Heavenly Harp BEST LOVED classical harp music Heavenly Harp Best loved classical harp music 1 Alphonse HASSELMANS (1845–1912) 10 Henriette RENIÉ (1875–1956) La Source, Op. 44 3:55 Danse des Lutins 3:59 Erica Goodman (8.573947) Judy Loman (8.554347) 2 Hugo REINHOLD (1854–1935) 11 Marcel TOURNIER (1879–1951) Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 28, No. 3 5:35 Vers la source dans le bois 4:18 Elizabeth Hainen (8.555791) (‘Towards the Fountain in the Wood’) Judy Loman (8.554561) 3 John THOMAS (1826–1913) Dyddiau Mebyd (‘Scenes of Childhood’) – 3:05 12 Gabriel FAURÉ (1845–1924) II. Toriad y Dydd (‘The Dawn of Day’) Une chatelaine en sa tour, Op. 110 4:41 Lipman Harp Duo (8.570372) Judy Loman (8.554561) 4 Gaetano DONIZETTI (1797–1848) 13 Elias PARISH ALVARS (1808–1849) Lucia di Lammermoor, Act 1 Scene 2 4:25 Serenade, Op. 83 – Serenade 7:13 (arr. A.H. Zabel) Elizabeth Hainen (8.555791) Elizabeth Hainen (8.555791) 14 Gabriel PIERNÉ (1863–1937) 5 Marcel GRANDJANY (1891–1975) Impromptu-caprice, Op. 9 5:51 Fantasy on a Theme of Haydn, Op. 31 7:54 Ellen Bødtker (8.555328) Judy Loman (8.554561) 15 Nino ROTA (1911–1979) 6 Manuel de FALLA (1876–1946) Toccata 2:33 La vida breve, Act II – 4:11 Elisa Netzer (8.573835) Danse espagnole No. 1 (ver. For 2 guitars) Judy Loman (8.554561) 16 John PARRY (1710–1782) Sonata No. 2 – Siciliana 2:06 7 Sophia DUSSEK (1775–1847) Judy Loman (8.554347) Sonata – Allegro 2:39 Judy Loman (8.554347) 17 Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH (1714–1788) 12 Variations on La folia d’Espagne, 9:13 8 Louis SPOHR (1784–1859) Wq. 118/9, H. 263 (arr. For harp) Fantasia in C minor, Op. 35 8:20 Cristina Bianchi (OC1715) Elizabeth Hainen (8.555791) 9 Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868) Allegretto 1:10 Claudia Antonelli (8.554252) Total Timing: 81:49 8.578182 2 Heavenly Harp Best loved classical harp music The harp, one of the most ancient of instruments, invented the single-action harp. This was very has had an interesting evolution which has important in the development of the instrument resulted in the instrument that we are familiar as for the first-time players could change the with today. The concept of the harp is simple pitch of the notes the instrument could produce – strings of differing lengths stretched across a whilst simultaneously playing with their hands. frame to produce a range of pitched notes. It The length of the strings is altered using a is thought that the concept began to develop complex mechanism operated by pedals from the vibrations produced in the bow after attached to rods in the column of the harp which an archer had released an arrow. Later, more link to a mechanism in the neck that turn pins to strings were added to create different notes. clamp onto the string, altering the string length. There are references to harp-like instruments Each string could therefore produce two notes a in the writings of the ancient civilisations of semi-tone apart (some strings were set to flats/ Greece, Assyria and Egypt, alongside Biblical naturals with others naturals/sharps, so that the references. It is one of the earliest forms of player could play in the most common keys), instrument where several discrete notes could with each of the seven pedal responsible for be produced at the same time and therefore changing all of the strings assigned a certain it became a popular instrument to accompany note (e.g. the ‘C’ pedal would change the vocalists for many hundreds of years. length of all of the C strings, the F pedal the The original forms of harp were simple with same for the F strings, and so on). each string of a different length, thus a different Before the beginning of the Baroque period, pitch. As there is no fret board at the top of there are few notable examples of compositions the strings, they cannot be altered to produce for the harp until it was used by Monteverdi in accidentals, like instruments of the violin or Orfeo in 1607. Over the next century the harp guitar family. When music was predominantly became more widely considered by composers, modal, the player would retune the instrument with the rise of playing the instrument as a before starting a performance in the correct salon hobby for ladies in the upper circles of mode. However, by the Baroque period, there society. The harp often had around 40 strings, was need for the harp player to be able to designed so as to not be too heavy for the lady instantly access a wider range of notes. As a player, whilst it was regularly adorned with gilt- result, in the early 1700s Jacob Hochbrücher carvings of angels or flowers (to enhance the 3 8.578182 appearance of a