What kind of harp used in Les Miserables ?

[mike-c]

I’m somewhat of a Broadway enthusiast and enjoy listening to cast recording albums. I heard in Les Mis what sounds like a harp, but I’m not sure. In the song “A Little Fall of Rain”, in the first few bars, there is what sounds to me like a harp in the background, but it seems very different from a pedal or lever harp. It sounds almost “rubbery” or “spring-y”.Does anybody know what this instrument is ?I suppose it could be some sort of synthesizer sound, or maybe the rubbery sound I’m hearing is actually a percussion instrument like a marimba ? I’m not a professional musician so I’m just guessing. Any experts know for certain ?

Thanks!

PS the album I’m referring to would be the original NYC production, not the London cast recording.

[lynne lockwood]

looks to me like lyon and healy 23 gold..and there might have been two playing. (yay live musicians in musicals)

Check out the 25th anniversary video of les miz

[lynne lockwood]

Check out the 25th anniversary edition of the show. They used two lyon and healy 23 gold concert harps. SOO beautiful. You can play this music using the les miz piano version. It’s just lovely.

[William Y]

(I know this is a very old post, but responding anyway) 10th anniversary concert also has real harps, but from listening to the original London recording (and taking a quick listen to the Broadway recording you mentioned, I don’t think there is any harp? If you listen to the recordings, it sounds like a few songs have somewhat harpy keyboard sounds used (beginning of “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, etc.). If you search the credits, there is also no harp / harpist mentioned, but multiple keyboards.

I heard the current US touring production recently, and they definitely used a keyboard for the “harp” and “guitar” parts there, though the “harp” was somewhat more recognizable as such (and more prominent in bits).

Sadly, the Broadway Phantom of the Opera shut down, and the London production scaled down its orchestra, including getting rid of the harp, meaning it’s very unlikely that any future touring productions of it will include harp either.

[frances-duffy]

Hi William
Unfortunately all of the Broadway productions of Les Mis used keyboards, not harp. The synthesizer played the “harp” parts on the cast albums. You can look up all the information on Broadway shows (including orchestra members) on the International Broadway database http://www.ibdb.com. There you will see exactly what instruments were used in the orchestra pit. Occasionally a real harpist is hired to record a cast album (Hamilton, Anastasia) but the synthesizer is used in the actual show. But for Les Mis, it was synthesizer on the cast recirding also.

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