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That book is not that informative. It is mostly about his life. I don’t think it even had a list of works. I was a bit disappointed in it. His music is not too complicated. His background as an organist was informative, I think. He tended to apply color as an organist would use stops, to my ear. His most inventive pieces are the Pastorale, Divertissement, and his very free arrangement of the CPE Bach Sonata and the Children’s Hour. My teacher thought his piece for horn, harp and orchestra was one of his best works. Children at Play is one of his best solos, as is Automne for simpler works. His use of form is much like Tournier’s and Renie’s. His single-movement pieces tend to fall into broad ABA forms with extended cadenzas and figurations. His most modern piece is probably the Children’s Hour Suite. What etudes did he compose? Do you mean the Bach transcriptions? His approach to Bach is romantic, lush chords, flexible dynamics rather than terraced dynamics.
His Fantaisie is apparently much derived from an earlier work by another composer which de Maistre recorded.
His Rhapsodie, to me, is not much different from Renie’s work, except his personality is distinct.
Well, if you’re going to bring up Carter, you might as well bring up Birtwistle. They both make me bring up, if you know what I mean. There are many pieces, but they are not well distributed is the problem. Many composers have written pieces. You might try contacting their representing agencies.
Dance of the Cypresses by Milton Barnes is an amazing piece. The Canadian Music Centre represents him, I think.
Yu-Hsin Huang, in Singapore. I would assume there are a lot of harpists there as they do not seem to seek to import any. Chia-Yuan Liang might be in Taiwan these days.
Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, several of which have been transcribed for harp; Faure’s Romance Sans Paroles, Pierne’s Impromptu-Caprice, Grandjany’s Two French Folk Songs, Debussy’s Arabesque. It depends what school you are auditioning at.
I don’t know, but I have been trying for months to get a copy of the harp solo (or duo) from Prokofiev’s Egyptian Nights. There are different scores listed, the Boosey being a Suite only, and the Presser being I don’t know… Can’t seem to get a copy.
I would do only three-four octaves of each type. What do you mean by sevenths? Arpeggios or chord sequences?
The kind of practice I describe makes all these things quite natural.
Quit Volleyball!!!
It ruined my thumbs.
It’s a short-term fun thing to do, it doesn’t begin to have the benefits of orchestra playing experience. If you crave a net game, play badminton.
The difference technically is that other instruments have to change fingerings for every scale and we don’t. Musically, scales have the same importance for us, though we probably use them less often than wind players.
I have heard that scholarships are available from several schools, sometimes to only one harpist at a time or per year. Look at Peabody, Oberlin, Ball State, Boston University, etc. As for a scholarship that will pay you to go where you want, I’ve never heard of such a thing. They are usually tied to a school.
Yes, I just listened to it again. Aside from wonderful playing, I am conscious of her fingertips on the strings. I think the mics were too close.
So far, I have found Elizabeth Richter’s Looking Glass River, and Erica Goodman’s Dance of the Poplars by Milton Barnes to have more of the sound I want. The notes just appear, no discernible onset, and they sustain well into the space. I am convinced that digital mics are overly detailed beyond what we normally hear, and thus exaggerate those tiny details into being audible.
Should I even say? I remember it as Isabelle Morreti’s debut recital in New York, but I wouldn’t swear to it, it might have been someone similar, it was a long time ago.
When I heard the Debussy Danses performed by Grete Wangensteen and William Wangensteen, it was then that I understoond how beautiful and compatible the harp and piano could be. That was because he played the piano with such sensitivity-as though he was playing Debussy-that it enhanced the harp rather than obliterate it. If only all pianists could so modulate their touch. Perhaps it takes a fine pianist to adapt his tone to whatever instrument he is accompanying, or a fine father.
I think the style is the main thing. Depending where you are playing, you want to look professional more than fashion-conscious. You need functional outfits, too. Too-long skirts can interfere with pedaling, and too-frilly outfits are distracting or noisy when you move. Being in England, hats are another issue. I believe they are standard for churches, so perhaps there are very small ones you can wear to one side away from the harp. I think you would also want a simple, black dress that you can wear for funerals and church services. You can accessorize to accent the look. Pins, belts, scarves are all very flexible. I do find that women who wear very fashionable outfits while playing detract from their playing if the dress calls attention to itself. One harpist did a recital in a dress with a twenty-foot train, and it overshadowed her program. I think good costume jewelry is also something to look into, necklaces and earrings, especially vintage pieces.
