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Thank you Steve for all of your hard work. I t really was a great event and we are fortunate that PBS took the time and energy to produce this. Thanks again!!!!
Years ago, I was asked to play “We’ve Only Just Begun” for a very pregnant bride. Fortunately, the music director at Holy Name Cathedral backed me up in my assessment that i couldn’t play it because clearly she had not “just begun” but was almost finished! However, I continually am amazed at the number of brides who want the Arioso from Bach’s Cantata # 156 – the words of which are to the effect of “Here I stand with one foot in the grave”! I was also once asked to play the March of the Gladiators when the mothers of the couple were walking down the aisle. That didn’t happen either … haha.
If you get Comcast, it is “On Demand” until June 30th – at least here in Chicago. Truly an outstanding documentary of any amazing competition! My only disappointment was that there was not more footage of Maria K. – the first prize winner, in performance. Her L&H recital was probably the best live harp performance anyone could hope to hear! Her CD is also amazing!
Karen Grimsey is the Marine Band harpist as far as I am aware of. Venus Harps donated a GORGEOUS Gold Paragon to them a number of years ago. I understand that Phyllis Mauney, White House harpist at that time, didn’t like the harp but having been the staff harpist at Venus at the time, I made EXTRA sure that it was a fabulous instrument. God only knows who has done the regulation work on it over the years, if anyone at all. I can assure you that it was never a qualified Venus technician – so I have no idea if it is still used, which is a loss to the country. It was a magnificent instrument when it left the factory!
This may be X-rated. My husband always thought I should advertise myself as a topless harpist – haha.
It’s just fun! I love the physical challenge – it’s like being an Olympic gymnastics competitor or like being an opera singer It’s physical and etherial at the same time! I started playing the harp as an accident in high school – never once had given any thought to the instrument…. don’t really remember if I knew such an instrument existed. But loved the physical challenge immediately and it grew into a musical passion.
YES!!! I have consistently over the years liked the Vanderbilt “Classic Strings” which were originally introduced into this country by Venus Harps. in my youth – 20 – 30 years ago, I strung all of my harps with Pirastro. For me the Classic strings have the rich, full sound that I had originally associated with Pirastro without the “dry” feel to the strings which eventually made me feel like I was scratching my nails on a chalk board…. also much more economical. I have, over the years, tried every brand of harp string available to give every one a fair chance and the Classic strings have won out for me without question. Some did not hold up well, others were “false” from the start, etc. It’s also a matter of what feels good for your own fingers – not someone else’s. Good luck!
See if there is a Chicago Symphony recording with Solti – the harp parts are usually quite audible and may help. Just a thought!
It’s a FABULOUS piece! You will learn soooo much from working on it. I love the drama of the first mvt. – the 2nd and 4th mvts will open your eyes to many technical and tonal possibilities. The third mvt is mystical and enchanting. The last mvt, I found to be a bit of a dirge, but still wonderful in its own right and a challenge to make it interesting to the listener! Have fun and experiment!
Oddly enough, the ONLY way I can play the harp is if I use Vaseline Intensive Care lotion at ALL times… this does tend to trash your strings faster, but otherwise this sensation I feel is like scratching my nails on a chalk blackboard…. for what it is worth. It has been this way forever for me.
She passed away in July of 2004 – there is an obituary in either the late 2004 or early 2005 AHS Journal.
I am eternally grateful for having studied with Eddie Druzinsky , former Principal Harpist of the Chicago Symphony. Not only was he a spectacular example of how to project ANY harp part in any orchestral setting, in most recordings of the CSO from 1958′ ish to 1994′ ish, the harp is very audible. Recordings with Solti, Ozawa, Guailini (sp?), Leinsdorf , Martinon or any other conductor for that matter – the harp is as clear as a bell. Especially the Ravel recording of the Introduction & Allegro – each piece on this recording sounds like the harp is in front of the most prominent mike. Eddie really had a tremendous knack of sending each note to the last row of the “peanut gallery.” I’ve also become a fan of older Boston Symphony recordings with Charles Munch – Zhighera can also be heard as clear as a bell – check out Symphonie Fantastique – amazing!! The orchestral balance on these “old” recordings is far superior to more recent ones of any orchestra. I’m not “dissing” any of the amazing orchestral players today… I’m merely pointing out that the recordings from the”old days” are acoustically superior to most made today – maybe better recording halls or more brilliant engineers. Check it out!
While this is a “chat room” for everyone, I still do not think that it is appropriate for anyone to make comments on ANY brand of anything without knowing the FACTS! I still and always will stand by my comment that it is the harpists job to “break in” their new instrument. It does not matter what manufacturer you purchase an instrument from – it is still YOUR JOB!!! There is no perfect harp and certainly shoddy craftsmanship does not fall into this catagory. What I was refering to was development of tone and ease of playing. It takes much more effort on anyone’s part to play on a concert pedal harp than on a small folk harp and this will also take more time. You may have personal preferences – everyone is certainly entitled to that. I really don’t care what harp you or anyone else plays. Facts of life for a harpist involve amongst other things: you have to practice, strings do break, occasionally a pin does break off on a disc, harps do need regulations – some more than others depending on how much the instrument is played on, felts get worn down and affect the regulation, etc. Years ago when I studied with Eddie Druzinsky of the Chicago Symphony, I once asked him to sum up his most successful career. His response was “Blood, sweat & tears. Then more blood sweat and tears.” So let’s all “grow up” and stop whining!
I have a Venus Diplomat harp that has a carbon grafite soundboard that I might be interested in selling, but only if the price is right. It makes a WONDERFUL recording harp as it has a very clear, clean tone – which sound engineers like because it makes their job easier. It is an ebony harp with silver highlights in the column flutings and has vertical “racing stripes” on the soundboard – a very striking looking instrument! Another perk is that because the board has not pulled up, I rarely need to get it regulated. Let me know if you are interested. I live in Evanston, IL (Chicago suburb). PhyllisAdams@aol.com
