Song you wish was written for harp?

[Andelin]

There is a less well known work by Gerald Finzi, called Eclogue for piano and strings. I heard it a few years ago on the radio in the car, and it was like love at first sight. 🙂 I have yet to see, or even hear, an arrangement for harp (even just the theme) but I have run across an arrangement for two pianos. I don’t know how well this piece would work on harp (a duet, perhaps?), but I sure would love to be able to play it. I would write it for harp myself but I fear my arranging skills wouldn’t do it justice. Plus it needs pedals, and I only have levers.

Anyone else have a piece they wish could be written for harp (that hasn’t been done before)?

[balfour-knight]

Yes, Andelin! A few years ago, a bride requested “La Califfa” by Enio Morecone on lever harp for her wedding. All I could do was find it on You Tube and learn it totally by ear. (There are several nice versions, including one by David Garrett on violin.) At that time, there was no printed sheet music available of this beautiful song/piece. I do not know if that is still true, but since I now play it all the time, I no longer need music for it. However, I know other harpists would love to play it if the music is available.

Sylvia Woods listens to what harpists want her to arrange, so my suggestion would be to ask her about your piece. She might even arrange it, or know a source on it for you.

Have a great day,
Balfour

[Biagio]

“Memory” by Joe Hisaishi, the cello solo with piano accompaniment from the movie Departures (Okiributo)! Here’s the full orchestral version:

Biagio

[Janis Cortese]

The Vocalise, although I think it can be arranged for pedal harp and may well have been. I’m finding to my exceptional disappointment that it can’t be arranged for lever harp no matter how hard I try. 🙁 Neither can Grieg’s two elegaic pieces — again though, I suspect a pedal harp is doable but that’s not a financial possibility.

You’re the second person I’ve encountered to fall in love with the Finzi Eclogue. (The first is a marvelous accompanist pianist Erica Ann Sipes.) I need to look into the piece …

[duckspeaks]

Biagio, I believe someone in U tube attempted the harp for that piece. Beautiful movie!

I want all cinema pieces with modulation! I almost want to bunch up levers with dental floss and pull them all in one go!!!

Cheers

[emma-graham]

If I ever want to find a piece of music I tend to google the title along with “sheet music, piano” and then go to “images”. Very often the first page of an arrangement will be visible. Sometimes the whole piece is free to download or it can be bought for a few pounds. I sometimes Google harp but piano arrangements are more common. Even if they don’t work perfectly they are a good basis to make my own arrangement from.
Biagio, for example I just typed Memory in and came up with this…
http://www.ahdoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/memory-from-okuribito-complete-piano-sheet.pdf
I haven’t given it more than a quick glance yet, so no idea how it would work on the harp! Worth a try though….it’s a beautiful piece.

[Biagio]

Hi Emma,

Thank you; yup, I’ve had that for a while now, and another she transcribed as a cello and piano version. Haven’t gotten around to revising the piano part to a more “harp friendly” version but you’re right. When I hear something I think would work I’ll often end up with a score for another instrument, then revise it. Copyright can be a bit tricky, especially for pieces composed in Japan. I just love the piece and love the movie too! So I fiddle and fool around just for my own enjoyment. Some of “Joe’s” music tells a story all by itself, he’s just a marvelous composer!

Biagio

[balfour-knight]

Janis, I assume you mean the Rachmaninoff “Vocalise.” What a beautiful piece, and I have a somewhat difficult arrangement of it for organ, with many accidentals! I have never tried it on pedal harp, but it might work! When I get it out to play for church again, I will try it on the harp and let you know if it might be possible, for me, at least.

The Prayer from the GOTHIC SUITE by Boellmann is absolutely beautiful on pedal harp, and I use the organ score for it. I have done an abbreviated version of it on lever harp with success. You might like to arrange it for harp, also.

Best wishes,
Balfour

[duckspeaks]

Dear Biagio,

Joe is very prolific in animations movies. Princess Mononoke is a very powerful work with gut wrenching music.

I’d highly recommend that.

Best regards

[Sid Humphreys]

Back in my childhood, my really cool aunt would play Frank Mill’s, Valse Classique on the piano. Thought it would be fun to play it on the harp but after looking at just the introduction, there are way too many pedal changes. Perhaps in a different key… here it is on youtube:

[balfour-knight]

Sid, I just tried that one in the Key of F by ear, and it worked for me. It seems to me to be about the same level of difficulty of playing “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue,” that I play for gigs frequently on pedal harp. It is indeed full of pedal changes, but I love that and feel that you can do it! What key is the printed music written in?

Best wishes,
Balfour

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