room, rather than to encourage composers, as well as harpists themselves both more practise by its owner!). The need for composing and arranging for the instrument. music to satisfy these patrons lead composers Much of the repertoire in this collection is to produce studies, sonatas and other similar from this period, when the harp enjoyed its works to develop and challenge the technique compositional heyday. Harpists were commonly of the player. In the 1720s Handel used the entered into music conservatoires, resulting harp in some of his oratorios and even wrote a in more technical and interesting works to be concerto, which was the start of the inclusion of written for the instrument. Furthermore, the harp the harp as a standard musical instrument, with was regularly included in orchestral music, when Mozart’s famous Concerto for Flute and Harp it was used by composers for its soft tones and written in 1778. effects such as glissandi. It was, however, often The music of the Classical period continued overwhelmed by the louder, more numerous to become more and more chromatic, and other orchestral instruments. Harpists called for once again the harp was limited by the number larger instruments to stand up on the orchestral of notes that it could produce, as it could only stage, resulting in the swift increase in the size of produce B, E, A and D flats and F, C and G the harp and by the early 20th century 47 strings sharps, alongside all of the naturals. In 1810, became standard. The soundboard of the harp Sébastien Érard revolutionised the instrument by also changed shape, with extended areas added introducing the ‘double movement’ (now referred to the sides of the instrument, again to assist in the to as ‘double action’) harp. This enabled players production of more sound. For nearly a century, to access all of the notes (flats, naturals and the harp has remained in this design, both for sharps) with every string being shortened not just solo and orchestral players, however in 2019 once, but twice. This resulted in a fully chromatic Italian manufacturer Salvi Harps introduced a instrument, a system still in use today. 48-string model, perhaps indicating that once These technological developments again, it is time for the harp to evolve to meet the occurring significantly after the piano had demands of the modern player. gained recognition amongst both professionals and amateurs, put the harp at a popularity 1 Hasselmans: La Source, Op. 44 disadvantage, never quite gaining enough Born in Liège, Belgium, Alphonse support to produce the wealth of music Hasselmans (1845–1912) came from composed for it as the piano. By the latter part a family of distinguished musicians. He of the 19th century the harp repertoire gained first studied the harp with his father and considerably from the interest of distinguished later in Strasbourg under Gottlieb-Krüger, 8.578182 4 who himself had been a pupil of Parish- Philharmonic and the Hellmesberger Alvars. The early part of Hasselmans’ Quartet. The Impromptu in C sharp minor career was spent in Brussels, before he was originally a piano work, but the opening became professor of harp at the Paris and closing fast arpeggiated passages Conservatoire in 1884, a position which contrast with the central section’s sonorous he held until his death in 1912. He is melody accompanied by rich chords, and a very influential figure in the modern this makes the piece well-suited to the harp history of the instrument composing a as this performance demonstrates. wide selection of repertoire and teaching many notable harpists of the twentieth 3 J. Thomas: Dyddiau Mebyd century. Other composers were inspired (‘Scenes of Childhood’) – by his virtuoso harp performances and II. Toriad y Dydd (‘The Dawn of Day’) dedicated many works to him. Hasselmans’ John Thomas (1826–1913) was born in own compositions were written to add to Bridgend, South Wales. He first learned the technical repertory of the harp and La the Welsh Triple harp with his father and Source is a notable example. Throughout aged eleven, he won the eisteddfod at this technically demanding piece fast, Abergavenny. Three years later Ada, arpeggios depict a flowing stream. Countess of Lovelace (Lord Byron’s daughter) sponsored him to enter the 2 Reinhold: Impromptu in C sharp minor, Royal Academy of Music in London, Op. 28, No. 3 where he studied the pedal harp with J. Hugo Reinhold (1854–1935) was an B. Chatterton. Later he taught harp at the Austrian composer and pianist, whose Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of prolific collection of works has been all Music and the Guildhall College of Music. but forgotten today.