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The column resonates, too, to some extent. Every part of the harp affects the sound, especially the neck, apart from the obvious sounding board and back. The weight and thickness, the material, the finish, all have an impact on the sound, even the gilding. And, especially, the shaping. Am I right, Carl?
I don’t know that, but you might be able to find a collection of tangos and boleros published as a Xavier Cugat collection in the 50s, which I have used and has very popular old songs in it that are good on the harp.
I would not ever play outside unless the harp is on flooring and under a canopy of some kind, and the weather is perfectly dry. It’s just not meant to be done. You can’t hear it well, anyway, unless you have a portable bandshell for it. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Thanks. Are dynamic mics the same as diaphragm? I had a Sony condensor microphone at one time, that so condensed the sound, it sounded like it was recorded through a tin can. Wouldn’t I want to avoid condensing? Isn’t that diminishing the frequency range? I had a Shure that was good, but I dropped it, and, ta-dah, it broke.
I have two lavalier vocal mics that are excellent, but have to be within less than ten feet, and they are hard to position, as they have collar clips only.
Pines of Rome is tricky. I tried editing the part, and sent it to Bea Rose, who laughed at it, then sent me her copy. I had missed a lot of little corrections that were quite important. Thank goodness for people like her.
I only meant to leave out the fourth note of the left hand, while the right hand plays as written, so you have the flow you want. Balance is hard to tell from a recording, that is so dependent on the conductor, the engineer, and the harpist. But it is typical of Wagner to overdo it in every sense. I remember talking to Rheinhardt Elster during an intermission of Tannhauser at the Met, and he adjourned me rather quickly, explaining that he had so much coming up that he had to prepare, and he was tuning the whole time. It is a marathon.
It would seem to me that opera harpists definitely should have a league for sharing information.
I would like to have the harp parts for arias that are accompanied by harp, but for some reason, the Rossini operas are mostly not available as public domain (downloads). That is puzzling. How do you know which of his operas have harp? Some don’t, some do.
In my experience, unions don’t really cover recitals, except to have a scale for pay that is minimal, perhaps $150. You have to ask them what their budget range is for all recitals, and figure out a reasonable amount to ask for based on how much they want you, and how wide the range is. They may pay a well-known pianist $10,000, but only $200 to a harpist. If there are two of you, you should have at least equal pay, but it sometimes means dividing the fee. Also, consider your preparation. Would you provide a program you are already performing, or is it a new program? Is this a rural community among wealthy farmers and factories, or a desolate area? You can find out more about the organization by looking up their tax statements, form 990, which would give
The same goes for religious institutions, who, when they have a harp donated, are far more likely to employ a harpist on a regular basis. People with older harps that are not worth a lot, should certainly consider donating them to such places, or to schools.
Less, maybe in the short term, but the baby boomers will continue to retire, and most of those jobs will remain intact. I think we should, as a community, work on supporting more second-harp positions, even if part-time, with endowments, and if possible, to endow positions where they have been cut, like the Baltimore Symphony. Perhaps we can help the orchestras identify potential donors, as we encounter people who love the harp.
It should matter most how musically you play, but that depends on your program and what they expect. One way to improve speed is to play in a slow tempo, but with very fast finger closing, so you get used to the feel of a fast tempo.
Thank you Tacye. That was vital information. The Zoom is not good at a distance, it seems. Up closer it works well.
Sorry, Carl, I would not agree with that definition. That is facility. Technique is knowing what you are doing, having security and strength in it, and consistency resulting in a desired performance. Placing well requires swift coordination, and that will make it work, particularly in alternating patterns. Ultimately, you should be able to play figures twice as fast as without. It takes time, practice, and most of all, the guidance of a skilled teacher.
The meter has a lot to do with what subdivisions of fingerings you use. 3-3-3 may have more of a lilt than 4-3-2. You want lilt in a jig.
