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Transcribing for the Harp: A Study of Debussy’s Clair de lune A document submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS in the Performance Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music 2006 By Liu-Hsiu Kuo Committee Chair: David Adams ABSTRACT Debussy’s Clair de lune is one of the most transcribed pieces in harp literature. It is an ideal piece for the study of music transcribed from piano to harp, because of the similarities between the two instruments and because of the style, tempo, and tonalities of the piece. Although Clair de lune is an appropriate choice for transcription, one must take into account the distinctions between the harp and the piano when transcribing piano music for the harp. The famous conductor, Leopold Stokowski said that “…. so few composers understand the true musical personality of the harp, but write for it as if it were a piano.” The purpose of this document is to help the composer, transcriber and musician to promote a better understanding of the harp and the harp player and to recognize the strengths and weaknesses associated with each and how their limitations can be accommodated. The first chapter addresses different types of harp. The lever harp and the concert harp, both of which are diatonic in nature, are discussed in this study. The second chapter reviews in detail the various possibilities and purposes of transcription that can be used either to maintain or change the medium; to move from single to multiple instruments and vice versa; or to realize the potential of a composition in regards to different combinations of instruments. Chapter two also illustrates that transcription can allow the creation of either non-simplified or simplified versions of the music. The third chapter presents the concert harp and a comparison between the piano and the harp to emphasize the differences between the two instruments. Chapter four provides general information about Clair de lune and addresses Debussy’s intentions for this piece. The last two chapters are devoted to presenting detailed studies of various transcriptions for the concert harp and lever harp, juxtaposing various techniques that are applied to the transcriptions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my most sincere appreciation and gratitude to the following individuals for their contributions and assistance in creating this document: Professor David Adams, my advisor and committee chair; Dr. Gillian Benet, my harp teacher and a member of my committee; Dr. Michael Fiday, professor of composition, who also served as a member of my committee. They have all provided me with insight, commentary, and suggestions that have been invaluable. I especially want to thank CCM head librarian Mark Polkovic for his great assistance in defining the topic and for providing enormous guidance. My former harp teacher, Professor Ulli Brinksmeier always encouraged me; her love and passion accompanied me throughout my years of study in the United States. Dr. Linda Johnson, who patiently spent so much time on the telephone, assisting me with this project. My dear friends, Dr. Rene Boyer, Linda Wellbaum, Leah Gustin, Pat Durst, Amy Britton, Nell Stemmermann and her husband have all given me constant support and assistance. I want to express my gratitude to Olaf Wiegmann, who inspired me to discover music in unique ways. My special thanks go to Jeff Jaeger, who accompanied and supported me through every stage of creating this document. I dedicate this document to my dear parents Zheun-Ren Kuo and Su-Mei Huang with gratitude for their endless love and support . CONTENTS Introduction……..................................................................................................................2 Chapter 1. Different Types of Harps………………………………………………………….6 2. Transcription………………………………………………………………….......12 3. Concert Harp……………………………………………………………………..22 4. Clair de lune...........................................................................................................32 5. Clair de lune – Transcription for Concert Harp.....................................................41 6. Clair de lune - Transcription for Lever Harp…….……………………………….64 Conclusion...........................…..........................................................................................75 Appendix A. An Overview of Five Non-Simplified Transcriptions for Concert Harp.....82 Appendix B. Signs and Symbols…………………………………………….…………..83 Appendix C. Musical Examples…………………………………………………………85 Selected Bibliography………….....................................................................................112 2 Introduction The oldest stringed instrument known to modern man is the harp. This instrument has had a major impact on musicians, performers and listeners throughout the world. Various forms of the instrument can be found in the cultures of Africa, Asia, Europe and America. It can be traced back nearly five thousand years to Egypt and Mesopotamia, and is also found in Greek mythology: Orpheus sang to the accompaniment of a harp. King David, one of the most prominent biblical musicians, played the harp, and the harp is mentioned throughout the book of Psalms. The harp is popular in traditional Celtic music as well as in ballet, salon and opera music. The first documented use of the harp (arpa doppia 1) in an opera orchestra is Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo of 1607. After Berlioz introduced the double-action pedal harp 2 to the modern symphony orchestra in his Symphonie fantastique of 1830, it became the only plucked instrument in the standard orchestra. In spite of the harp’s long history, due to the oral tradition and improvisational style of early times, the music of bards and minstrels has not been preserved. During the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, music was not written for specific instruments. Furthermore, techniques for notation and printing were not standardized. As a result, very little harp music is preserved from these periods. In Western art music only a few non-harpist composers have contributed to the harp’s repertoire of solo and chamber music. Thus, transcription became a way to 1 Double harp, “double” here refers to the large size and bass range of the harp, rather than to the number of rows of strings. Common throughout Europe ca. 1550-1700, “ arpa doppia ” is any harp that had additional sets of strings, either double or triple-strung. This is the instrument for which Monteverdi wrote in his opera L'Orfeo. 2 Double-action pedal harp allows chromatic alteration of each string’s pitch, to sharp, to natural, and flat, using a mechanical system, or “double-action” controlled by the use of pedals. See Chapter Four for more details. 3 expand the repertoire for the harp as it was for other instruments. One of the most frequently transcribed pieces in harp literature is Debussy’s Clair de lune . It was originally written for the piano and has been adapted for almost all solo instruments and nearly any conceivable combination of ensembles. There are arrangements of Clair de lune for orchestra and chamber ensembles that include the harp, as well as for harp duets and harp ensembles. Although there are many versions available, this study will concentrate on transcriptions for the solo harp, including six for the double-action pedal harp, and three for the lever harp. 3 Aspects of the Study This study will analyze various transcriptions of Clair de lune written for the double-action pedal harp and for the lever harp. The emphasis of the work will be on: 1. A comparative study of the six transcriptions for double-action pedal harp. 2. An analysis of the three transcriptions for the lever harp. 1. A comparative study of six transcriptions for double-action pedal harp. This study will include five non-simplified transcriptions that tend to be the most faithful to the original piano version, and one simplified version of Clair de lune that has notable deviations from the original piano transcription. This comparison is intended to determine why Clair de lune is suitable for the harp, as well as why each transcriber thought it necessary to create his own adaptation. Two of the most prominent harpist- composers in the twentieth century, Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961) and Marcel Grandjany (1879-1951), transcribed the piece even though a transcription was made by Victor 3 The lever harp is a diatonic instrument with some limited chromatic capability. See Chapter One for more details. 4 Coeur 4 in 1929. Although the transcriptions by these two masters date from the 1960s, Yolanda Kondonassis, one of today’s foremost harpists, published her own transcription in 2004. Through analyzing the transcriptions, we see not only different possibilities and approaches in transcribing music for the harp, but we can also discover distinctive idiomatic features of the harp that do not exist on the piano or other instruments. In this document, one simplified transcription will be presented for the double-action pedal harp. Simplified transcriptions are used mostly for educational purposes. They enable the less advanced harp player to gain familiarity with important classical repertoire and help the student to develop both technically and musically on the harp. The challenge of making a simplified version is in deciding when to omit notes, change harmonies, and even change more complex rhythms into simpler ones, while still retaining the original flavor and quality of the music.

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