Invitation to Harp and Cello Performance Tonight

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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Beverly Hills, CA
Tinka and I are hosting tonight at 6:15 pm through Group Muse a performance by a harpist and a cellist in our living room at our house in Belmont Park in Long Beach, California.

If you can join us please send me a private message and I will send you our address.

It is not often we can hear live in our living room a harpist and a cellist!

Wine and cheese and drinks will be served!
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
The event was very fun!


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spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,606
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E. England
Looked like a really fun, unique event. So, what is harp like live at close quarters? I find it can disappear or sound a bit diffuse in concert halls.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
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Beverly Hills, CA
What music did they play?

Several pieces someone rearranged for harp + cello from piano, among other things. Also some Italian tango.
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
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Boston, MA
Great gesture Ron!!! I am sure this will be a fun event! Bravo
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
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Beverly Hills, CA
That is just great, Ron. Fantastic idea. I'll make the trip to Beverly Hills once your main room is finished to hear something similar, and also your new stereo system. Did you make a quick recording or check the loudness level?

I never seem to be able to post videos. I did not check the loudness level.
 

tima

Industry Expert
Mar 3, 2014
5,778
6,820
1,400
the Upper Midwest
Looked like a really fun, unique event. So, what is harp like live at close quarters? I find it can disappear or sound a bit diffuse in concert halls.

I am not a harp player but one lived in the room above me during school days. Sometimes I helped her load it into her car with front seat removed. Harps are big and heavy instruments. I also heard and watched her practice.

The sound of the harp is largely the sound of plucked strings blooming into the air.

Strings vary in length, thickness and material, and tune to proper pitch.
A concert harp has the broadest frequency range of any concert instrument except the piano. Roughly 6-1/2 octaves, so its sound can be much more than the etheral high notes people often associate to it.

It is plucked with the fingers or finger nails, often using two hands at once - harpists have strong usually calloused hands and fingers. Multiple strings can be plucked at the same time. The harpist can let the sound vibrate/bloom into the air or damp the strings to lessen or quiesce the sound, thus controlling articulation and note length.

The strings are in the open air, the harp has no resonating chamber to amplify sound but it does have a soundboard into which the strings send vibrations. Different soundboards shape the timbre, mostly deeper or thinner. Some harps have pedals that allow some strings to be stretched which causes a change in pitch.

Absent amplification, the harpist must work with any accompanists to keep their sound in balance. In an orchestra the harpist often sits at or near the front frequently on the left edge with the 3rd violins. In a living room setting I'd expect its sound to be full, harmonically rich, sweeping or precise (think pizzacato and staccato) according to the music at hand.

Try anything by Marissa Robles.
 

astrotoy

VIP/Donor
May 24, 2010
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SF Bay Area
Agree with Tim, Marissa Robles. Have many, most, all? of her albums that she recorded with Argo (on vinyl, of course) for the two decade period between about 1964 to 1982. This was after Argo merged into Decca, so she had some top notch engineers and producers working with her.

Sounds like a wonderful event, Ron.

Groupmuse is a very interesting concept which brings the opportunity for (generally) local professional (mostly classical) musicians to perform in your home. Groupmuse provides an online calendar of events, location, number of seating places and price of admission (which is modest). The host provides the venue, some refreshments, and the musicians get all the proceeds from the attendees. I think Groupmuse is active in many regional areas of the US.

Larry
 

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