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He made a very fine recording of the Introduction and Allegro under Jean Martinon, which is available on cd, and it is one of only two I know of where you can hear the editing of Carlos Salzedo in use, the other being Alice Chalifoux, in another version of the cadenza. I hope more recordings will appear.
Two other harpists are in his family as well, Deborah and Richard Fleischer.
The first movement of the Ginastera Concerto comes immediately to mind. The first movement of Salzedo’s Concerto for Harp and Seven Winds is another. The Dohnanyi Concertino is in one movement, so you might be able to play it all, and it show off versatility and musicality as well as technique. Dussek’s Concertos can also be impressive, and several have major first movements. But it all depends on how you play, in the end.
Your best source is lyramusic.com. Just look through their strings and harp section. There are more than just those two works Pat mentions, though perhaps not a lot of easy ones. You can play the continuo part for many baroque pieces.
Also, the regular Pirastro nylon strings now available are still made of the superior material they have, so even though they are not heavy-gauge, you do get some of the same benefits.
I was first recommended to use the heavy-gauge nylon strings made by Pirastro by Karen Rokos, who is the finest regulator to work on my harp, as it would allow the discs to be regulated to a slightly more open position, and because I am a strong player. They have a bit less give, more body and substance to the tone, and sound less plastic. In fact, if you play lower on the string with the same attack, you can make them sound just like gut strings. I have tested this on my harp. Pirastro does seem to use the best quality nylon, it lasts longer, holds pitch well, and doesn’t take forever to come up to pitch. They also have a nice surface, which helps with grip, not slipping off.
They sound quite natural in the upper octaves, and maybe Emily might remember that in the 1970s, as far as I saw, Lyon & Healy sent out harps with nylon strings in the first and second octaves. I believe that was considered standard for non-Salzedo harpists. One of the reasons Salzedo harpists would use the nylon even as low as middle c was that if you were playing a melodic line, you would not have an awkward change in quality as you cross from one type of string to another. Around middle c is also the place where the change is least noticeable.
The strings were thinned sometime in the mid or late 1980s, and I don’t know why. It might have helped some harpists buzz less. It seems to me that the artists of the harp, like Emily Mitchell, should lead the way on this, as it matters most to them what they play on, and less to more casual players. I would like to see Bow Brand (and others) cater to the artists and not what is most popular only. Even if there is a smaller market for thicker strings, it should be supplied, and if the dealers in the USA don’t want to do that, then we should be able to order directly from the manufacturer. But, I am sure some dealer will step up. I hope. I don’t see that having the heavy-gauge strings caused my board to pull up at all. I would only imagine that there is a risk on a poorly made or fragile harp, one that is very old.
The heavy gauge strings definitely have a warmer, richer tone, more projection, and better pitch definition. You won’t have a problem with pulling. Also, they are never false when new. Most importantly, they sustain longer, allowing you to play melodically in the upper registers. They also provide juicy harmonics. They also require less effort to play than gut strings, and last about one year.Harp Connection used to sell heavy-gauge nylon Pirastro strings.
Sometimes one can be sent the wrong kind of nylon, lever harp strings, which won’t come up to pitch, and are very translucent.
I would greatly appreciate it if Ms. Clark would make a reliable channel available for ordering heavier-gauge strings for U.S. customers. Many of us have been unhappy for years with the thinning gauge. Stronger players need heavier strings, to be sure. But there is no difference in regulation, unless there is a great difference in string diameter. And that is hard to measure without a, I think it’s called a micrometer.
As few of us may have heavier strings left from the good old days, it may be hard to say what we need differently, but I believe there are old string gauging charts that someone like Don Hilsberg or Bernard Schmitt may have.
If I could get heavier-gauge Bow Brand gut AND nylon strings, I would be quite happy. After all, this is our art. If they started making harps out of cardboard, we would be upset as well.
Emily Mitchell is one of the finest and most musical living harpists. To say that she needs her ears cleaned out is dumb. But good for a laugh. I don’t like gut strings in the 2d and third octaves anyway, because they don’t sustain tones long enough. But I miss having a fat, warm, rich sound in the 4th and 5th octaves like I used to have.
It’s probably not that hard to measure. The string should only just fit through the string holes. I don’t think they have changed. It used to be a bit difficult to get them through the tuning pins, the varnish would scrape off. That’s how thick they were in the early 1980s.
You might lower your fee, but add some back-end charges, like for consultations, requests, additional hours. That’s the kind of thing businesses do. Or you have to add advertising, like, you can beat our prices, but we never miss a beat.
If you match (her) price, she will learn the cost of undercutting.Ten years might be a bit long for some people, but astonishing facility at that point? Maybe for some. Standards for professionalism have gotten unacceptably low, it seems, and that hurts everyone. I have colleagues who have lost almost all of their gigs, and that is after decades of devotion to the instrument. It does not help to have people running around calling themselves professional after a few years of lessons. Believe me, there is a lot more to it than that, and the listeners (hopefully) hear and appreciate the difference. Pedal harps cost a lot of money to maintain and replace, and an amplified lever harp is no substitute, sorry.
I think you have to inform your teacher of your intentions, and preferably have their approval. It is their work, after all, and another teacher can change everything.
