Harpblog

The Phantom of the Opera

The lever harp will feature in the world premiere of "The Phantom of the Opera", by Pierre Thilloy (resident composer of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, supported by the Catherine Gide Foundation and the Dokhan Foundation since April 2006, and rewarded many times for his work as a whole).

 

The new work is a commission for the "Cinéconcerts" of the Toulouse Cinémathèque, for the music of Robert Julian's 1925 film of the same name. This panorama for trio, which will go on tour in France and Asia in 2011 and 2012, will be performed on December 10th at the Toulouse Cinémathèque. Ameylia Saad Wu (soprano and prize winner in the 2009 Jakez François International Lever Harp Composition) will sing and play lever harp; Stéphane Escoms (pianist, accordionist, composer, arranger and specialist arranger for jazz and contemporary music) will be on the keyboards, computers and accordion, and the third musician will be DJ Guillaume Flamen: pianist, repetiteur, co-founder and artistic director of the collective EleKtrolYr, and of the Netlabel Giraphone Records.

Double first

Speaking of question of the week - I am going to send two DVDs to Ruzanna Arustamyan of Armenia, for not only answering correctly that Ravel left the score of the 'Introduction et Allegro' at his shirt-makers, but for sending me the entire anecdote!

"In the spring of 1905, Ravel, then thirty years old, was invited to go on a yacht trip. The composer had just come through a bruising scandal: he had been denied the Prix de Rome for the third consecutive year, and the resulting outcry had forced the resignation of the director of the Paris Conservatory. Now he was anxious to put this strain behind him and go sailing to Amsterdam, then up the Rhine as far as Frankfurt, and back to Le Havre.

But complications stood in the way of Ravel’s yachting holiday. First, the Erard Company, maker of harps and pianos, had commissioned a work for harp that he had to finish before he could go. Usually a slow and meticulous worker, Ravel finished this piece in "a week of frantic work and three sleepless nights". And then there was the matter of proper clothing. Ravel was the most fastidiously dressed composer who ever lived (for his American tour of 1928, he would take along twenty pairs of pajamas and fifty pastel shirts); now he hurried to his tailor to order the proper clothes for a yacht trip. In his haste, Ravel left the manuscript of the Introduction and Allegro sitting on the tailor’s counter. Fearing the worst, he returned from the trip several weeks later to find that the tailor had carefully saved it for him."

 

[Link to lovely star clipart, pastel like Ravel's shirts, here!]

Bernard Andrès in Lagny-sur-Marne

Many thanks to Matthieu Dupont, who has written to us about a recent visit by Bernard Andrès to the music school in Lagny sur Marne, France !

"On March 13th, 2010, Bernard Andrès came to the CRC (Conservatoire à Rayonnement Communal) in Lagny-sur-Marne. Elisabeth Bassereau, harp teacher at the conservatoire, had organised a masterclass for the occasion focused on repertoire by Bernard Andrès: solo, harp ensemble and chamber music pieces.

During the day, pupils benefited from the composer's advice, and applied it during the concert that evening. Thanks to how Bernard Andrès structured the masterclass, pupils were able to ask questions and get the answers they were hoping for. "It was a familial moment", Bernard Andrès confided to us, happy to be able to pass on his knowledge and experience to the young musicians.

That evening, the public were able to hear works such as the "Pavane" (an extract from "Automates"), "Zerbina", "Contes vagues", la "Ragazza", and the "Algues" collection (accompanied by instruments such as the violins and recorders, to Monsieur Andrès's great surprise). We also heard "Safran" and "Cannelle" from "Epices", adapted by the composer for harp, 2 flutes, 2 guitars, percussion and double bass. This adaptation is now published and is available, for example, in Camac's online boutique!"

I was present at the day of lessons and the concert on March 13th. Many people came to the masterclass: parents and friends of the harp class of course, but also pupils from other instrument classes, curious to see the composer "in real life". It was wonderful to see these young harpists happy to perform their work, if also a little anxious to have to perform in front of Monsieur Andrès...the composer put them at their ease, told them about the conditions under which he had written the pieces, recounted stories from his student and teaching days...all the while remaining rigorous in his technical and musical advice.

Elisabeth Bassereau's pupils put his advice into excellent practice during their performances in the concert that same evening! The day finished around a table of sweets, and raising our glasses in friendship. Claude

Harp days with Bernard Andrès in Créteil

Claude writes:

"Do you remember the weekend we spent with Bernard Andrès in the Espace Camac in Paris, on June 13th and 14th, 2009?

