The Harp

[Peter1953]

A very well-known instrument, giving soft, subtle but lovely music. Nevertheless, a strange and not frequently used instrument. If we restrict ourselves to the Romantic era, we rarely come across the harp. I know of only a very few harp concertos. I think Boïeldieu's famous concerto is late classical and not early romantic. We all know Reinecke's op. 182, which is a lovely concerto. Glière wrote his beautiful op. 74 in 1938, but it is fully romantic. In chamber music the harp is rarely used. And in how many symphonies the harp is part of the standard instruments?
I wonder why the harp seems to be a neglected instrument. Difficult to play? Too expensive?
Maybe this instrument is worth a thread to find out how many composers and compositions there are. Any examples (BTW, I haven't searched on the internet)?

[Hovite]

We all know Reinecke's op. 182

I've never heard it, so thanks for the tip!

There are three harps in Bruckner's 8th Symphony.

There are two harps in The Passion of Angels by Mozetich, which is a fully Romantic work.

Smetana used two harps in Má Vlast.

There is also a Harp Concerto by Rautavaara, which I have not yet heard (I find his style variable).

(There is also a host of baroque and classical harp concerti.)

[Kriton]

A very well-known instrument, giving soft, subtle but lovely music.

(...)

I wonder why the harp seems to be a neglected instrument. Difficult to play? Too expensive?

You've answered your own question before asking it.

It's way too soft to be clearly audible in an orchestral apparatus playing not-so-subtle-and-everything-but-lovely music. That's why most romantic composers had it contributing on accompanimental basis only.

Romantic harp concertos you'll find by Parish-Alvars, Reinecke & Zabel, amongst (even) lesser composers. I do love Reinecke, but I fear this CD will never be played by me again... (knock on wood)

[Gareth Vaughan]

In a symphony orchestra the harp is frequently not loud enough in tutti passages to make its presence felt - which is why many late-romantic composers (I think of Richard Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Elgar) ask for two (or more) harps - playing identical parts - in many of their orchestral works where they employ this instrument. It is beautiful when played well but it demands a light orchestral accompaniment. It can also go out of tune quite easily - and, of course, with all those strings, demands a lot of pre-tuning - which is why you often see the harpist tuning his/her instrument a long time before the other players appear on the platform.
Spohr wrote a lovely concertante work for violin and harp.

[JimL]

There was some talk of the Parish-Alvars concertos on the old forum.  I remember hearing an 'arrangement' of one in G minor once when I was a kid.  I guess the original score had been lost and the orchestral parts had to be reconstructed from the piano reduction.  I had seen on the old forum that someone had done some research and that full scores or recordings (or both) had been found for a couple of others.  And I agree with you about the Reinecke.  It is a beautiful piece, which is deftly scored so that the harp can be used to its full advantage without being drowned out by the orchestra.  I don't understand what Kriton was talking about.  What CD does he have?  I have the Naxos, and even if he didn't like the Harp Concerto, the Flute Concerto (another work deserving standard repertory status) would make me return to that CD often!

P.S. Don't forget the use of the harp by Bruch in his Scottish Fantasy! 

[Revilod]

I'm very fond of Pierne's Konzertstuck for Harp and Orchestra and play it quite often. It's lush, very srong melodically and beautifully written. The recording that Lily Laskine made still sounds well. There's also that late "Morceau de Concert" for Harp and Orchestra by Saint-Saens which is attractive but rather insubstantial and a splendid "Concierto" by Ginastera, not a Romantic work of course but very attractive with its Latin American rhythms and catchy folky tunes. Gliere's Concerto is also attractive if you've got a sweet tooth (as usual with this composer) and Rodrigo's "Concierto Serenata" for Harp and Orchestra strikes me as one of his best works. But the finest work for the harp must surely be the wonderful "Introduction and Allegro" by Ravel.

[edurban]

I seem to remember a recording of a concerto by Nicholas Bochsa (d.1856)  He was a colorful character, a 'Svengali' of the harp, who convinced the singer Anna Bishop to leave her husband Sir Henry (composer, ironically, of 'Home, Sweet Home') and run away with him.

Less well known, the 19th century harper (ist?) John Cheshire, who continued to style himself 'Harpist to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh' long after he had moved to America, made a name for himself on this side of the Atlantic in the 1880's and 90's.  His mss. (and there are many) are in the New York Public Library, Lincoln Center.  There are several concertant works, if I remember, including at least one concerto and a concertino.  He died a few blocks north of where I live on the Upper West Side.

David

[TerraEpon]

There's also Dietersdorff's concerto, and of course Mozart's entry. Classical period both of them, but still.

It does seem that it's most often used in ballet, with opera quite common as well. For symphonies, there's probably more than people think -- Symphonie Fantastique is the most obvious one, and Tchaikovsky uses (two) as well in Manfred. Saint-Saens also uses it to quite a nice effect in Danse Macabre, and there's plenty of other romantic tone poems where it's used

[eschiss1]

Elias Parish-Alvars wrote quite a lot for harp, including several concertos, I believe (some recorded.)
Not sure if Franz Lachner's harp concerto has been recorded, but it was published a decade ago.
The instrument indeed does seem to project far worse than many others, apparently, in an orchestral setting, but has received a number of concerto (Boieldieu's C major/minor one gets lots of radio time ) and concertante (Saint-Saens morceau de concert, too) works...
Eric, not that helpfully alas

[JimL]

Dvorak used it in a couple of his early symphonies.  The slow movement of #3 and the middle movements of #4 come to mind.

[thalbergmad]

I know nothing about the harp, but I am interested in Parish-Alvars as he influenced my hero Thalberg.

A while back I digitalised the score of Parish-Alvars Grand Fantaisie sur des Motifs de l'opera Moise de Rossini and it interesting to compare it to Thalberg's version. If anyone is interested, here it is.....

http://rapidshare.com/files/403075478/Elias_Parish_Alvars_-_Rossini_-_Grand_Fantasie__sur_des_motifs_de_Moise.pdf.html


I find it beyond belief that this is playable on the harp, but according to Floraleda Sachi, it is. Regretfully, I don't think this particular piece has been recorded, which is a shame as i would love to hear it.

Thal

[eschiss1]

If it's the same work?, recorded on MDG in 1999 - "Great Fantasy on Rossini's Moise, op. 58" among other works. Catherine Michel and students, harp. Apparently still available from the website of one of the harpists - http://www.carolingruber.de/cds_eliasparishalvars.php4 .
Eric

[JimL]

Er, Eric the link you posted led straight to - the Op. 59 Fantasie on Themes from Weber's 'Oberon'.  Oops!

[eschiss1]

Er, Eric the link you posted led straight to - the Op. 59 Fantasie on Themes from Weber's 'Oberon'.  Oops!

No, it's a CD with that work and quite a few others. Click on "Inhalt".
Eric

[JimL]

Dang!  That's the only sample?