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There may be more public school programs than you think. Vincent Pierce is directing a two-school program in Midland-Odessa, Texas, where there is a very large harp program that is well funded.
The harp was more popular than the piano, until the piano was equally popular, and then overtook the harp, in the early 19th century. I think it is partly because the piano is easier. I’m sure the cost could not have been much less for a piano in those days. They were also sturdier and perhaps easier to move about.
We must have a positive attitude. The harp has had more exposure in tv and movies in the last ten years or so than since the 1950s. We need to capitalize on it. It would help if we had a publicity program to promote the harp in general, to everyone’s benefit, to increase interest.
Every professional harpist should have an active teaching studio, like so many flutists do. It may cost more to begin on the harp, though we have rental programs. Working with the manufacturers for solutions helps. Lyon & Healy’s troubador programs in the 1970s helped create a huge generation of harpists.
It would help, I think, if we could maintain more of an atmosphere of professionalism, like any other professions. Would you pose as a doctor just because you took a few classes or feel you are a healer? It has long been a struggle to create respect for the harp among musicians. There are too many orchestras and conservatories that have no harpist or harp program. Lack of respect is part of that.A waitress friend of mine told me that “politics” occurs anywhere you have women working together in close proximity over a length of time. It also happens in any work situation, certainly very much in the corporate world. Sometimes it has to do with unwritten, unspoken rules, which is basically a lack of organization and communication.
Musically, politics is a natural occurence in French culture. Regardless of other countries, there are traditions of argument and rivalry in France that fill the world of piano, for example, far more pervasively than in the harp world. There are multiple schools of piano playing and teaching, and each school has its own repertoire and networks; and its own ideas of what and who is acceptable. In our world, it is more intimate, but we are also much more closely related. Despite his innovative approach, Salzedo is very much part of French musical tradition, which has its innovators, beginning with Rameau, and with the 19th-century harp masters. Bochsa was quite inventive, moreso than his pupil, Parish-Alvars, and nearly as much as Salzedo. He wrote a piece in Mexico full of tonal devices not seen again until Salzedo, and more that are unique. So, it is all cycles, and the wheel turns and turns. Therefore, treat others as you would like to be treated, and hopefully, that means with some kindness and generosity and understanding.I say it is in A-flat Aeolian mode, off the top of my head. It definitely starts out in a minor mode.
I use sibelius, too, and cannot tilt brackets, so I have to keep them all level. If I tilt them, then I have to create three lines, one horizontal, and two matching little vertical lines. It is not too bad to keep them level, and I keep my fingerings level as well, so it looks organized.
It is a perfect transcription, in my opinion. Salzedo was a terrific pianist, and thoroughly understood Debussy.
It seemed clear to me that the passage where the harp and flute have the same theme should all be played in harmonics, doubling the flute, as in the Ormandy recording. In the sloppy part, it seemed clearly to be a copyist’s error to make the harmonic circles so small that they looked like dots, or that the original manuscript was misinterpreted. Why? Because it sounds lousy any other way. The harmonics blend perfectly with the flute and produce that Debussy magic, and he does indicate it later, as I recall, so it makes sense to be consistent.
I had trouble going past page five, but I was pleased to find music by the fine composer, Dmitri Smirnov.
Thank you for bringing up that point. I have for some time contemplated a Harp Music Review publication. There is much more music published, old and new, than can be described in the American Harp Journal. It must be terribly frustrating for all publishers, minor and major, as their new works are released only to disappear without a thud. Some major works have been released to little fanfare. But, then, there are so many other kinds of music publications we lack, like a general interest magazine for classical music as a whole. Still, there is a real need for serious reviews of serious music, where publishers can count on being noticed, where they can advertise. How many harpists would read such a publication?
It is a terrible situation in the USA, where almost no major publishers will publish harp music, unless it involves other instruments. People who write for harp are forced to rely on harp publishers or themselves. If Score Exchange is how to find new music, then use it.Sounds like fun! I did The Fantasticks in summer stock, and it was great fun to get to know the actors, some of whom are now famous.
I want to give Bow Brand some praise, because over the last few years, their Bow Brand gut strings have been lasting like crazy, without even fraying. They are performing as well as my Pirastro nylon strings, which, sad to say, are not performing as well as they used to. I have had to practice on harps with flourocarbon strings for a week or two, and I will never do so again. They caused me injury that took as long to recover from. If cost is your concern, use nylon strings. If you prefer the sound or feel of gut, use them. But I don’t recommend the other to anyone. Their tone quality is not particularly appealing. If we need have another synthetic, keep searching.
It’s hard to tell because so many of the notes seem to be missing or inaudible. It might be bad microphone placement. But, yes, the pattern at the end identifies it. I happen to be practicing it these days. It’s much harder than it seems.
To avoid a left-hand turnaround at the top, you can lead into by going left-right-left, and then right hand coming down from the top note. This may also prove to be an excess of note in that tempo, so cutting out notes will be another way to render it playable. You are correct in assuming that a uniform fingering patterns helps make such a passage playable. But you always have to consider the tempo as well as the notes.
