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Make it fun, and read up on child development. The ABC of Harp Playing is geared to very young students. I don’t see risk to the instrument.
There are two challenges: one is having a posture that works both for singing and playing, the other is that you have to be your own accompanist. I watched a video of a very accomplished harpist/singer, and her harp playing was competing with her singing for attention.
When pedal markings are between the staves, they obscure the dynamic, tempo and other expressive markings. Keeping them below the system gives them their own exclusive zone, as well as coordinating visually with the feet. Above the system is the most annoying place, I find.
I have a miniature score of it, from Editons Bizet. It is a very well-written piece that should be quite popular if the music were easily available. I’m surprised there are recordings of it. When you can’t get the music from a dealer or the publisher, then you can turn to music libraries and interlibrary loan.
I have Bow Brand heavy gauge gut strings on my harp. Since they switched from polyurethane coating to Spar (marine varnish), there is virtually no wear and tear, hardly any falseness, and it has been over two years! We all now know that Bow had temporary problems due to their gut supplier, and that was corrected some time ago.
Someone should compare the gauging with Pirastro gut, though I don’t know too many people who can afford those. Sheep gut does seem superior, and I don’t know why it has to be so much more expensive. There are many more sheep than cows, after all…
As for what Lyon & Healy “recommends” for stringing, for most of the 20th century, it was nylon strings in the first and second octaves, with a changeover to gut somewhere in the third octave depending on your harp, and taste. I cannot stand hearing gut strings in the second octave, and especially higher, because you lose so much volume and sustainability. The notes simply don’t last long enough. The lack of overtones contributes to the bass-heavy sound of harps. You need nylon strings to produce enough treble to balance the bass. And only nylon strings give you that “heavenly” quality of sounding like a choir of angels, which is why they were standard stringing. Overtones and aftertones, what rings after playing, are the essence of the sound of the harp. Not playing a string. A guitar can do that. Harps that don’t sustain at all don’t sound like harps.
What we need now are LESS-EXPENSIVE strings. The cost of maintaining a harp has become far too expensive.Elgar’s Sospiri is a great example of this genre, as well as Serenade (I think). I went through my list and most of the works were solo parts, or seem to be, or for flute, harp and strings. So we need more works composed for this eloquent genre.
HARP AND STRINGS REPERTOIRE
compiled by Saul Davis Zlatkovski, from BMI and ASCAP printed catalogs (1971, 1966)N.B.: The harp is a continuo instrument, and therefore may be used for continuo playing in music before the 19th century.
ANDRIESSEN, HENDRIK VARIATIONS ON A THEME BY COUPERIN FLUTE HARP STR HENMAR ASCAP
ANTILL, JOHN FIVE AUSTRALIAN LYRICS HARP STR BOOSEY 13′ ASCAP
APOSTEL, HANS ERICH ADAGIO FOR TWO HARPS, CEL., PIANO, STR UNIVERSAL 22′ BMI
BACH, J.S./SOPKIN, HENRY CONCERTO FOR TWO VIOLINS HARP STR ASCAP
BACH, J.S./ZANDONAI PRELUDE FOR HARP, ORGAN, STR RICORDI 5′ BMI
BALAZS, FREDERIC EVENING SONG SATB, HARP, STR ACA 9′ BMI
BANKS, DON ELIZABETHAN MINIATURES FLUTE, HARP, CELLO, STR SCHOTT 8′ BMI
