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There are European stores that have a good stock of harp music, full service, like Broekman and Poppel in the Netherlands, to name one. We should have such stores here. I used to stop into Lyra Music every Friday afternoon on my way home, and browse through their boxes and chat with Don Henry and whoever was there. There is nothing a store that has everything right there to look at. The closest thing to that is a conference where all the dealers show up with their rarest and most unusual stock as they did in Philadelphia.
I mostly order online from the major distributors, Vanderbilt, Harp.com or HarpConnection.com, and sometimes from websites that sell tons of music, where they may have an import or less-popular piece direct from the publisher. One of the beauties of Lyra was that they had the most eclectic selection, no matter how obscure, and they kept it on the shelves until someone called for it. Sometimes Don had to borrow a copy from me to fulfill someone’s order. He also knew how to print his own copies if the publisher allowed it, if it was out of print. He was as fascinating as his store.
I always browse by composer, it’s the logical way, to me, but some sites make that difficult and list only by title, or by first name, not last name. To me, it would be a nightmare to have to sell through my own website, but the few dealers we have don’t often want to stock new music. Sadly, the temptation of photocopying permanently killed the major publishers’ interest in publishing harp music, at least in this country. Now, people seem to have no interest in collecting, and only buy what they immediately need, if I am right.
I always thought repertoir was an asset, and if you had the music on hand, it was much easier to accept an engagement. I have collected as much as possible. It fills eight file drawers and then some. I think we should have a competition to see who can build the biggest collection of music, and who has the rarest music.I can no longer stand Manhasset stands. I invested in new ones, and found them unable to support the weight of a stack of music. The extra-wide is very unstable and prone to falling over. I bought one from Musician’s Friend, I think, that has a removable desk and collapsing legs, and it quickly became my primary stand. It is one of their best sellers, so it should be easy to find. It is strong, and I can get it very close to me. The spread of the legs is adjustable. The desk is a little taller and less wide, so that takes an adjustment. It’s lip is narrow enough that I could fit a plastic shelf attachment on it. Otherwise, my Hamilton stand would still be my main stand, tremendously sturdy.
My worst experience with that was at Carnegie Hall, where you were not allowed to bring your own instrument on stage, the stagehands had to do it. And, after the concert, I found my naked harp standing alone on 56th Street, shivering in the December wind. But, as I found out, you can’t say anything to the stagehands, and neither could the management.
I’m sure the banging of the base of my harp is part of what led to its needing to have the bottom body frame replaced. Also, the trunks had no padding underneath the harp, and the cushions were not enough to prevent the point from hitting the trunk on impact. Professonal movers can be the best and the worst.I grew up in Minnesota, and it seemed to me then that to be a professional harpist, you had to be a blonde with a blond style 23 harp.
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.
