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Two harp positioning in orchestra

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Home Forums Forum Archives Professional Harpists Two harp positioning in orchestra

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
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  • #151144
    unknown-user
    Participant

    Hi. I’ve been lurking on this forum for a while but only just registered. I have a question:

    I’ve played principal harp on both the right and left side of the second harp, and I’m just wondering what the ‘standard’ is in orchestral positioning….

    Thanks!

    #151145
    Alison
    Participant

    The 2nd harp sits on the 1st harp’s right, slightly behind, I think, so that s/he can look to the left and see the 1st harpist’s instrument and follow the cues, when playing together.

    #151146
    rosalind-beck
    Participant

    I’ve tried it both ways. There may be those who advocate placing the 1st harp on the “outside,” or right side of the 2nd harp, but I prefer to play 1st harp seated on the “inside.”

    #151147
    r-pista
    Participant

    It seems like it makes a lot more sense (aurally and visually) with harp 1 on the “inside” so the 2nd harpist can see/hear the 1st harpist. Is there a website or some source online that backs this up? Many people just assume that the principal player should be on the outside (so as to be closer to the audience) just as it is with the violins and celli.

    #151148
    tony-morosco
    Participant

    At my local symphony

    #151149
    catherine-rogers
    Participant

    “Inside” and “outside” are relative depending on whether the conductor wants the harps stage right or stage left. I’ve most often seen the second harpist on the first harpist’s right for the reasons given above.

    #151150

    I’ve never seen the second harpist look at the first harpist while playing, only the conductor.

    #151151
    Anton Sie
    Participant

    No…but you can see the movements of the first harpist in the corner of the eye and it’s easier to listen to the first harpist and to adjust.

    #151152
    louise-vickerman
    Participant

    Exactly! Use that peripheral vision, it sure comes in useful esp. when you have a conductor that likes to wave his stick SO FAR ahead of the beat it is useless to follow! We had an experience with a conductor like that a while ago and I had a relatively inexperienced orchestral second harpist hired for that week (our regular subs were already booked). There were a lot of FF solo+orch tutti unison chords that we had together on odd beats & EVERY time she would beat the entire orchestra on the chord because she was following THE CONDUCTOR! When she started following my lead we were consistently together with the orchestra & she could only do that because she was positioned on my right, slightly behind & could see my hands.

    #151153
    Tacye
    Participant

    I keep an eye on the first harp when I play second- though maybe not obviously enough for it to be noticed.

    #151154
    David Ice
    Participant

    I vote with Tacye!

    #151155
    alice-freeman
    Spectator

    Fascinating topic. I wish there was a standard. I’ve been playing second harp in a University orchestra behind the first violin section for the last 10 years and the faculty member who plays first harp always insists on sitting on the outside. I do my best to follow her….

    #151156

    It’s funny, because in the performance I was thinking of, the first harpist was watching the second harpist like a hawk!

    #151157
    paul-wren
    Participant

    This is interesting. First of all, when I have to play 2nd, I request that the 1st and I figure out where we play unison and mark on our music when we will pull the harps back and put down together. Relying on a 1st to know where they are in the music is not always a good thing, especially if you are not familiar with this person. I played 2nd to a really bad harpist once, they were constaintly lost, always came in at the wrong time.We were getting close to an entrance and they never pulled their harp back. I fianlly just pulled my harp back on my

    #151158
    Mel Sandberg
    Participant

    I also think this is a fascinating topic.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
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