Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I haven’t played the show since I subbed in the original Off-Broadway production quite a few years ago. Hank Whitmire was the last harpist to play the show, and he may have played it the longest, too. They rewrote the harp book, I seem to remember him saying. He’s probably the best person to get in contact with. It’s all playable, surprisingly, if you’re dextrous. With a sort of glib approach, like the show itself, it kind of fall into place. You have to do a lot of fast jumping onto different notes, placing, etc. but there should be enough time. The trickiest thing was having to play in a blackout until the lights came on. You probably won’t have that problem. There is an original cast recording, and if you listen carefully you can hear most of the harp part. It all moves along rather quickly, and is really lovely music. My favorite part was Soon It’s Gonna Rain. This Plum is Too Ripe is the trickiest, perhaps. It’s very syncopated, and you may have to play the claves as well as the harp.
If you don’t have the Method for the Harp by Lucile Lawrence and Carlos Salzedo, you must get a copy. The photos are wonderful, as is the text and the music. Does your teacher demonstrate for you? There is also a video available from Lyon & Healy about the Method with Lucile Lawrence and Elizabeth Morse. She demonstrates everything beautifully and Elizabeth plays the Preludes quite perfectly. It’s a must-have for your education. Thanks.
Lucile Lawrence’s books are valuable. The ABC of Harp Playing teaches basic technique adding one finger at a time and reading the music while playing. The Art of Modulating teaches pedal movement and harmony, with wonderful solo pieces. The Method for the Harp is excellent for those with backgrounds like yours. I also like Betty Paret’s first book.
There’s also a Humphrey Bogart movie in which a whole scene is about the harpist playing in a night club, and they sit and listen to her. I wish I could remember the name, but it was one of his later movies.
In Pride and Prejudice (one of the best movies ever made!) has a harp as a prop near the piano that I suppose Mr Darcy’s “very accomplished” sister plays (not actually in the movie, she just plays the piano but you hear that she plays and sings all day so you would guess she is the one who plays it, if that makes sense :o).
