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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.
I know a teacher in Greensburgh, who might be able to come to Pittsburgh, if you can’t go there. Otherwise, I can arrange a video setup for lessons if you wish.
Ray Pool has more than one collection published, I think, one is Tea at the Waldorf, and I think Eleanor Fell also has collections.
If you use placing interpretively, then you have to decide where is the most natural point to divide an eight-note phrase. Should it be 4-4, or 2-4-2? It depends on how the phrase moves. Dividing exactly in the middle is sometimes too square sounding. You want fingering to help connect the notes and lead the ear forward. You might want to do 4-3-1 with the last note connected to the next phrase. Starting with four fingers tends to feel the most secure, but so does ending with four.
If you are fingering only for convenience, then you can simply copy the fingerings you find in a good method book
Viejo Zortzico is indeed a charming piece, in a tricky meter with some challenging passages. Trying to master it in three months would be kind of foolish. It is more along the lines of at least a year to get it in the hands. Stick to the Watkins and fix it. That will be much more impressive, I think, because jurors like seeing visible progress.
