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Mel, I also only perform from memory. As you say, looking at the fingers on the strings as you travel the geography of the harp throughout the piece gives that extra advantage: we have eliminated that step of translation of the black notes on the page into harp string geography. Now we play directly from the brain without having that extra translation step. I find it frees the player to add more expression. For background music gigs, all I need on the music stand is one sheet with names of pieces(shortened) with reminders of the keys , arranged in the order I planned for that particular job; all printed in a large font of type( 18 or 20) and then my music stand can be off to the side for occasional checking, instead of between me and listeners. Musicians need early training in memory games to make music memorizing easier, I’ve found.
So good that you mentioned the age of the honored birthday person, since the music would need to be tailored to that. If the party is for someone in the U.S.A. that would also make a difference. Find out if they have an ancestry from a foreign country and if so they would probably appreciate some music from there. Otherwise, I would say waltzes are very useful, and operetta music by Gilbert and Sullivan, Lehar, etc. All uplifting.
More information about harpists and harp teachers of the past, was published in the Harp Today magazine by the Lyon and Healy harp company in the Winter 2003 issue, pages 7, 8, 9, and 10. You can e-mail harpisttree@lyonhealy.com. Also, the eminent harp historian Dr. Roslyn Rensch Erbes, author of Harps and Harpists, has an ongoing project to complete a genealogy “tree” of past harpists and their students. So some of the research has already been done in your field of interest. As to Erich Schubert, his original compositions and arrangements were sometimes published by companies in Vienna or in Ruppichterroth, Germany, and sometimes he self-published them. For a while he was a dealer for the David harp company of Switzerland; more information may be found there. He had many students who became professional.
Katarzyna, my Kajetan Attl Method was published by Carl Fischer, Nrw York City in 1924. It was given to me by the late DeWayne Fulton, performing and recording harpist based in southern California, who studied with Attl.
Irene, Since there are no printed pedal markings in my copy (Durand amd Co.) I have marked the beginning of bar 32 with G natural, to cancel the G# you mention; and the beginning of bar 39 with a G natural to cancel the G sharps needed in bars 37 and 38. My teacher had me use red pencil, so the peripheral vision of the eye would catch pedal markings a bit sooner than the otherwise black-and white on the page.
Nina, I have the two American Harp Journals from 1980: Volume 7, No.3 Summer,with Alberto Salvi on the cover; and Volume 7 No. 4 Winter, with Nicanor Zabaleta on the cover. I will e-mail you to find what you are seeking in these.
A deceased member of the German school was Max Saal. He taught Erich Schubert, well known harpist in Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol, who was over 90 when he died in January 2010. Perhaps by researching those names and others you would find more evidence. I have the Attl Method, and also the Holy memoirs, edited by Artiss DeVolt. Specialized libraries should also have these; hopefully the Paris Bibliotheque.
Mike, I have no good answer for a man trying to play on those high harp strings; your hands are larger and that’s a good thing out in the real world! Although you love your present harp, you can love another one perhaps, in the future. Consider going to the next big harp conference (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 2011)
I went to the web site of Lyric Opera of Chicago and found the correct information there. Go to:
Valerie, A company in the U.S. that ships worldwide, is http://www.harpkit.com. There you will find harps of all sizes except pedal harps, sold either ready to play or as kits. Their newest harp is 29 nylon strings, 14 pounds weight, called Smartwood. It is $399. as a kit. You can hear a sample of the sound, right on the site.
Bill, Herald Music has published an arrangement of this tango for violin and harp. Vanderbilt Music in Bloomington, Indiana carries it.
Here is the link to the video I like so much because the harp is so well miked you can hear each note in Angels’ Carol:
I keep returning to hear Angels’ Carol by John Rutter many times. About six or seven choices of videos can be made but most have piano accompaniment; two seem to have harp with the choir and the St Olaf choir is my favorite with the harpist (unseen) playing the accompaniment. The beauty of this composition stays with you making you want to return. What a gifted composer.
Susan, ask your son’s bass teacher for solos your son might play in a year or two. These will be sold with piano accompaniment, usually. Look at that accompaniment and simplify it for your use, even leaving some notes in the treble for the violinist. Now you have a trio, and though the first piece may be a bit clumsy, the more you do this the easier it gets. Then you could look for some easy violin solos in a collection her teacher suggests. Give her most of the melody but begin sharing that with her and also the bass player. In time the three of you could have a nice little library of music for two or three, whether folk, sacred, classical or some other type. Because you all worked it out to share, you will enjoy playing it, I’m sure! I doubt you will find much published music for harp, bass, and violin but that is a very nice combination, if done well.
