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Most oboists I dealt with came over to the harp to get my A. And, of course, you can’t retune at that time.
I remember Robert Barlow telling me about getting together with the Russian harpists, probably from the Bolshoi, in the 1980s, when he was harpist with the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, and how they showed him all kinds of cadenzas. Zabel wrote many, I think.
It might have been the three Japanese pieces that have harp. You can try searching the NYPL catalog.
Where did they obtain the Debussy choral piece you did?
His music is obscure apart from the published works. I once saw a reference to a chamber work for harp, not sure it was this one, but I have not seen it in years, nor could
The spring system we have is not bad, as we have a dynamic relationship with the pedal, which is giving us feedback as we move it. Making it more consistent is a matter of materials and adjustment. A different type of spring may be the only improvement needed. How would a hydraulic system feel underfoot, and isn’t there a risk of leaking fluid?
Do exercises. 4-3-2-1 ten times, then again, and again. 1-2-3-4 the same way. Try the LaRiviere exercises. Equalize the strength in your fingers. Then look at them rhythmically, imagine they are written out with note values for each note. Usually, a rolled chord will have each note valued as a 64th-note. That value is taken from the preceding note, so the last note falls on the beat.
I’m not sure, but John Bernard is on Facebook, you can contact him there. Or me, and I can link you to him.
Using gut strings does not mean a sheep is slaughtered just so you can have a harp string. I am sure they get eaten by non-vegetarians. Nylon or Savarez strings are alternatives.
Some music buildings have climate control for the whole building. Have you checked with maintenance if they have humidification, and if it would be easy to install? The pianos need it just as much as the harp. If the harp is kept covered, then the largest dampits might help a little.
I think it depends who you are writing for. If it is a school, they should have a set system for designation. Each school often has its own. If you are doing it for yourself, use your own system, just be consistent. I tend to use letters for phrases, A, B. I would logically think of A1 as being the first phrase, not the second.
