Haydn's Folk Harp: About the Festival
Harfenlabor's founder Margret Koell introduces Haydn' Folk Harp, the first edition of the Harp Biennale with a brief overview of the Symposia, Concerts and Concert-Lectures, as well as an overview of the Harp Biennale as a new, innovative festival bringing historical harp into contemporary contexts.
The first day began with symposium contributions and a concert-lecture addressing the topic of Harp at the Time of Haydn, to in the afternoon address The Tyrolean Folk Harp, including a roundtable discussion and, finally, the concert An Evening of Folk Music.
The second day morning session saw symposium contributions on the topic of Regionalities, and a concert-lecture. The afternoon was devoted to Single-Action Harp: Construction and Playing. The day was rounded off with the evening concert Tullochgorum – Haydn – Harp – Scotland.
Report on the Convening in Roma
14-16 December 2016
Bernhard Schrammek's report offers a concise account of Harfenlabor's interdisciplinary international symposium Convening around the Barberini Harp Project, which took place on 14-16 December 2016, in Roma, in collaboration with the Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali, Istituto Storico Austriaco a Roma, and the Deutsche Botschaft Rom, bringing together musicologists, harpists, harp and string makers, and art historians.
Who was Luc Antoine Eustache, the Inventor of Three-Course Harp according to Mersenne?
Dinko Fabris presents his research into Luca Antonio Eustachio, described in Marin Mersenne's Harmonie Universelle (1637) as the inventor of triple harp. Whilst Eustachio’s role in harp development remains unclear, Fabris clearly establishes that Eustachio did exist and offers significant insights into his role of a musician and cameriere segreto to pope Paolo V.
The Harp in Intermedi and Early Opera
Joachim Steinheuer provides rich overview of the different uses of harps in the intermedi, madrigals and early opera and its relation to the mythological figures of Apollo, Orpheus and Arion. Through intriguing comparisons of the musical and iconographic sources, the harp appears as an ensemble instrument, as the main continuo, and as a solo instrument, and in some unusual accompaniment combinations.
In this Harfenlabor online zoom lecture, Anne Marie Dragosits, harpsichordist, brings “New information on Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger - with special focus on his material for the basso continuo”; Michele Pasotti, lutenist, conducts close reading and analyses of manuscripts and transcripts in “Passaggi per suonare sopra la parte. Kapsperger and other 17th century Italian sources for basso continuo on the theorbo.”
Michele Pasotti, musician, lutenist, conductor, researcher and philosopher shares fascinating insights into his musical passion, the “medieval music,” in particular the musical style known as Ars subtilior. Thrilled by the refinement, elegance and complexity of this music, moved by its dulcedo and sensuality, Pasotti shares his discoveries of the layers of subtle information between the lines in the manuscripts of the period.
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo : Speaking in Song
Ottavio Dantone shares his insights into the modernity of Monteverdi's musical language in this interview and demonstrates recitar cantando, accompanying himself on the harpsichord, through some of the key moments in Claudio Monteverdi´s masterpiece L'Orfeo. The interview took place in the Teatro Comunale di Ferrara where Dantone conducted L'Orfeo, staged for performance conditions similar to those in which the opera would have been performed in the 17th century.