Sonate pour Harpe avec Violon obligé

Note from the arranger

Madame Zoé de la Rüe (d. 1832) was a celebrated harpist and composer living in France around 1800. A student of pianist and composer Daniel Steibelt (1765–1823), her virtuosic writing for single-action pedal harp can be found in a number of published classical solo and chamber music compositions. Zoé de la Rüe’s instrument, the single-action pedal harp, was invented around 1720, and was the dominant harp from about 1750-1810. These stunning, handcrafted harps were lightly strung and tuned at a lower pitch, typically A=415. The lighter tension resulted in a beautifully nuanced, responsive instrument that could be played quickly and lightly with ease, especially compared to a modern pedal harp. Consequently, playing the first Sonata of Zoé de la Rüe’s Opus 6 presents real challenges for the modern harpist. The first three movements are demanding, but certainly playable. In this edition, these movements are edited lightly. But the fourth movement “Fantaisie,” with its delicate, broken octaves, leaps and running scales pushes this piece into virtuosic territory. I considered publishing a three-movement version of this Sonata for quite some time. But then, inspired by my talented violinist friend and colleague Rika Seko, I decided to redistribute the treble clef of the harp part between the violin and harp. This decision opened up a new realm of possibilities and resulted in a very satisfactory part for both players, with far more interplay. It is an absolute pleasure to play! I am incredibly grateful to Rika for her guidance and suggestions in creating the arrangement, as well as her numerous suggestions in editing the violin part. This edition includes a full-score, separate parts for both players, and includes rehearsal letters to facilitate preparation. I have also suggested pedalings and a few fingerings. Harpists playing from a printed version will want to add blank pages between 6-7 and 13-14 to facilitate page turns.

Contents

I. Adagio
II. Allegro fieramente
III. Andantino con espressione
IV. Fantaisie: Grave, Allegretto poco Andantino