Show Off Piece

[Gretchen Cover]

After all this agonizing decision making, please let us know what piece you select.

[erin-wood]

I love Milonga for loving by Alfredo Rolando Ortiz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avo6-aHnFVA

It is not too difficult because of the repetition.

[katie-lynch-koglin]

Update: The advertising brochure already went out and says Salzedo. So it looks like I’m doing Salzedo (which makes me happy). Now which one(s)…

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Eight minutes covers most major solo works for harp! Salzedo showpieces up to that length include: Recessional (on my youtube channel)
Scintillation, Ballade, Variations with the short ending (yecch), a group of Short Stories, Liszt Paraphrase, Christmas Paraphrases, the Preludes, Etudes, off the top of my head. He has a lot of great short pieces too, several of which are on my channel. Harpmusic by Saul Davis Zlatkovski.
Other showy pieces on my list would be the Faure Impromptu,
my favorite short piece is the Prokofiev Prelude, and then there is Danza de la Pastora by Halffter, a killer.
One should always have an encore or two ready to play anytime, because people will ask. And criticize if it’s not perfect.
I like the Saint-Saens Fantaisie, currently, because it includes lots of rests, and is a good introduction to the sound of the harp.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I seem to remember you playing the Spanish Dance no. 2 from La Vida Breve by Da Falla extremely well. Unless you are someone other than who I am thinking of.

[Gretchen Cover]

Another thought on this thread for others who may need a show-off piece: Check out the pieces on the Lily Laskin CD collection. She plays some wonderful harp solos, many of which I was not familiar. Much of the music is available in the public domain.

[katie-lynch-koglin]

Update: The conductor’s ok with my choices, but would like to add a more Spanish Salzedo piece.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

That sounds like Bolero or Rumba from the Suite of Eight Dances.

[katie-lynch-koglin]

That’s what I ended up with, Rumba. The whole set became:
Chanson dans la nuit
Rumba
Tango
La Desirade

After hearing the whole program my initial offer of Mirage (instead of the Rumba and Tango) would have fit perfectly, but these worked fine too. I think the conductor was a little confused. He told the audience Salzedo was Spanish. Oh well, the audience loved it which is what counted.

Thank you for all the responses on this thread. So many great piece to look at for other concerts!

[Emily Granger]

Hi Katie! My favorite “show off” piece right now is Premiere Valse, Op. 83 by Marie-Auguste Durand / Transcribed for harp by Susann McDonald and Linda Wood Rollo.

[susan-koskelin]

One of my favorites is Eleanor Fell’s arrangement of “Viennese Waltzes.” Familiar tunes that everyone loves, and it ends with a big bang.

[Sylvia]

Mine is the Mexican Hat Dance. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. 🙂
Good luck with your solos.

[balfour-knight]

Well, Sylvia, I can’t resist, either! I did a concert of pops on the lever harp and ended with my arrangement of “Never On Sunday” which brought the audience to their feet. It was a hoot, ha, ha!

[Sylvia]

I love to play Never on Sunday…but I only play it for aging audiences…like in retirement places.

[balfour-knight]

Oh, Sylvia, don’t keep that wonderful, energetic piece from the kids you play for–they will love it! I had a lot of youth and children in that audience, and they “ate it up,” ha, ha! I play it fast and dazzling, with lots of glissandos! Everything OLD is NEW AGAIN, as they say.

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