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Written by Natalia Lebedeva Contents: 1. The History and Development of the Harp 2. Structure and Parts of the Pedal Harp 3. Sound Production of the Harp 4. Acoustical Characteristics of the Pedal Harp 5. Essential Knowledge for Recording the Harp 6. References
In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the harp was used primarily for accompaniment in both liturgical and secular music. Initially, the harp could only play one scale. The harpist had to press the strings with a finger at the neck of the harp to play sharpened notes. Harps were subsequently fitted with manually-turned hooks which fretted individual strings to raise their pitch by a half step. This led to the development of the pedal in the late 1960s to early 1700s. The first harp with a single action mechanism was made in 1720 by Jacob Hochbrucker in Bavaria. This mechanism linked the hooks at the neck to the pedals, allowing the strings to play sharpened notes. The Hochbruckers invention gave impetus to the further development of the harp. The best results were achieved when harp makers directly collaborated with musicians and composers to better understand their musical needs. For instance, Czech composer and harpist Jean-Baptist Krumpholz of 18th century, who had worked with harp makers Jean Henri Naderman, Christian Steckler, and Georges Cousineau, suggested the implementation of a swell pedal to the body of the harp, an eighth pedal that allowed for greater dynamic production (and therefore a higher degree of emotional expression.) His collaborator Naderman produced two harps with oval soundholes in a broader back stave, which could be opened by pressing the pedal. Shortly afterwards, a ninth pedal was added to control a dampening mechanism made possible with the application of cloth mute (sourdine) to the strings. When the sourdine comes into contact with the strings at the soundboard, the harp produces touffs (subdued or muffled sounds.) The eighth pedal existed until the end of the 19th century, while the ninth pedal became obsolete quite soon after its invention. In 1780s, Cousineau developed the double-action harp, doubling the number of pedals from 7 to 14. This allowed for the ability to play in every key on a single harp. Unfortunately, harpists of the time did not give much attention to this forward-looking invention. The many improvements to the design of the harp sparked a frenzy of activity surrounding the instrument. Many harpists were outstanding composers that expanded the repertoire of the instrument. They were mostly rooted in Paris, as the citys interest in the harp increased significantly by the end of the 17th century. Christian Hochbrucker, who was related to Jacob Hochbrucker, became a harp instructor and soloist. His student, Jean-Baptist Krumpholz, moved to Paris with his wife (who was also an exceptional harpist) and became a very successful and well-known performer. In the 17th century the harp began to attract the attention of major composers. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote six concertos for harpsichord and harp, an aria for voice and harp in the cantata Amore traditore, and numerous Partitas for harpsichord or harp. Another milestone in the formation of solo harp repertoire came with the compositions of G.F. Handel. Beethoven also expressed interest in the harp. However, he wrote only two pieces for it: Six Variations on a Swiss song for piano or harp and Romance for voice (tenor) and harp accompaniment. Beethoven was the first to use the pedal harp as a part of a symphony orchestra by including a harp part in The Creatures of Prometheus. The harp was used in both symphony orchestras and smaller chamber ensembles. When combined with other instruments, the colors produced by a harp can contribute greatly to the overall texture of any piece, especially to the lyrical adagio of a ballet. Although harp and piano, violin or flute duets were quite popular, the harp was often paired with unusual instrumental partners, such as the clarinet, trumpet, and French horn.
In the beginning of the 19th century, the design of the harp was further developed to prevent the instrument's obsolescence. Sbastien rard, a French instrument maker, advanced the efficiency of the harps mechanisms by doing away entirely with hooks, substituting rotating discs with two studs mounted thereon in their place. The discs, activated by the pedals by transmission devices set within the forepillar, gripped and shortened the strings, allowing for the effect of raising the pitch by a semitone. In June 1810, after eight years of working on it, Erard patented the double-action harp with seven pedals. To improve the mechanism of the pedal, a second row of discs with studs was installed along the neck to allow the pedal harp to raise the pitch of a string by either one or two half steps. This mechanism, still used by modern pedal harp makers, allows each string to produce its natural pitch and the accompanying sharp and flat. In the 19th century, a great deal of composers, including Giuseppe Verdi, Camille SaintSaens, and Giacomo Puccini (who was a particular master of its expressive and coloristic use) wrote music for the harp. Franz Liszt incorporated the harp in his orchestral music, and Mendelssohn and Schubert used it in theatrical music or oratorios. The French and Russian Romantic composers expanded the harps role in the symphony. Claude Debussy composed for multiple harps. Tchaikovsky also was of great influence to the harps repertoire. Elaborate cadenzas were composed for his ballets The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. Tchaikovsky was followed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. Despite the fact that the harp was not originally associated with certain levels of society, it became commonplace among the nobility in the 19th century. The harp was also a favored instrument for domestic performance. By the 20th century, the harp was firmly established as a solo, ensemble and orchestral instrument. Nowadays, it is difficult to name a composer who did not use it his or her work. In 1946, British composer Benjamin Britten wrote a curious work titled The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra: Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell. This piece playfully demonstrates the specific tone colors produced by various orchestral instruments, and the emotional effects associated with each. The harp is featured in the ninth variation, which calls attention to the instrument's sound. The compositions accent is primarily on vivid harps chords and expressive passages. In the 20th century, the harp gained prominence in the world of popular music. Jazz musician Casper Reardon played the harp in the Broadway musical I Married an Angel in 1938. The Beatles used the harp effectively in Shes Leaving Home, a highlight of their massively successful album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Among of one of the most famous depictions of the harp in film is its appearance in the works of the Marx Brothers, played by the character Harpo.
References
1. I. Aldoshina, R. Pritts. Musical acoustics, St.Petersburg, 2006. 2. David M. Howard. Acoustics and psychoacoustics, Elsevier, 2006. 3. A. Sevashko. Sound engineering and recording of phonograms. Career Guide, Moscow, 2004. 4. L. Kuznetsov. Acoustics of the musical instruments. Handbook, Moscow, 1989. 5. V. Porvenkov. Acoustics and tuning of the musical instruments, Moscow, 1990. 6. Neville H. Fletcher Thomas D. Rossing. The physics of musical instruments, Springer, 1998. 7. www.alisonvardy.com/harp-info/early-harp-history.htm 8. www.harpspectrum.org/historical/historical.shtml 9. http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/microphoneuniversity/applicationguide/harp.aspx