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You need to ask a recorder player. Wax of a type is used on the cork, not vaseline, that I can recall. It likely swelled up too much.
I think we need an American system, one more challenging, and geared to growth, and not spending years on insignificant music with little progress. The emphasis should be on major composers, to educate the pupil’s ears and minds.
I think perhaps they did. I haven’t seen one up close for a long time, but that rings a bell. Ask George Flores.
Manhattan School of Music has a style 15 that is one of the finest harps I have ever played. They also used to have one that was one of the worst. So they vary. I played one in college that had a good sound, but it later broke apart at the soundboard base. It’s all a matter of the quality of the wood in the particular harp.
What is really helpful is the AHS Evaluations, where you get to play for the jury two times, so you have time to improve.
Miss Lawrence always recommended using an organ to accompany a concerto rather than piano, so you could do any concertos in your repertoire. You could try the duos for harp and piano by Boieldieu and Dussek that way. Dewey Owens wrote a (large) piece for harp and organ, I think it’s called Rhapsodic Poem, and isn’t there a piece by Leo Sowerby?
There is a huge amount of repertoire, you just have to search and search. There are arias for voice and harp from a number of operas. I have never seen a comprehensive list of them.
Yes, I am only interested in nylon. I would never use the fluorocarbon strings on my harps, or play on them again. The difference in tension caused injury. You have been very helpful. I don’t suppose you know of a similar chart for Pirastro? I used to get their heavy-gauge nylon strings, but they stopped making them. The quality of their nylon also seemed to change. I have the Bow Brand heavy-gauge gut strings, and they are magnificent!
Salvi and Lyon & Healy pedal harps are the only ones that are all wood. This makes a big difference in tone quality and response. One major reason people may need major repairs on their harps is moving them frequently and often incorrectly, with not enough padding and support. That’s a pretty sure way to need to replace the neck. A harp that is fifteen years old certainly has shown its structural integrity. A new harp will last the longest and have the most innovative parts. The one thing I do not like about new Lyon & Healy harps is the matte/satin finish as opposed to the glossy finish which you will find on the older harps. I don’t think I’ve heard of any problem harps from Lyon & Healy since the 1990s.
