Although they’re still a little bit in my future, I can’t wait to learn some of Laura Zaerr’s pieces for lever harp.
They have folkish feel combined with beautifully polished music.
When my teacher told me I’d one day be able to work on them I didn’t believe her, so it’s really a rush to be getting closer and closer to playing them.
Carlos Salzedo’s Scintillation would head the list, followed by his Variations. Other highlights have been his transcriptions of Mendelssohn and Debussy, the Faure Impromptu, the first Prelude by Alojz Srebotnjak, the Hindemith Sonata. That doesn’t mean they are necessarily the best pieces. The hardest to perform have been the Pescetti Sonata and the C.P.E. Bach Sonata (Lawrence edition). I have performed a lot of solo literature, and the way that Salzedo has of making the harp so sonorous is of great advantage to the performer. I have some unusual repertoire, but I’m not revealing my secrets.
A little more jazzy is the ‘Around the Clock Suite’ by Pearl Chertok. Classical piece with jazzy slides and a story to tell. It’s different and fun to play because of the different techniques that are used.