BAX, ARNOLD CONCERTO FOR BASSOON HARP STR CHAPPELL 12′ ASCAP
BRAHMS/SEVITSKY, FABIEN TWO SONGS VOICE HARP STR ASCAP
BRESGEN, CESAR VISIONS FOR FLUTE, HARP AND STRINGS DOBLINGER 20′ BMI
CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO, MARIO SIX SCOTTISH SONGS TENOR, HARP, STR UNPUB. 30′ ASCAP
CHILDS, BARNEY CONCERTO FOR ENGLISH HORN, HARP, STR, PERC ACA 15′ BMI
CHOPIN-WILSON, MORTIMER TWO PRELUDES HARP STRINGS WITMARK ASCAP
CHOU, WEN-CHUNG TO A WAYFARER CLARINET, HARP, PERC, STR ACA 9′ BMI
COULTHARD, JEAN THE BIRD OF DAWNING SINGETH ALL NIGHT LONG FOR VIOLA, HARP, STR 9′ BMI
DAMASE, JEAN-MICHELE BALLADE FOR FLUTE, HARP STRINGS BILLAUDOT
DAMASE, JEAN-MICHELE CONCERTINO HARP STRINGS ELKAN-VOGEL 15′ ASCAP
DANA, WALTER ARIA AND INTERLUDE FOR STRINGS AND HARP DANA 8′ BMI
DEBUSSY, CLAUDE DANSES SACREE ET PROFANE DURAND 8′
DELIUS, FREDERICK SERENADE FROM HASSAN HARP STR BOOSEY 3′ ASCAP
DUBENSKY, ARCADY MEDITATION HARP STR 5′ ASCAP
ELGAR, EDWARD SOSPIRI 6′
EPPERT, CARL SERENADE OBOE CLARINET HARP STR 8′ ASCAP
FILAS, THOMAS RHAPSODY OBOE HARP STR 7′ ASCAP
FINE, IRVING NOTTURNO HARP STR BOOSEY 15′ ASCAP
FRANCAIX, JEAN CHACONNE FOR HARP AND 11 STRINGS SCHOTT 10′ BMI
FRANCAIX, JEAN CONCERTO FOR TWO HARPS AND 11 STRINGS SCHOTT 15′ BMI
DE FRUMERIE, GUNNAR PASTORAL SUITE FLUTE HARP STR NORDISKA 12′ ASCAP
GALLON, NOEL FANTAISIES HARP STRINGS BARON 14′ ASCAP
GENZMER, HARALD CONCERTO FOR HARP AND STRINGS PETERS 20′ BMI
GIORDANO, UMBERTO LARGO AND FUGA HARP, ORGAN, STRINGS RICORDI 8′ BMI
GOULD, MORTON HARVEST VIBRA. HARP STR CHAPPELL 12′ ASCAP
GRANDJANY, MARCEL ARIA IN CLASSICAL STYLE FOR HARP AND STRINGS ASSOCIATED 4′ BMI
GRETCHANINOFF, ALEXANDER CONCERTO FOR FLUTE HARP STRINGS LEEDS ASCAP
GRETACHANINOFF, ALEXANDER TRIPTIQUE HARP STR LEEDS 12′ ASCAP
HAIEFF, ALEXEI ECLOGUE CHAPPELL 12′ ASCAP
HANSON, HOWARD CONCERTO FOR ORGAN HARP STR FISCHER 18′ ASCAP
HANSON, HOWARD SERENADE FLUTE HARP STR FISCHER 6′ ASCAP
HARRISON, JULIUS PRELUDE MUSIC FOR HARP AND STRINGS 1912
HANUS, JAN CONCERTO DOPPIO FOR OBOE, HARP, STRINGS, PERC. JOSHUA 20′ BMI
HARRISON, LOU SUITE FOR VIOLIN, STRINGS, 2 HARPS, PIANO, CELESTA PEER 40′ BMI
HAUFRECHT, HERBERT WALTZ FOR GUITAR, HARP(S), STRINGS ACA 4′ BMI
HENZE, HANS WERNER DOUBLE CONCERTO OBOE HARP STRINGS SCHOTT 18′ BMI
HOVHANESS, ALAN CONCERTO FOR HARP AND STRINGS ACA 11′ BMI
HOVHANESS, ALAN THE HOLY CITY FOR TRUMPET, CHIME, HARP, STR PETERS 4′ BMI
HOVHANESS, ALAN SYMPHONY NO. 16 FOR HARP, PERC, STR PETERS 16′ BMI
JACOBI, FREDERICK RHAPSODY FOR HARP AND STR LEEDS 10′ ASCAP
KLOESS, WILFRIED KAPRIZIOESES STAENDCHEN FLUTE HARP, PIANO STR COLOMBO 11′ ASCAP
MARTIN, FRANK THREE DANCES FOR OBOE, HARP, STR UNIVERSAL 19′ BMI
MARTIN, FRANK PETITE SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE HARP, HARPSICHORD, PIANO, STR. 22′ UNIVERSAL
MARTINON, JEAN SYMPHONIETTE TIMPANI, HARP, PIANO, STR RICORDI 17′ ASCAP
MENOTTI CANTILENA E SCHERZO HARP AND STRINGS SCHIRMER 15′ ASCAP
MOURANT, WALTER AIR AND SCHERZO HARP, OBOE STRINGS ASSOCIATED 7′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER BLUE HORIZONS HARP AND STRINGS ACA 3′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER DARK FOREST HARP, PERC. STR ACA 5′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER ECSTASY CLAR. HARP STR ACA 4′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER LULLABY FOR LOVERS HARP AND STR ACA 3′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER PRELUDE AND RONDO CLAR HARP STR ACA 9′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST OBOE HARP STR ACA 9′ BMI
