Marcel Grandjany Society – Any Ideas?

[harp-lady]

I have an idea that I’m not sure who I should talk to about. I’ve emailed a few people at the AHS and also the International Harp Museum but I haven’t heard from anyone as of yet. My idea is to create a section of the harp society (or write a book) dedicated to preserving the work of Marcel Grandjany’s teachings and the French style of harp playing so that they are not lost forever.

I study with a former student of Grandjany. Recently my teacher told me that many of Grandjany’s students have hand-written tips and tricks from Grandjany to solve problems such as buzzing as well as techniques to play a more beautiful aprpeggio, etc. She said that she has a lot of exercises (handwritten by Grandjany himself) in her music room and also mentioned that she communicates with other former Grandjany students. She told me that they all joke about how they are getting older so they better write all this down before they passed away and the information is lost.

When I heard her say these words, I realized the truth in them and felt an urgency to record all this information so that it really isn’t lost. What a tragedy it would be if that were to come true! I do know that Jane Weidensaul began writing a method book with Grandjany but never finished it. I believe that she passed away several years ago so I don’t know whatever came of that work. I’ve also seen the video called Marcel Grandjany, The Teacher, which is wonderful but isn’t necessarily an instructional method, doesn’t necessarily address various tips and tricks (such as buzzing) and is certainly only a part of the information out there.

I have modeled my idea somewhat after the Ernest George White Society (http://www.egwhitesociety.org.uk/) which was established to preserve and teach this man’s vocal technique. Would it not make sense do to the same for Grandjany? A book on the subject would be a great idea as well.

I’m wondering if anyone has an idea as to whom I should talk to about this project? Is this something that the American Harp Society would do or would this be more of a harp museum project? I would love to see a teaching section of the harp society to instruct harpists on harp pedagogy so that they may properly teach the the next generation. This could be the forerunner of that.

If you have any ideas, please let me know what you think and if there is anyone that I should contact.

[Cheryl Z.]

I think you have a wonderful idea.

[barbara-kraichy–2]

I believe that Kathleen Bride, the professor of Harp at Eastman School of Music and a former student of Grandjany is compiling such a book with the handwritten exercises and exerpts of solos from his former students. I know I have mailed her copies of my work with Mr. Grandjany, but haven’t heard any further

[carl-swanson]

If Grandjany chose not to write a method book, then I don’t think anyone else, even his most accomplished students, should write one. Many of them have exercises that he made for them. But that’s the mark of a great teacher: To be able to customize the lesson for each student. The only person who could write an accurate and definitive method book on what Grandjany taught would have been Grandjany himself. Let me cite an example of why this is true.

A friend of mine, a professional harpist for more than 45 years, told me that as a child she was a military brat, and as a result her family moved every couple of years. Because her first teacher was a Salzedo harpist, when they moved, the teacher told her parents to be sure to get another Salzedo teacher, which they did. This went on throughout her childhood.”The problem I had” she told me,”was that none of my teachers could agree on what Salzedo method was. So each new teacher told me that I was doing everything wrong and I would have to start over again. I spent my whole childhood starting over. The first teacher who was willing and able to work with what I was doing was Grandjany.”

Grandjany would be the first person to tell anyone that what he taught was classic French method, and that system of playing is alive and well and the dominant method in the world. There are many great teachers of that method, particularly in France. The current generation of French method harpists include some of the greatest virtuosos alive today, such as Emmanuel Ceysson, Xavier deMaistre, Isabells Moretti, Jana Buscova, Catherine Michel and many more. So there is no danger of French Method disappearing.

[unknown-user]

It’s funny, Carl. I was looking at some old (VERY old) posts on the forum last night and happened upon a thread in which you told the same story! Funny how those coincidences happen, huh?

Anyway, I agree that it wouldn’t really be fair to create a method book out of the tidbits of information we have, no matter how comprehensive bits, and call it the Grandjany Method Book. However, I think a compilation of exercises, sayings, anecdotes from former students, etc. would be fascinating. There are quite a few of his former students still around (and many will still be a around for a good number of years) so I hope that if the project becomes formalized in any way, each and every one of them will back it up.

~Sam

[carl-swanson]

Sam- I knew I had posted that story once before but had no idea how to find it again. It would be nice to have remembrances from former students about Grandjany the man, his method of working, and the exercises that he wrote out for students. The two people who should be at the core of this, as far as providing information, would be Susan Joles and Anne-Marguerite Michaud. They both studied for years with Grandjany and went to an advanced level with him. I’m sure there are others as well.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

The Harp Society already has a Grandjany Fund, I am pretty sure, just like the Salzedo Fund, and so, this is already covered by them. I never heard of Grandjany claiming to have a particular method other than that of Renie, and it is more of a reaction to the Salzedo method by Grandjany pupils to call it that. Some of his students copied exactly how he played, others did not. A method implies a coherent, complete approach to training, and many published methods are not that. Another might just be confusing. And the fact that he cannot approve of its contents is important. We certainly could not write a new Salzedo method at this point, but rest content to use the one we have and move forward from there. And we all need to move forward from strong foundations. What is most important is any interpretive insights he gave into his own pieces, and approach to music-making, which I have not read.

[Alison]

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