 Pieces for Harp? I love Passacaille by Handel!!

[unknown-user]

Sorry, I meant Suite of 8 Dances, I like Bolero.

[M Rodgers]

I actually did the Hasselman La Source in the same recital with the Handel Passacaille….I think..it’s been a while.

[Nadia Tjahja]

I think that maybe you can play Automne from Marcel Grandjany and Nocturne from Michael Glinka. they’re good pieces and very fun too!!!!!

[unknown-user]

There is a great difference between Grandjany’s Piece Classique/Dussek sonatinas and Pierne Impromptu-Caprice, don’t you think? You are playing pedalharp I guess? Well if you want to play something with a higher level, you can play it. If you really want some pieces which are not yet the same level as pierne, I suggest you have to look to something like Tournier (Au Matin), Handel (Theme and Variations), Glinka (Nocturne), Grandjany (Automne) or Ibert (Scherzetto. But I don’t know if you already used the pedals a lot? Otherwise you have to build it up, with Naderman (sonatina’s), Dussek (sonata), Hasselmans (Guitare, Feuilles d’Automnes). These last few pieces are not so difficult with the pedals, but you can train the pedalling very good with these.
You can send me an answer back, if you want to ask more.
I hope I helped you with this.

Sincerely,

Giselle

[patricia-jaeger]

Rafaella, try some other Hasselmans pieces such as Gitana, or the lovely Aubade(hard to get in U.S. but Pilgrim Harps in U.K. has it) before you tackle something as difficult as La Source. Even his Berceuse is easy enough for a 15-year-old student of mine. These three pieces are so romantic and melodic in nature that they please audiences right away and of course also the harpist working on them!Best wishes, Patricia Jaeger

[unknown-user]

A really nice piece would be Hassesmans “Ballade”. It’s also technically a
little more challenging, I think. It has some very nice melodies with
harmoniques, and very nice glissandos-I think it’s 2 pages of glissandos. I
would recommend it!
Katrina

[Author]

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