MOURANT, WALTER SLEEPY HOLLOW SUITE AMP 12′ BMI
NEWMAN, THEODORE SONG FOR HARP AND STRINGS 6′ BMI
NYSTROEM, GOESTA PARTITA FOR FLUTE HARP STR S.T.I.M. 16′ ASCAP
OSIECK, HANS ROMANCE FOR FLUTE HARP STR HENMAR 8′ ASCAP
PANUFNIK, ANDRZEJ SINFONIA CONCERTANTE FLUTE HARP STRINGS 20′
PAPINEAU-COUTURE, JEAN OSTINATO HARP PIANO STR CMC 3′
PISTON, WALTER CAPRICCIO FOR HARP AND STRINGS AMP 8′ BMI
PISTON, WALTER FANTASY ENGLISH HORN, HARP, STR AMP 10′ BMI
ROUSSEAU, MARCEL SAMUEL VARIATIONS PASTORALE SUR UN VIEUX NOEL HARP STR BARON
ROUSSEL, ALBERT LE MARCHAND DE SABLE QUI PASSE FLUTE, HORN, HARP, STR. ESCHIG 17′
SCHNITTKE, ALFRED CONCERTO FOR OBOE, HARP, STRINGS UNIVERSAL 16′
SKORZENY, FRITZ CONCERTO FOR OBOE, HARP, STRINGS DOBLINGER 20′
SOMERS, HARRY SUITE FOR HARP AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (STR) BERANDOL 18′
SPORCK, GEORGES FANTASIE CAPRICE FOR HARP AND ORCHESTRA? ESCHIG
STURZENBERGER, RICHARD CONCERTO NO. 3 FOR CELLO, HARP AND STRINGS SCHOTT 23′
TAKACZ, JENO MEDITATION, OP. 66A OBOE HARP STR DOBLINGER 4′
THOMSON, VIRGIL AUTUMN CONCERTINO HARP STR PERC G. SCHIRMER 10′ ASCAP
TOURNIER, MARCEL FEERIE HARP STR BARON 10′
TURINA, JOAQUIN TEMA CON VARIZIONI UME 10′
VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS GREENSLEEVES HARP STR OXFORD
VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS FIVE VARIANTS ON DIVES AND LAZARUS TWO HARPS STR OXFORD 10′ ASCAP
VERACINI,FRANCESCO/PREVITALI TOCCATA E CAPRICCIO HARPSI, ORGAN, HARP STR RICORDI 10′
WALTER, FRIED DER PARADIESVOGEL FLUTE HARP STR HENMAR 8′
WARTISCH, OTTO CONCERTO FOR 2 VIOLINS, HARP, PIANO STR LEUCKART/AMP 18′
WEINBERGER, JAROMIR THE RAVEN HARP AND STRINGS AMP 5′
WEINER, LEO ROMANZE CELLO, HARP, STRINGS BOOSEY 9′ ASCAP
WHITE, PAUL SEA CHANTY HARP STR ELKAN-VOGEL 15′ ASCAP
WIKLUND, ADOLF THREE PIECES FOR HARP STR SUECIA ASCAPIt is not available from Curtis unless you get permission from the heirs controlling the estate. But there are copies with those who have performed it, and it may be in the public domain, having been distributed and performed, most likely without a copyright designation. I don’t have this one. Check with John Carrington.
It is obviously impossible to play those harmonics except on the string indicated, as you have just played the c an octave below in the chord. However, for good writing, the chord tones need to be moved to the left hand so the right hand only plays the harmonics. That said, the harmonics are too high to be played well. This composer had no idea how to write for the harp. I think the busy harpist would simply play the notes as written and ignore all the wishful harmonic notations. One has to see the full score to see what doubling there is and how to adjust the part in context.
I find fluorocarbon strings, or rather, Savarez, painful to play. They are much tighter. Pirastro makes the best nylon strings, if only because they are a bit thicker. I believe they are now made with the same material as other nylon brands, but it used to be something more durable.
Another fine work for solo harp and strings is Joaquin Turina’s Tema y Variazioni.
I have an old printed ASCAP catalog that I searched through and I remember finding many pieces for harp and strings, not solo works necessarily, but I never extracted a list from it, and it may be all American composers. Peggy Stuart Coolidge and Peggy Glanville-Hicks both wrote such works, I think.
I have a piece by Gretchaninov for harp and strings I’ve yet to premiere.
