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As a harp repairman of many years, I would not advise insuring any musical instrument on a homeowner’s policy. There are several reasons. The first is that, on a homeowner’s policy, “complete coverage” is fire and theft, but not accidental damage, which is the main one any musical instrument owner is interested in. The second reason for not using homeowner’s is that it may cover the harp only when it is in the home. You want a “floating” policy, which will cover the harp wherever it is(in another building, in the car, etc.). The third reason is that if there is an accident requiring a claim, any musical instrument owner most likely has a repair facility that they want to send the instrument to, and a homeowner’s policy will probably require you to get three estimates for the repair cost and then require you to use the cheapest one.
Musical instrument insurers are used to dealing with, well, musical instruments. They already know that accidental damage is the biggest concern. They also know that instruments are being moved constantly and so cover the instrument everywhere, including when it is being shipped to the repair facility. And they never make the decision as to who will repair your musical instrument. They know that you are the best judge of who should do that. So I advise everyone in the strongest way possible to insure their instruments with an agency that specializes in musical instrument insurance.
My French-English dictionary defines defunt as ‘former’, or ‘late’. So the Ravel title would translate better as Pavane for a former princess, or ‘the late princess.’
It’s interesting how stretching the octaves(lower octaves tuned lower, higher octaves tuned higher) can change the resonance of a piano. I don’t know if the same thing could happen on the harp. Years ago, a piano technician friend of mine lent me a drop-dead gorgeous 1904 Steinway with a Louis XV case in Carpathian Elm. It had a gorgeous sound. About a year after I got it, I had another technician tune it. When he was done, it sounded in tune, but wasn’t nearly as resonant. When my friend came for a visit, I told him about this. He played a couple of chords on the piano and said “He didn’t stretch the octaves.” My friend then retuned the piano, and once again it had that beautiful resonant sound. I don’t know if tuning machines have that built into them or not.
Susan- I think the same advice applies to any used harp for sale, regardless of the make. Have a technician look it over for any structural problems. Then it comes down to the personal taste of the buyer. Does she like the sound? The ‘look’ of the instrument? Does it feel comfortable to play? She should spend several hours if possible, on two different days, to figure out if it is the instrument for her.
I think I would have held her to her initial statement and responded, in as sweet a voice as I could muster, “My goodness, you really are a nasty old lady.” Then walk away.
The problem with using one of these other tunings on the harp is that it’s not just a matter of tuning the harp(in C flat) to another tuning. You would also have to have a technician regulate the whole harp in this other tuning. If you don’t do that, then at best you’d have only one of the three pitches that each string can produce in that tuning, while the other two pitches would be in equal temperament. Also, changing the harp to another tuning is not just a matter of retuning the whole harp once to that tuning. The strings are initially going to want to go back to where they were. So you’d have to retune the harp several times over several days to the new tuning until it settled in. That’s really the only way you are going to accurately hear what a different tuning sounds like on a harp.
It’s so funny to see these listings by difficulty. It makes me wonder how good the harpists are who make up these lists. On a scale of 1 to 8, with 1 being the easiest, I would put the Angelus by Renie at barely level 2 and maybe level 1. I would put the C minor sonata of Dussek at maybe a 4, with the Pescetti at about the same level. Think about it… Level 7 or 8 would be reserved for things like the Renie Balade or Piece Symphonique, Or some of the big Parish-Alvars things, truly difficult pieces. Even the Debussy Dances I think I would put at a level 6 as well as the Ravel Introduction and Allegro. This is all based on technical difficulty only. But there is a huge difference between the Dussek C minor and the level 8 pieces mentioned above.
Just go to Youtube and type in Mildred Dilling. A list of things will come up, but it’s the one titled ‘Mildred Dilling performs in 1940.’
Take a look at the youtube video of Mildred Dilling playing Follets of Hasselmans, which I put up several years ago. She does a great bisbigliando on that. That piece requires a 3 finger bisbigliando. One of my teachers, Aristid Von Wurtzler could do an astounding 4 finger bisbigliando. It just took my breath away each time he did it.
Song in the night was one of the first pieces I learned on the harp, and my teacher at the time was Lois Bannerman, who had studied with Salzedo. My memory of that measure shown above is that you play those notes with your fingernails close to the soundboard. It’s a godawful sound like glass breaking.
I think what you’re talking about are bushings, not bushes. In fact, the term usually heard is eyelet, not bushing.
David- I had rotator cuff surgery about 20 years ago. In my case, it took three months for the arm to work normally again, and I had to go through grueling physical therapy. But it worked fine, and the shoulder has almost 100% range of motion and no pain. Do you by any chance lift weights? Could that have led to this?
Tony- So sorry to hear about Ruth. I had a long professional relationship with her when she lived in White Plains New York. She was always warm and cordial. A lovely person. If you are in touch with her daughter Susan, please pass my condolences to her. She called me to let me know her mother was near the end, but I got the message several days later and have not succeeded in reaching her. Carl
