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It depends what comes before it. Tournier’s Sonatine would be a lot weaker than ending with the Faure Impromptu. There aren’t a lot of great ending pieces. Some are too short, or not showy enough, or just don’t grab the audience enough to pull them to their feet for a standing ovation. It depends a lot on what has come before. Shaping a program is like writing a musical. The songs have to fit emotionally as well as energetically. They always put an emotional number before the big ending, they call that an 11 O’Clock song. Actually, I think it’s emotion they’re after, I’m not sure how they’re defined, haven’t been to that many shows. In A Little Night Music, I’m pretty sure it’s The Miller’s Son, which alternates between sad resignation and excitement.
That is why Scintillation will perhaps always be the ultimate closing piece, because it is full of many emotions, incredible colors and a truly grand finale. It’s very end is also the hardest part, I find.
Other pieces I do or would end with: Salzedo’s Variations, Ballade, Preludes, a concerto perhaps, the Faure Impromptu, Scintillation, Recessional, Scintillation, Scintillation, umm, hmm, what else is there? I don’t like being made to listen to the usual
They were built to have normal strings, the same as a pedal harp, so there is nothing to worry about unless it is in poor condition. We used mostly nylon strings as the levers will shave off the string bit by bit.
It is my understanding that lanolin is the closest thing to our natural body oils. I find that moisture balm/bag balm works well, as it contains lanolin (which probably counteracts the vaseline) as well as an ingredient to prevent cracking.
What kind of standards do you want to have for yourself? Are you comfortable calling yourself a professional if you are not well-trained and highly skilled? What position do you want to have in your profession? It is not easy for most harpists to make a living, and it doesn’t help if there are a lot of amateurs or semi-professionals taking gigs, and it doesn’t help the harp if they are not truly capable. A lot of problems can ensue, like professionals often being called in at the last minute to cover for someone faced with something beyond them. That can happen a lot. I suggest that you either make it your focus, your dream, and go for it, or just do it for pleasure alone. Your teacher should be able to guide you toward schools. The training you get up until college will point you in certain directions. Most of the big U.S. cities have a good music school and a good harp teacher. Your previous experience is good and will help, and you have enough time to become very good before going to college, if you work at it. I recommend that you look into summer programs to supplement your studies and get some concentrated work done. Interlochen is an excellent example of such a program.
Are these surface blisters or under your callouses? Do you play loudly all the time? You cannot play beyond the point that creates them. They have to heal, and you need to smooth your skin with fine sandpaper, and condition it with lanolin-containing products, such as moisture balm/bag balm. It is made for cow udders. Or you can melt together equal amounts of Vaseline and lanoline. When your skin has healed, then gradually increase your practice time, always mindful of what your skin can tolerate. Do not play loud all the time, and don’t play glissandi with force until you have built up your skin. Do not expose your fingers to a lot of soap, like washing dishes.
You have to add some protection for the base as it is not protected at all in a hard case, so if you can find some thin spongy material to wrap around it, you will be better off. The base is where you are most likely to have damage.
If they are slowly and continually stretching, then they are defective strings. That happens sometime. When I have gotten bad nylon strings, they just keep stretching and stretching. By the way, it’s a stationary nut, not a bridge pin.
I’m fairly sure there are quite a few pieces for flute, harp and strings. Whether they rise to the level of concerti is another matter. The old ASCAP printed catalog is a good source as it lists instrumentation. I have heard a Haydn Concerto in G Minor for Violin and Harpsichord played quite well on flute and harp. However, the Mozart being a 30-minute concerto, I have to wonder why the need for a companion piece, as it is fairly exhausting to perform…
The Panufnik would be my top choice, and I’m glad to see it listed here. What is particularly significant about it is that it is one of his symphonies, quite an honor for us, and it is a wonderful work. I am also familiar with the Cowell, which seems interesting, very diatonic in style.
Actually, the Sicilienne from Faure’s Pelleas et Melisande would be an excellent companion piece, being mostly flute and harp, and the Menuet from Bizet’s L’Arlesienne could likewise or also be done as a mini-concerto. Could the Bruch Scottish Rhapsody be arranged for flute? Would we want it to be?
Doing the Faure and Bizet with the Mozart would be plenty! But if you want a full concert, add the Panufnik, too.
Studio recordings definitely have a lot to do with it. It is well known among pianists that Micheangeli was perhaps the first to be able to do recitals without memory problems, and it launched the craze for everyone to do the same. It has since spread. However, most great artists do make errors. I turned pages for a famous soprano’s pianist once, and I was intrigued to see how she either rewrote the line or reinvented it due to forgetfulness. The audience hadn’t a clue as it was all done with complete conviction and flow.
I think it helps very much to listen to our mistakes when practicing, to acknowledge and learn from them. It’s not hard to get the notes right, but then the brain immediately seems to say, what happens if I do it this way, or do it wrong this way? That is a chance to figure out how to recover, that’s why we do that. If we use that to our advantage, then we know how to go on from any mistake. The other technique that helps tremendously is to play each note thinking of the following note, not the one you are playing, always focus ahead. Then you know where you are going.
Studio recordings definitely have a lot to do with it. It is well known among pianists that Micheangeli was perhaps the first to be able to do recitals without memory problems, and it launched the craze for everyone to do the same. It has since spread. However, most great artists do make errors. I turned pages for a famous soprano’s pianist once, and I was intrigued to see how she either rewrote the line or reinvented it due to forgetfulness. The audience hadn’t a clue as it was all done with complete conviction and flow.
I think it helps very much to listen to our mistakes when practicing, to acknowledge and learn from them. It’s not hard to get the notes right, but then the brain immediately seems to say, what happens if I do it this way, or do it wrong this way? That is a chance to figure out how to recover, that’s why we do that. If we use that to our advantage, then we know how to go on from any mistake. The other technique that helps tremendously is to play each note thinking of the following note, not the one you are playing, always focus ahead. Then you know where you are going.
Studio recordings definitely have a lot to do with it. It is well known among pianists that Micheangeli was perhaps the first to be able to do recitals without memory problems, and it launched the craze for everyone to do the same. It has since spread. However, most great artists do make errors. I turned pages for a famous soprano’s pianist once, and I was intrigued to see how she either rewrote the line or reinvented it due to forgetfulness. The audience hadn’t a clue as it was all done with complete conviction and flow.
I think it helps very much to listen to our mistakes when practicing, to acknowledge and learn from them. It’s not hard to get the notes right, but then the brain immediately seems to say, what happens if I do it this way, or do it wrong this way? That is a chance to figure out how to recover, that’s why we do that. If we use that to our advantage, then we know how to go on from any mistake. The other technique that helps tremendously is to play each note thinking of the following note, not the one you are playing, always focus ahead. Then you know where you are going.
Just one last thing. Sherry, it was very brave and commendable of you to tell us that you have a Mental Health Counselor. You are, in fact, fortunate to have help, which not everyone does, and not everyone will admit to needing or wanting.
