Annotated Bibliography

Clark, Sylvia. “The Handel Harp Concerto: Another Point of View.” American Harp Journal 20, no. 3
(Summer 2006): 29–34
Clark's document provides us with information regarding the use of the harp in “Alexander’s Feast.” It
is worth noting that the premiere of the piece featured the Welsh triple string harp. This journal
also indicates to readers that Handel viewed the harp as a continuo instrument. This led us to the
conclusion that Marcel Grandjany, the famed French-American harpist, also viewed the harp as a
solo instrument providing us with a better understanding of the limitations of instrumentation
during Handel’s time.
Gudger, William D. 6 Concertos. A-R Editions, Inc., 1981.
https://books.google.com/books?id=uarG6mm-9SEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
This book provides us with the accompanimental instrumentation for the concerto. This contributes to
our knowledge of the compositional nuances of the piece and allows us to better frame our
introduction for the presentation. The book also mentions the idea that Handel’s harp concerto
was written as incidental music to his setting of “Alexander’s Feast,” performed in February of
1736. The book also describes that it was later used as an organ concerto (in Walsh’s edition).
Haendel, George Frideric. Concerto en si bémol. Durand & Cie, Marcel Grandjany. Londres: United
Music Publishers LTD, n.d. Accessed November 5, 2018
This is the score for Grandjany’s own transcription of the Concerto in B flat Major. There is a brief yet
detailed section which explains the different musical notations and signs Grandjany frequently
uses and the overall effect he strived to achieve. All of the notations (e.g. muffle, play lower on
strings, play very close to sounding board etc.) are techniques Grandjany added when he later
transcribed the work.
Handel, George Frideric. Konzert in B-Dur Für Harfe Und Orchester. (Concerto in B-Flat Major for Harp
and Orchestra). HWV 294. Bärenreiter Urtext. Bärenreiter, 2002
This is the urtext edition of the score. In the preface, the writer states that the source used for the
edition was the actual autographed score found in Great Britain. With several notable differences
throughout the piece, we were able to compare this version of the score to Grandjany’s
transcription.
HANDEL, G.F.: Harp Concerto, HWV 294 / Organ Concerto No. 5 (Arr. for Harp) (Eliander) (Handel’s
Harp). Hong Kong: Naxos Digital Services US Inc, n.d.
https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_5331467
This URL links the user to the Naxos Music Library page where Handel’s Concerto is performed by the
Seattle Baroque Orchestra. This provides us with an “accurate” performance that is deemed to
be true to the performance practice during the time, the 1600-1750s. In addition, all of the
instruments in the recording are tuned differently, which remains true to the performance
practice during the period the piece was composed in.
Jeffrey, Lee Parsons. Marcel Grandjany’s Harp Transcriptions and Editions, 2004
This is a dissertation serving as one of the starting points for our research. We referred to the
dissertation for examples that we can use to visibly display the differences between Grandjany’s
transcription and Handel’s original version of the Concerto. This dissertation also mentions the
addition of ornaments, and harp techniques Grandjany included in his transcription.
Moore, Kathy Bundock. “A Guide to Authentic Performance Practice in Handel’s Harp Concerto in B-
Flat, Concerto VI, Op. 4.” The American Harp Journal 22, no. 2 (2009): 22–28
This journal article talks about the importance of performance practice and significantly, what it means
for a Handel’s Harp Concerto to be performed in the true authentic fashion. Although the original
score exists, most harpists do not perform the urtext, and instead, choose to play a transcription.
 This article then raises mentions about the differences between the Harp in the Late Baroque
period and the Modern Harp which directly affects the musical possibilities. In addition, it focuses
on chord voicings, dynamics, tempos, and ornamentations. We also used this source as a starting
point when we approached both versions of the score.
Nichelson, Theodore. “The Modern Editions of Handel’s Harp Concerto.” The American Harp Journal
17, no. 2 (1999): 29–35
This article explores the modern versions and performance practices of Handel’s Harp Concerto. It
raises the question of tempo, ornamentation, texture, dynamics, and articulation. We studied this
journal article to locate the differences between our two scores. We then used this source in
conjunction with different sources that talk about performance practice to gain a better
understanding of why Grandjany might’ve transcribed for the modern harp in such a unique
fashion.
Rensch, Roslyn. Harps and Harpists. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2005x7h
This book provides a comprehensive guide on the history of the harp. We focused specifically on
Chapter 5: The Harp in Literature and Music. This chapter mentioned how Powel, (the harpist that
premiered the concerto) is likely to have played on a Welsh triple strung harp. This concludes the
point that note values are uncertain in the original autograph version. In addition, it also mentions
that the specific tuning of the harp can no longer be replicated on a modern contemporary harp.
The role of the harp in Alexander’s Feast is “to symbolize an older musician...but [is musically]
modern.”