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That is really odd – because both Pierre and Sebastian are misspelled and the mechanism with the springs in the neck is an early one – before Pierre’s involvement. I would treat that inscription very sceptically!
Just to confirm the obvious – there isn’t something that looks like a patent number on the mechanism side plate?
May I remind you that the Stamford festival is this weekend? I don’t know if they expect any exhibitors this year, they did when I went which was some time ago – but am sure Andy will be happy to tell you.
http://www.stamfordharpfestival.co.uk/Have you tried a Pilgrim Skylark? They are considerably brighter than their Clarsach. Similarly you might like Teifi’s other harps better than their Eos. You might well get on with the Korrigan as it sounds like you are attracted to lever tension gut (with the same problem I have – appreciation of quality and expensive harps!).
It is on the ABRSM grade 7 list (see http://gb.abrsm.org/en/our-exams/other-instruments-and-assessments/harp/grade-7/ for other stuff on the list) with the usual caveat that pieces can be at different levels with different expectations for how well they are played, and different players find different pieces hard or easy. I think grade 7 used to be described as ‘lower advanced’.
Please note that the Sonatinas are by JL Dussek but the C minor Sonata, despite the Zabaleta edition, is by S Dusssek.
Alistair, another piece of information for you to be aware of when discussing harps internationally is that gut strung lever harps have a much bigger market share in the UK than in the US. This is why Ben Morley offers the Ravenna with gut strings fairly prominently and this option is more obscure on Dusty Strings’ own website. Do be aware that simply changing the strings to gut later on is unlikely to be satisfactory – the levers will need adjusting too which will probably call for a trip to a technician.
My personal feeling is that you should give priority to her teacher’s preference. It sounds like she is used to teaching on gut and has a preference for this which seems a very strong argument for giving it a try, and you will perhaps get the best of her as a teacher on gut.
I have taught a 6 year old on a PIlgrim Clarsach and she managed fine and there are some youtube videos of Ben Creighton Griffiths playing one at a young age. I would however throw out another thought – the Pilgrim Skylark. This has gut strings at a lighter tension (and lower price). The Pilgrim and DS are both fine harps – the nylon sound is brighter, easier to play loudly but I feel there are advantages to learning to coax the best sound out of gut from early on.
Remember when you are thinking of buying that instruments bought through schools can be got VAT free.
I have done both with harps a bit larger than a lapharp. It depends on the venue, piece and bringing the right stand.
However, this coming Thursday is very close and I urge you to perform the way you have practiced. If I decide to perform standing up I will have done much of my practice standing.
In modern use a concert grand is the biggest, a semi grand the step down whether in number of strings (usually only to 46) or in size but still having 47 strings (eg Salvi Arion) or often both size and number of strings. There is usually a sound difference too and I would expect to prefer a CG for orchestral use. There are older harps around which don’t fit this pattern, for instance Obermayers which only have 46 strings, but are definitely ‘grand’ in sound.
In the UK Salopian Strings do custom cases. Also a company called Splash, and I think they are Splash Sacs who make boat covers and repair sails – I see sailmakers have already been mentioned.
Can he recommend other teachers you might get on with? I really doubt he is planning to just walk away and leave you to sort it out yourself.
Teifi Eos, Salvi Ana, L&H Prelude, Pilgrim Progress, Camac Mademoiselle are the biggest. In the same size as the Starfish there are also high tension harps by Mark Norris, Pilgrim, Nigel Tree and probably many more!
Les Arts Mecaniques, who are the parent company of Salvi, bought L&H in the late 1980s. It is mentioned at the start of Roslyn Rensch’s Harps and Harpists.
Are you looking at pedal harp or more widely? The companies you name make me think pedal harp only?
You are aware that Salvi and L&H are jointly owned?
Many buyers can appreciate excellence, but will not all have the same opinion of what excellence is. Reliability is, of course, judged by the company’s output decades ago as modified by anecdote and experience. Prestige (and romance) possibly is relevant – gilding doesn’t improve the sound.
Also prestige does not necessarily match with numbers of harps produced – Horngacher for instance has a lot of prestige (in Europe, I am not sure about elsewhere) but produces smaller numbers than, say, Salvi. It would be interesting to compare their production with that of Salvi’s priciest models though.
