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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.
There’s another set of factors, Sam, if you were to pursue studying this further. In countries like Russia, to even be in a music school is a result of competitive auditioning and placement, and such a country may be, despite its size, ready to field far fewer contestants than the U.S., where it is all free market. The pressure is then greater on the few competitors they provide, but they are also more schooled and prepared. This may also be true in France and some other European countries with more regimented education systems.
Thank you, Sam, for that excellent and most encouraging research! Brilliant. I’m sure Carl is more of the mind, as am I, of the days when Israel was the only contest worth mentioning, not that long ago. Indiana has changed the picture. Would that it had a broader range of repertoire, though. I hope they never ask for another opera fantasy again.
The thing about competitions is that it serves only certain types of performers, and does not work well for artistic people, broad-minded people of many interests, and they are usually the most interesting performers. I would not draw any conclusions about one’s self from observing these participants. You could observe that the ones who practiced the most did not necessarily advance. I have never been so single-minded, or practice-driven, and I have done all right, if I say so myself. It takes a lot of culture to be an interesting musician, not a lot of practicing. The Netherlands competition is a new model that should be more accomodating to more kinds of people.
What it takes to be a fine professional is to have high standards and meet them, however one does it. It may be over a longer period of study, or by bringing more to the table, but it does not take eight hours a day of practicing. Five hours is enough. My teacher never wanted anyone to practice more than that for fear of damage and overworking, except when under particular pressure. Five is a lot! And after enough time of five hours, you can get the same amount done in four, and even three. The one big obstacle here is that schools don’t allow a high school student to practice three or more hours a day, and that’s a problem. That means finding a special school or some other arrangement for a talented kid. We should get more credit than that.
There is certainly the kind of person who loves to practice, all day long, and wants nothing else. They are well suited to competition. I don’t think it makes them an interesting player, necessarily, but capable. You have said that before about etudes, and I don’t see any connection. If there is, it is unfortunate, for we are sorely lacking in fine etudes for harp. If the benefit is patience and exactitude, and finely detailed corrections, surely that can be accomplished with other work. The same for strength and control. There are attitude differences, too, between European and American culture. European training is much more vocational, where
