The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-19

harp or grand pianoforte Of to-day. Yet
a Strad' is bought and sold now for
trihe OF $1,000 to $4,000, by an enthusiast.
Royalty and the nobility OF nations
have a marked delight in the noble harp
and receive il as a right honorable friend
and master From Queen Marie Antoi-
nette to the reigning queen of the
Begians (who my late friend the Baron
dOrzy, assured me is a most accom-
plished performer) the harp has Kept IS
prestige in royal circles.
The Countess d'Esterhazy and Lady
LoVeldce Lord ByrOns only daughter
were great patronesses OF the harp.
/ contend that the supreme effect Of a
beautiful woman gracefully posed at The
harp and playing with grace and natu-
ralness has had much to do with keeping
the harp luxury and making 1t an exceD-
ticn8l instrument, from the fact that the
effect 50 far has been so great and inn
pressive that the serious study Of the in
strument has scarcely been considered by
many amateurs.
Again there has been a lack or com
posers, and that simplicity IN writing
| so desirable with the harp faded, and IN
/ its place an ephemerai, commonplace
| music presenting difficulties often unde-
serving the trouble Of study. Indeed, up
| 10 few years asO the majority OF harp
! compositions have, strange to say, been
| 5l graYatiugly free from the very qualities
| that should have encour aged the player
| IT has been either soUiIess simplicity OF
chromatic use Of the pedals with a ven
| geance.
Happily the harp repertoire Of to-day
| will avoid this result. This repertoire
| may not be large, but is good; and IL
! is just possible that harpists profit by
| this. and learns something we'll while,
! where a too large repertoire exists a
| pupil often does great DEAL yet-noth-
| ing from having this library at COM
mand.
Messrs. Erard expressly made me one
Of my present Erard harps which L
may here say has been the companion
OF the best part Of my career; and for
twenty years I played upon # all over
Europe, severely trying as qualities 10
the utmost; and during that time IS
withstood every trial and was untouched
by any one but myself
1t is safe to say that a Woodworking
solo harpist will wear a harp more in
twelve months than an amateur would
in twenty years.
The deterioration would mainly be IN
| the mechanism from the action of the
pedals
Now II my harp stood this wear and
tear, ] am quite sure that a good new
| harp should last a life time to an anna
J teur. or fifteen or tFenty years TO q
| professional player. If not. then the in
/ strument is not what Il should be-
For general use 1 would suggest the
medium or second-sized harp especially
| for ladies'. as being sufficiently large iR
size and tone; bur, Of course, for the pub
| lie concert-room the first and largest size
is desirable. The price Of a new harp
| IS from $500 10 $1,000.
Nothing is more beneficial to a harp
| than regularity of daily practice, if ever
| so little by this means IL keeps in tune
and in every sense repays the attention,
| The strings should be OF the finest quality
| Padua for the first top octave and half,
| best German or Roman for the remainder
Of the second md third oclayes ana R0-
man or English for the fourth and fifth
| cctaves. | find the best German strings
| very good though the Padua is the best
| for the thin upper notes.
Several days prior TO using the harp,
| the strings should be oversuung "A haH
note above the ordinary pitch, TO guaran-
| tee their staying powers and avoid excess
| OF tuning. Pianos are so treated, why
| not harps? Would the reader expect q
! piano newly strung TO keep ia tune? Are