Left to right: Marie-Laurence Lebon, Bernard Andrès, Claude Bouly

It was a fufilling encounter for numerous professors and students, meeting together in a happy atmosphere! Professors organized masterclasses with and on the subject of Bernard Andrès all over France: in Douai, Lagny-sur-Marne, Toulon, Créteil...there were so many classes I can't even name them all!

Marie-Laurence Lebon, professor of harp at the Ecole nationale de musique in Créteil, devised a large-scale educational project around the solo and harp ensemble works of Bernard Andrès. After three months of work, pupils benefited from a masterclass on Saturday, May 15th 2010. Having profited from the composer's advice, these young artists gave us a magnificent concert on Tuesday, May 18th in the Créteil, ENM auditorium. There then followed by a trio concert by Bernard Andrès, Marie-Laurence Lebon and myself.

We heard arrangements for 3 harps by Mr Andrès of excerpts by Carl Orf, Debussy and Bizet - plus the discovery of "Rhyme or Treason " by Mark Elliot. Bernard Andrès was the harp professor at the Créteil conservatoire, which made the connection with his music even more special for all of us present.

The adventure does not stop there: Marie-Laurence and her students are lucky enough to be spending some time in Burgundy this summer, to work on harp ensemble music transcribed or composed by Mr Andrès. I can't wait to play in trio again!"

Camac commissions new concerto for Edmar Castaneda

Jakez is going to Israel at the end of November to hear the world premiere of a new concerto Camac have commissioned:  "Suite de las Americas" for Two Harps and Orchestra by Carlos Franzetti.  It will be performed by Edmar Castaneda (harp and Columbian harp) and the Israel Camerata conducted by Michael Nesterowicz.  You can find a list of the works, many of them concertos,  that Camac has commissioned recently here.

If you haven't yet been lucky enough to hear one of Edmar's amazing concerts, you can browse his schedule here!  He also has a new CD out, Entre Cuerdas. 

compositions commissioned by Camac

Still on the subject of new harp repertoire, Jakez recently made a list of some of the works Camac has commissioned over the last few years.

Hélène Breschand    

Le Fil Rouge, harp ensemble (Camac Festival, Lille 2009)

Philippe Hersant     

Choral for harp and cello (for Isabelle Moretti, 2004)

Elzbieta Sikora       

South Shore:  Concertino for Harp and Orchestra (with the Polish Harp Society, Second Polish International Harp Festival, 2008)

Pierick Houdy        

De cordes et d'archets for Lever or Pedal Harp and String Quartet (Jakez François International Lever Harp Competition, 2009)

Carlos Franzetti       

Suite de las Americas for Harp and Orchestra (for Edmar Casteneda, 2009)

Arne Werkman        

Quatre Pièces (Journées de la harpe, Arles 2005)

Alain Louvier          

L'Harpenteur Etrange (Paris and Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatoires, 2009)

Michèle Reverdy      

Concerto for Harp (for Isabelle Moretti, 2006)

Guo Wenjing          

Concerto for Harp, Lyric Soprano and Chamber Orchestra (for Ernestine Stoop, 2001)

new works for harp and electronics

Jakez is used to my calling him and saying "you know you're coming to Munich from Beijing via Paris at the start of September?  Well, in London on the Thursday...".  Sadly, this time the travel gods were against us - but we are very grateful to Alex Rider for being our London correspondent, and sending me this review of Elizabeth's Scorah's recital of many new works for the blue harp.  

The Big Blue: New Works for Harp and Electronics: Elizabeth Scorah, Harp

September 10, 2009- Royal Academy of Music, London

As many harp students will know, there is a lot more to presenting a performance exam than a mere succession of pieces, arranged chronologically and delivered to a panel of passive, dehumanized adjudicators. Far from it; now there is much emphasis on having a concept, of making a presentation that will excite and entertain the intellect as well the ears. The idea of a ‘programme’ means that the pieces are given cohesion and context, things that breathe life not only into the audience experience but into the playing as well. The laterally thinking student might find also that the occasion is given a greater sense of meaning beyond the fulfillment of an academic requirement: the reward being a sense of a satisfaction equal to a ‘good mark’.

Currently studying for a Masters degree in performance at London’s Royal Academy of Music under Karen Vaughan, Elizabeth Scorah sought a way in which to enliven her exam performance Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane and Ravel’s Introduction et Allegro. Ravel’s luscious septet and Debussy’s subtle concerto-type work are beautiful but undeniably often-heard exam fare, and today’s harp student can be hard put to set them in a rich new context. France’s illustrious history of harp-design seems to have provided the answer: it is well-known that the competing efforts of the houses of Erard and Pleyel resulted in the creation of these works and this gave Elizabeth an idea. Camac today continues this tradition of harp innovation, and the Big Blue electro-acoustic harp has become synonymous with the cutting-edge .  So, when Elizabeth approached Jakez Francois in hopes of using the Big Blue harp in her exam, the result was an ambitious and intriguing recital concept: one that juxtaposed traditional repertoire with several new and specially commissioned works for the blue harp.

new blue harp repertoire from London

Blue harp news from London!

