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If ease of transport is a big issue, bear in mind that Salvi and Venus models tend to be a few pounds heavier than Lyon and Healys. For instance, a Lyon and Healy Style 150 weighs 80 pounds; a Salvi Diana is 88 pounds; and a Venus Aria or Classic concert Grand, 86 pounds. Doesn’t sound like a significant difference, but I really notice it!
Lyon and Healy does not make the Style 15 anymore, nor the Style 17. But there are quite a few pre-owned ones out there. My first harp was a 15 and I used it for 30 years!
If it is a question of room for larger hands in the upper octaves, you might want to consider a Camac harp. They are built to be roomier in there. I have very small hands, but even so I enjoyed the feeling of spaciousness in the top octaves when I played a Camac.
If you live near Chicago, and can afford a new Lyon & Healy, Salvi, or Venus harp, then you have many, many wonderful options available to you! A trip, or series of day trips into town to try as many harps as possible would be a great idea. Have your daughter’s teacher evaluate any instrument you are seriously considering purchasing. You can also look to the staff for guidance. in my experience, they are knowledgeable, thoughtful, honest and analytical about what will meet your needs, and fit your budget. I’ve never been given a “hard sell” by the staff of any harp center or manufacturer.
Additionally, there are many fine instruments available in the pre-owned market. Often they have had only light use, and are priced well below the cost of a brand new harp. If you are interested, check the classifieds on this site, the “certified pre-owned” section of the L&H website, and the used listings for the Virginia Harp Center.
I am not sure what you mean by the ‘width’ of the upper strings. Assuming she is referring to the spacing, which is most likely, what, exactly, does her teacher want you to consider about that? Does her teacher think your daughter needs extra room up there? If so, why? Is she accustomed to playing on an instrument with wide spacing at lessons? I would try to find out more.
You can definitely find something which will fit your daughter’s body comfortably, sound great, feel good to play, and have a design which is pleasing to her (and your) sense of aesthetics. This is an exciting juncture in her life as a young harpist! Best of luck to you! And if you get a chance, let us know what you ultimately choose!Update: my student is coming along wonderfully! She is now raising — not with big gestures, but I am satisfied. It looks very natural and relaxed (more so than when she was not raising at all and her hands appeared rigid) and she seems to have become quite comfortable with it. I appreciate all of the thoughtful feedback on this thread. Much of it has been very helpful. Thank you!
If I need to check on the positions of my pedals, I run my feet along them from the outer ones to the inner ones, both feet simultaneously. It barely takes a sec. I think it would take me longer to read the display. Also, it’s not a good idea to become dependent on a piece of equipment which could malfunction. Another thought I had is that I have enough to watch already: music on the stand, the strings, often a conductor, or my fellow players in a chamber music situation. Adding a fourth would feel overloading, I think.
I’ve played on some great 30’s, but it is not really the case that the Style 30 has one specific distinctive sound, the 23 another, the 11 another, the Salzedo another, etc. Most importantly, especially with such a big, expensive and consequential purchase, is to try out individual instruments until you find the one that is just right for you. It’s just not possible to make a generalization about the sound of a particular model or category of harps.
I agree with everyone who has posted here. Your life is precious and irreplaceable. Your safety is paramount. A part of your soul has not been torn away from you; rather, the harp you loved so much is inside your soul, where it will always be. Praying for your safety and for peace.
2011? I remember a documentary about Ann that was made in the 1990’s, I think. It aired on a PBS show called “Basic Black.”
Camac seems to have the most room in the upper register. The Aoyama “Princess Sakura” has lower-than-usual string tension, and I have a 1912 L&H with very low string tension and lever gut strings. It has a beautiful, full, rich sound. Definitely not tinny or weak.
I think that in my original post I failed to convey that this student is still very much a beginner, despite some previous harp study. So it’s not that she is coming to me with a fully formed technique which just happens to represent a different school of harp playing. What I am seeing is what looks to me like habitual rigidity in the hands, and I’m trying to address that (which is presumably what she wants me to do, having hired me to give her harp lessons). It is a joy to teach adults because they bring to the task everything that they have learned over many years about how they learn! Certainly there is no question of “forcing” anyone to change — that is not my style as a teacher or as a person.
Great discussion, thank you, everybody, for sharing your thoughts. I was taught the Salzedo method (with much, much emphasis on raising) as a child. In college I studied with a French method teacher, which was great because it opened up worlds of new repertoire. In graduate school I was back to the Salzedo method with, again, much emphasis on the gesture. I would describe my own playing as a bit of a compromise between methods, with a leaning toward Salzedo, though I am not as strict an adherent as some.
In my student’s case, there is really NO movement in the hands, which I feel is not drawing the optimal sound out of the instrument. I am not looking for a dramatic or huge gesture or any flailing about. I feel it DOES relax the hands to let them gently “breathe” with the music, rather than being held rigidly still.
Then again, I have worked in orchestras with amazing non-Salzedo harpist colleagues who drop their hands, rather than raising them.
I obviously wouldn’t try to convert any advanced student who came to me for coaching with a fully formed technique different from my own. This student, however, is still in the beginning stages of study. Habit formation is happening now and is important for later. It sounds like some of you think I should back off this issue slightly for now and focus on other things. (She’s only had 3 lessons with me so far).
