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Harpists either play the principal part only, or do a little combining where necessary, and only if they have to. We do not want to put second harpists out of work! New York City Ballet always uses two harpists. You should, as well. A harp adds more color than another violin. The two harps are necessary to have the full harmony and patterns Tchaikovsky wrote.
There is also a slight difference in the quality of the wood used. The more expensive the harp, the longer it is aged.
Some 30s have a big sound, suitable for orchestra. My friend says to her they are all tight. The ones I have known have all been very different from each other. I think 23s are more consistent, have a well-rounded, warm, pear-shaped tone.I’m not remembering the exact title, but Amadeus published an excellent history by Jean Mongredien on French music in the period of 1790-1840 or so, and every harpist should read it.
Another aspect of expectations: Thinking that your life will resemble that of someone else. I suspect most young people play a sort of “follow-the-leader” when it comes to choosing schools, teachers, competitions, auditions, etc. It is a way of measuring one’s self and one’s possibilities. I think it is misleading though. Each of us is different, with different needs and abilities. The same exact path will not fit and work for the next person in the same way. So, just because you admire someone’s achievements, don’t assume following in their footsteps will produce the same results for you. More likely, you would achieve those results via another route.
I have never had trouble with strings breaking from retuning a half-step on a lever harp. Nylon strings are the most flexible, in that way.
“There’s no such thing as a wrong note, if it played right; but a right note may be played wrong.”
I recently heard that the high cost of a Prius surpasses the amount one can save in gas. I am not fond of how silent they are. People I know have been nearly hit by one.
It sounds to me like harpists need to make a united appeal to car manufacturers to retain features we need like flat folding seats!
My brother bought an old Volvo station wagon, and it works very well.
Are you talking about the sounding board or the veneer? There is a difference. The sounding board is what you see through the back of the harp. If it is intact, then replacing the veneer only is not so traumatic, though still a fairly major repair. Perhaps you could post a photo of the damage. Was your house extremely dry, perchance? The glue could have failed, no?
The original edition is the only one, as far as I am concerned. It was approved by Salzedo, and the new one could not have been. I don’t know what the changes are. Rumba is hard, and we just have to live with it.
He was (is) an excellent recitalist. I also saw Narciso Yepes as a substitute for Segovia and he was wonderful. In those days, solo recitals were the BOMB.