For her performance Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, Elizabeth Scorah has to design a lecture-recital based on an original concept.  She’s therefore taken the French tradition of innovative instrument design, and linked this with four new pieces for the blue harp from the cream of Britain’s up-and-coming composers.

It all started because Elizabeth wanted more than anything to perform Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro at her exam. This piece needs a creative twist to become an "original concept ", and so Elizabeth began to consider why this masterpiece had been composed in the first place. 

Both the Debussy Danses and the Ravel septet were written to show off two new kinds of harp, made in France – respectively, the cross-strung chromatic harp, and Erard’s double-action masterpiece.  Camac continue the French spirit of technical innovation in all their harps.  For example, Camac levers are widely acknowledged to be the best in the world; pedal rods have been replaced with unbreakable cables; the concert harps are ten kilos lighter; the mechanism is more accurately regulated;  a more hard-wearing but equally quiet soft plastic is wrapped around the pedals instead of fragile felt;  you can perform a basic regulation yourself in five minutes;  the strings have been re-angled back to the ergonomic alignments of the Erard harps, more comfortable to the hand; and the sound box has been painstakingly redesigned for more beautiful and even sound (read "inside the Camac factory" to find out more).

In March 2009, Camac brought more innovative French harps to London:  the concert grand electric "blue harp", and the revolutionary new MIDI harp.  By this point, Elizabeth had decided that her Masters concert would consist of the Debussy and Ravel performed on a Camac New Generation Atlantide Prestige, plus new works for the blue harp she would commission herself. 

On September 10th, 2009, at 730 PM in the David Josefowitch Hall of London’s Royal Academy of Music, Elizabeth will give the world premieres of blue harp pieces by John Chambers, Alfie Granger-Howell,  David Snell, Park Stickney, Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Gareth Wood.  The performance will be recorded and filmed, if you can’t make it to the concert in person but would like more information about the works. 

Weekend Bernard Andrès, June 13th - 14th, 2009

Don't miss this exceptional weekend at L'Espace Camac in Paris:  two days of masterclasses and concerts in the presence of Bernard Andrès.  Sign up to play to Andrès himself (who is also a famous teacher) in masterclasses on June 13th, 2009, 2PM - 5PM, or on Sunday 10AM - noon and 2PM - 5PM.  There will also be two concerts.  "Coup de Coeur", on Saturday June 13th, 6PM, will welcome Anne Bacqueyrisse's amazing harp ensemble + percussion group, Béliz:  hear them on myspace, then come to Paris to experience them live!

On Sunday June 14th, also at 6PM, the weekend will finish with a concert of Bernard Andrès's works, performed by Myriam Blardone (winner of the "Espoir" category at the Jakez François Competition), Isabelle Perrin, Mélanie Dutreil and Marine Saaroufi, and the Atlantic Duo. 

Admission to everything is free.  Please sign up for the masterclass in advance;  it is also a good idea to sign up for the concerts, as places are limited.  Please contact Florence Ledi-Marque on 00 33 6 71 80 56 47 or email f.ledi@camac-harps.com.

first concerto for blue harp and orchestra

Isabelle Perrin will perform Elzbieta Sikora's South Shore:  Concertino for Blue Harp and Orchestra at the Gdansk Festival of Contemporary Music, April 18th, 2009, with the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra. 

South Shore was commissioned jointly by Camac Harps and the Polish Harp Society, and premiered by Isabelle at the Second International Harp Festival in Katowice, 2008. Harpseasons reported on this at the time:  you can read Florence's interview with Elzbieta Sikora here (page 9). It is the first classical concerto for Blue Harp and orchestra, and particularly exploits the Blue Harp's possibilities of amplification.  The dialogue between harp and orchestra take place on truly equal footing simply because the harp can be made loud enough.  Sikora plays too on the juxtaposition of acoustic and electronic resonance, uses additional electronic processing - and often leaves the choices about processing effects to the artist, adding to the energy of the score.

You can read about the history of Camac's Blue Harp on Harpblog's Blue Pages, where we are starting to collect articles and news about electric harps, and the artists who play them, expanding the harp's horizons more and more each day.