Harpblog

Berlioz squared in Madrid

"The effect produced by harps – except in music that is intended to be heard at close quarters in a salon – is all the better when they are more numerous."

Hector Berlioz

It's not for nothing that 'Un Bal' from Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique is an orchestral audition excerpt. But it remains a bit galling, after all that hard work, not to be able to hear anything beyond some pinging from the tops of the arpeggios, and maybe a few nervous buzzes and pedal twangs after figure 22.

 

What can be done? Conductors: instead of shouting at the harps to play louder all the time, you could ask the orchestra to play quieter. This is theoretically intelligent, but in reality doesn't usually work well either. The really cunning solution is what Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos has just done with the Spanish National Orchestra: insist on four harps instead of two. Et voilà: glorious loud whooshing worthy of the most glittering Viennese ballroom.

In his memoirs, Berlioz mentions the difficulty he had getting Symphonie Fantastique performed, because of a lack of capable harpists and harps. What a pity he died one hundred and forty-three years, one month, two weeks and three days before the concert in Madrid on January 22nd this year! He would have been happy to see Alexander Granados and Camac Ibérica lend the orchestra an Atlantide Prestige, bringing their harps up to four in number.

 

Spanish National Orchestra Principal Harpist Nuria Llopez with Selma García Ramos, Isabel Maicas Muñoz and Celia Zaballos Cuesta in Symphonie Fantastique

 

Camac Ibérica: friend of Berlioz

Interesting new orchestral study opportunity in Strasbourg

Please see the French blog for information about a new audition for orchestral training, with accompanying professional experience, in Strasbourg.

new harp class in Berlin with Marie-Pierre Langlamet

Congratulations to Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Principal Harp with the Berlin Philharmonic, who has just been made professor at Berlin's Universität der Künste. The 2011-12 class is probably already full, but auditions will take place yearly in mid-June. The programme for auditions consists of a forty-five minute, entirely free recital. The UDK website offers comprehensive descriptions of the available courses, also in English.

The other chance to study with Marie-Pierre is under the auspices of the Karajan orchestral academy. This educational outpost of the Berlin Phil was the brainchild of Herbert von Karajan, hence the name, and sparked what has now become a fine tradition in German orchestras, whereby paid "work experience" placements (Praktikantenstellen) are offered to recent graduates for one or two years. In the case of the Karajan academy, the placement lasts for two years, and is simultaneously a postgraduate course, and a practical internship where you will have the chance to play concerts with Marie-Pierre as part of the Berlin Phil itself. The age limit is 25; you need to be a graduate of a conservatoire or similar musical institution, and entrance is via competitive, orchestral-style audition. The harp place is currently filled, but you should keep an eye on the academy website for when it will next come up as a vacancy.

The Karajan academy and other Praktikantenstellen are usually advertised in Das Orchester, Germany's magazine for professional orchestral musicians.

QPO in Paris

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is performing tonight at UNESCO in Paris. The concert will start at 19:05 and, called "Voices of Peace", is a gala event to mark the International Festival of Cultural Diversity.

Alexis took this picture when he delivered their harps this morning. Their trip to France is also an opportunity for their Oriane harp to be serviced by our technician Daniel Piré.

Felicita Marockinaite and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is a new orchestra, who bought one of our Oriane harps on forming in 2008.  You may remember the advertisements for auditions, which attracted over 2,300 musicians to apply. 101 were accepted, and the orchestra made its debut in Qatar on October 30th, 2008.

The orchestra is the brainchild of the Qatar Foundation, led by Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser al-Missned, wife of the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. They wanted to found a classical orchestra to enrich the nation‘s cultural life, as well as raising its international standing. And because an Austro-German sound was what they were after, they approached Lorin Maazel and Kurt Meister, the latter a highly experienced orchestral administrator who had worked with Maazel during his time with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Felicita Marockinaite is currently far away from her native Lithuania. Instead, the searing heat and glittering white buildings of Qatar have been her home since October of last year, where she is currently Principal Harp of the QPO.

 

no rest for...those made out of rosewood and gilded bronze

Photo:  Pamornpan Komolpamorn

While our office is on holiday, one of Camac's new Elysée models is hard at work in its new home, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra in Mahidol.

guide to the orchestra

Petra van der Heide is not the only harpist recently to have chosen Camac harps for her orchestra.  It's been going mental in Mouzeil, with harp orders from the  Orchestra National de France, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Orchestre Philharmonique du Maroc, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España and the Opera de Valencia!  And,  Line Gaudard, Principal Harp with the Bern Symphony Orchestra and member of the Quatuor Harpège, also recently chose two Atlantide Prestiges: one for the opera pit, and one for symphony concerts.

A Camac Harp Story from Petra van der Heide

Petra van der Heide has had a Camac harp of her own for over ten years. Five years ago she was appointed Principal Harp of Holland's leading Concertgebouw Orchestra, but it was not possible for her to buy an instrument for the orchestra until recently - when she got the job, the orchestra had just bought two brand-new harps! Finally Petra found her dream harp for the Concertgebouw at the World Harp Congress in Amsterdam: a Camac Oriane.