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The most important thing is to put in all pedals or none, but never do only some of them!
The accidental of a pedal change should be under the notehead that is changing or slightly before.
If you write a pedal change earlier than that, then you need to be sure there won’t be a noise if it is changed early.I don’t think a harp was that small in sound. Smaller harps can be very live and full. I think they were quite comparable to harpsichords, though less penetrating. A clavichord is much softer than a harp, I think.
I think the harp was slighted because of its chromatic limitations, and probably practical concerns as well. What is odd is that more composers of that time didn’t write about it, even the fact that it didn’t interest them more.
The harpists of that time were not commissioning much music, and the harp masters were busy writing themselves, not seeking others to do so, so the die was cast then.
The other likelihood is that there is much more music of that period than what we currently know about, and that it will come to light someday. There have not been enough harp musicologists. So far, several things have come to light with the internet, and we know of many works that were lost or remain hidden in private collections.
All I can say is that my way is the fastest and best way that I can teach, because of the results I have gotten, but that is because it is me I am talking about. But, seriously, I have gotten very fast results.
You have a very organized approach to practice which is good. If I hadn’t prepared well for my lesson or mastered something I needed to, we certainly did spend the whole lesson repeating it with the metronome until I got it. I dreaded those lessons, but they were the most important ones. I learned how to practice productively and concentrate that way.
This kind of teachings is available from the beginning if you choose that kind of teacher. It is up to the student to show initiative to do more than just what is assigned. I don’t think it is ever about just learning the notes. You have to learn how your body works, but musicality, if you have it, should happen right along with the notes. You cannot separate technique and music. Students must attend every harp concert and event.
It is probably for that reason that Lucile Lawrence only recommended dollys that consisted of wheels alone, so you had your hands on the harp itself at all times. I don’t know if there are any like that currently, but they are much lighter.
Never mind, I found it:
Prokofiev’s Ode to the End of the War:
Orchestration: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, english horn, 2 clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, 3 saxophones, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 3 tubas, timpani, percussion (tam-tam, tubular bells, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, xylophone), 8 harps, 4 pianos, and 8 double basses.
If there is one part for multiple harps, then it is meant to be a choir of harps, all on the same part.
I recall a Soviet work, perhaps a cantata in memory of Stalin that has six harps in it, but I haven’t found a listing yet. Perhaps Clint knows what I am thinking of.
It is normal to learn the notes of a piece and then put it aside to let it rest a while, but one must come back to it, to fully memorize it, and to refine it and deepen it. Performing music is no different from acting. Each piece is a role we play with its own unique demands of interpretation. The deeper you go into it, the more rewarding it is for you and for the audience.
I was never impressed by the results of the “learn the notes fast” school of teaching. The performances were shallow and uninformed.
Learning a piece also requires some research. You have to learn about the composer, the context of the composer’s life and milieu, and the musical style. If there are ornaments, you must research exactly how they are meant to be played, and how they should be played on the harp, because they cannot always be done exactly as they would be on a harpsichord. Dynamics require a different approach when playing harpsichord music. So does rhythm.
If someone came up to you after hearing you play a piece, you should be able to answer any intelligent question about it.
And that is why I think competitions should really allow a full two years at the very least to prepare repertoire, especially the pieces that have been commissioned, and preferably three years or more. If Israel would announce repertoire two competitions at a time, one would better be able to prepare and better able to choose which year to enter.
The fact that the harp sounds beautiful almost no matter what you do is our reward, but it is not an excuse to not work at it.
Elizabeth: That is nothing new. While some of Salzedo’s most prominent students held orchestral or teaching positions, the vast majority went on to freelance in their communities just as people do today. The only difference is perhaps that they adhered to higher standards of performance, regardless of what they were doing. The only thing that is new is the digital media. What is different is that there are currently fewer opportunities to perform as a recitalist or concerto soloist as a career, and far fewer teaching positions at universities and colleges. The only students of Salzedo’s to have careers in the concert field primarily, were Heidi Lehwalder and Florence Wightman as a radio soloist
That is a different teaching style, and maybe it is based on the idea of learning quickly. It’s not my style.
What does it mean to say this is a different world from the time of Salzedo?
It may be increasingly digital, but fundamentally, it is the same. There are people who are dedicated and people who are not. There are people who provide quality and people who don’t. There are those who seek their highest level and those who settle for much less, or do only what is easy, or practical. Some are not able to do more, and I am not criticizing that.But I will certainly tend to criticize laziness, unwillingness to work hard and learn, low standards, a lack of appreciation,
Without knowing it, I would be inclined to agree. One issue I have had with some Salvi’s is the greater weight on the shoulder. It also depends on how it would be strung. But thank you both for the support.
I basically have a four-drawer legal file cabinet that contains three drawers of solo music in folder by alphabet and composer, filed by composer’s last name, and chamber music, which continues into another 2-drawer cabinet, which also holds my own manuscripts. I have another 2-drawer x-ray file cabinet (oversize), which holds in one drawer my concerto collection, which barely fits, and my orchestra parts and scores.
It is important to use folders to protect the edges. It is good to use file cabinets for protection from dust. I think storing them flat makes it harder to pull music and put it back without damage.
