Guide to the Contemporary Harp by Mathilde Aubat-Andrieu, Laurence Bancaud, Aurélie Barbé and Hélène Breschand, translated by Lilian et Jean Rossi.
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Harps and harp music have enjoyed a renaissance over the past century and today can be heard in a broad array of musical contexts. Guide to the Contemporary Harp is a comprehensive resource that examines the vibrant present-day landscape of the harp. The authors explore the instrument from all angles, beginning with organology; moving through composition, notation, and playing techniques; and concluding with the contemporary repertoire for the harp. The rapid diversification in these areas of harp performance is the result of both technological innovations in harp making, which have produced the electric harp and MIDI harp, and innovative composers and players. These new instruments and techniques have broadened the concept of what is possible and what constitutes harp music for today. Guide to the Contemporary Harp is an essential guide for any harpist looking to push the instrument and its music to new heights.
We recommend these 2 sites that will complete our book with sound and visual examples:
- Harp notation by Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir
This Notation Manual is a lexicon of effects and playing techniques, focusing on contemporary music. The lexicon gives examples of notation for the various techniques, and explains their sound and production with audio and video clips. In the different entries various aspects of each technique will be explained in the following order: production, sound, notation, range and additional remarks.
- Composing for harp par Miriam Overlach et Sabien Canton
Composingforharp.com is an informative website, for composers, about the harp. It features a laboratory where composers and harpists can meet, learn and create together.