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I’ve got a month before we go into rehearsal on it. I’ll be having a meeting with the conductor to go over meters and tempi, for sure! (Also editing fairly freely….)
If you’re a moderately advanced pedal player, take a look at Meyer Op. 4. This is from the height of his “Sturm und Drang” period, and while the music is fascinating and beautiful, it’s very far from either clicheed or angelic!
https://www.utorpheus.com/product_info.php?cPath=841&products_id=667
Sounds to me like the spring is popping in some inappropriate direction and hitting the pedal bar or stud. Lay the harp down and take a look! A technician may be needed to adjust the spring stud.
I have DDX #1206 that the original owner told me was built in 1923, so this one is from not too long after that.
It appears to be a model A which has been extensively rebuilt, and had an extended soundboard added. I couldn’t say what it’s worth without seeing it in person. Hope this helps!
If you’re interested in a really small pedal harp, the Fischer 5-pedal “school harp” might do the job:
https://www.fischerharfen.de/en/fischer_schulharfe_mod_93There’s the P. J. Meyer Sonata for harp and string quartet, available through the Historical Harp Society:
The second one is much better. In the first version, the harpist is having to place fingers on strings which have just been played, like the Eb and Bb in the first figure. This is going to damp out a lot of the sound, and runs a high risk of buzzes.
I no longer have cuffs on the legs of my dress trousers, after a brief but unfortunate incident involving getting a cuff snagged on a G pedal. I prefer playing in leather trousers, as the harp is held much more securely.
Theres also the Grandjany rubber-band trick:
Put the tuning key on the pin for the new string with a rubber band hanging down from the shank of the key. Bring the bottom end of the rubber band out, up, and around the handle of the key. Stretch the rubber band over the top of the neck, and hook it onto the string end of the tuning pin. The key will be held securely in place and ready for whenever you need to give it a quick tweak!
