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You are right about tempos. Students feel such need to prove themselves, that they race through so much music, or speed it up to make it sound harder or more impressive than it really is. The Faure Impromptu is a perfect example, which has the tempo indication of Allegro MOLTO moderato. That means, VERY moderately happy. And, I am certain, he intended for that tempo to maintain throughout the piece for all the chord passages. Then it is not so hard to play the big arpeggios in time. And the Saint-Saens solo Fantaisie is a wonderful preparation for the Fantasie with Violin, and the Faure as well.
If you are using the dolly to walk the harp long distances or over several steps, then you want one with inflated tires. From what my colleagues tell me, the three-wheeled type is good for curbs and short sets of stairs, but not for walking far or turning corners. The best one has not been available for years, but had a friction skid so you could go down stairs and control the harp easily. Would that someone would make use of that, and also figure out a way to go up stairs easily.
A harp with a curved, or extended sounding board, has a fuller bass and generally rounder tone quality, due to its shape. A straight or narrrow sounding board is a little more nasal and sharper sounding with less bass presence.
Excellent ideas. If I may add to those, with any difficult passage, I have found it helps to turn it into an exercise. If you take that pattern and play it in other octaves, other sequences, it will in time become very natural to play. Also, Salzedo edited it so that you play the bottom note with your left hand thumb sometimes, which can facilitate it. And do it in each hand, it gets your brain more accustomed to it.
I have not used hot glue yet, but I have always preferred stitching my felts, as they need no drying time. It’s a bit arduous, though. You need a very strong needle, heavy thread, and a thimble!
I did see the Salzedo edition in the International Harp Archives as well, if you can’t get it from Lyra. Not all other versions are in flats.
I’m sure Lyra has it, and it has often been expected on auditions, such as at the Metropolitan Opera. If it says Magic Fire Music on an audition list, and doesn’t specify a part or provide, that is likely what they mean. I could copy mine, but it has lots of markings on it. Once you learn this, you can pedal anything.
Why is the original not playable? One example is the bass line where it repeats the same two notes over and over again, and Salzedo has the notes move up and down through different octaves. Repeating the same notes over and over again is physically difficult, and the sound gets very dull. It’s buzzy, feels bad, and sounds bad on the harp, in general. Exquisite as the piece is, it’s not that great a harp piece, with those beautiful repeated chords. Only the very best harpists are able to play them with the freedom of tempo and clarity they need.
It’s a common practice in some areas, though it is likely illegal. The idea is that you are bribing, I mean paying you so that you have an exclusive ability to work there, but I wonder if you can get that in writing. It is disgusting. But if it is a nonprofit venue, like a performing arts center or organization, making donations would be gratefully appreciated and might encourage more bookings without being illegal about it. In addition, a caterer who books you for a reception that they have, if they are paying you, they may well be charging the client double your fee and keeping the rest. I have long thought that harpists should figure out a way to be the one on top, not on bottom. On the other hand, paying a commission/tip to someone for booking you is not unheard-of. If you were booking florists, for example, to work the weddings you are arranging, a commission would be appropriate, in a way. It’s dicey, but the main point is knowing ahead of time, I guess. It’s all in how they do it.
You need to wear shoes when practicing, and the heels should be high enough to assist you in pedaling, at least one inch, up to two or three. Something is definitely off if you are losing your balance, so you need to have lessons.
I would definitely go with the Aria. It’s an exceptional design and a good age to get lots of playing in.
The best-known arrangement of the part is by Carlos Salzedo, published many years ago, and it is NOT easy, which is why it has often been on audition lists. It’s a good thing to know. It is probably what they want if they will only hire one harpist.
