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It’s lots of notes, but you could master it in a couple of days 🙂 Although watch out, the harp is QUITE solo at times! Although it’s a couple of years since I did it, I remember it was quite enjoyable to do 🙂 (and I didn’t have long to practise it, so panic not!)
Tayce! Good luck for Wagner! I got that call too…but you’re obviously braver than I! I played the Schoenberg Pelleas et Melisande in Norway this summer- however, we used the arrangment for 4 harps done by Francis Pierre. Harp III was bad enough, I can not imagine what it must be like playing it as written…. Carl, I have never heard about the RAH being amplified. But couldn’t swear to knowing it for sure.
I was at the proms and I could also hear every not the harpist played. But it was Marie-Pierre Langlamet. ‘Nuff said!
I believe that if you play the harp in the orchestra, your only choice is to believe in what your doing whether you think it could be heard or not. Otherwise, one may as well just pack up….
I , like you Saul, came relatively late to the harp, starting as I did at 14-going-on 15. Prior to actually playing the harp, I studied singing (pretty seriously) and over all, I was first drawn to early repertoires. My earliest recordings i.e. classical records that I bought for myself, were of harpsichordists. A great English harpsichordist called Sophie Yates (she’s actually pretty young, but with a huge amount of recordings) really influenced my ideas of phrasing and structure with her recordings of German repertoire such as Moffat, Pachelbel and Frohberger.
I think you’re probably right Saul- I know that Shameyava writes about Ksenia Erdeli in such a way as to suggest a certain artisitic separation between them. Her niece, Olga, is still teaching I believe.
Hi! Your project sounds most ambitious and interesting! The first thing you must do is acquire Natalya Shamayeva’s (i’m not sure if that spelling is correct, offhand) book, ‘The devlopment of harp music in Russia in the 20th century’. You also need to understand that like the French and Salzedo school, the way in which technique is taught and learned is very specific. I know for a fact that like in France, there is great emphasis on exercises and etudes- my first teacher was a student of Maria Korchinaka in London (where she moved after the revolution) and I know she worked on the Bochsa celebres etudes ( I saw her copy, still with Korchinska’s markings). You should also look at the pedagogical music of Nikolay Parfyonov and Mchedelov (I will check these spellings for you!). Skaila kanga said in a masterclass that, scales are learnt in every combination of fingerings, 12, 12, 12,; 3,4 3,4 3,4; 2,3 2,3 2,3 etc. etc.
Can anyone direct Esperanza to ‘In defense of transcriptions’- and essay by marcel Grandjany? I only have PART of it, does anybody have the complete article? Hi Espe by the way!! Lots of love to you x x
1. Carl this is a super thread.
2. I think every maker is capapble of making amazing harps, I have played beautiful Salvis, Camacs,LHs etc.
3. The Erard will ALWAYS be my favourite (playing Tournier on a good french Gothique is near to godliness,he KNEW those harps)
4. Saul, I love ya, but to say that European conductors aren’t used to ‘STRONG players’ (your emphasis) is utter piffle and you know it. Sorry.
But hey, there are some terrible generalisations here, everywhere, so let’s just keep it at this level sweetness, eh?
Is this the chap?! I’ve seen him busking in London… and he was on the Southbank show.
I heard from friends that the great Welsh harpist, Osian Ellis, used to read through the strings, when sightreading in the Orchestra (he was principal harpist with the London Symphony Orchestra). I don’t know if it’s an apocryphal story though! Good Luck Michael! 😉
