"It’s a good idea to fine-check even the most basic principles, starting with the way you sit and hold yourself at the harp: it’s easy unintentionally to develop a way of playing that’s not helpful to your progress and sound."

 

Thus opens the introduction to this fine new tutor for the harp. Written by Kathryn Rees, Head of the Harp Department at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama since 2022, this multi-talented harpist and teacher has directed Wales' important Harp Department on the principles of solid technique and musicianship.

 

Highly recommended by Skaila Kanga and covering the 'Basics' up to advanced techniques, this publication can help the teacher (and, perhaps, the parent!) guide the student  into developing a solidity of playing which will engender a fine sound and comprehensive expressive range. There are 27 exercises and 9 Etudes.

Fel yr ysgrifenna Kathryn Rees yn ei rhagymadrodd i’r llyfr:

“Dechreuodd fy nhaith ar drywydd datblygu sylfaen technegol da yn hwyrach yn fy hyfforddiant. Ar y pryd roeddwn yn dechrau fy ngradd mewn conservatoire, a than y pwynt hynny doeddwn heb sylweddoli pwysigrwydd techneg gadarn.  Felly, yn sydyn iawn, roeddwn ar gwrs gradd oedd yn mynnu ar yr egwyddorion sylfaenol hyn. O ganlyniad, sylweddolais yn eithaf  cyflym bod y newidiadau yn fy chwarae yn trawsnewid fy sain a rhwyddineb fy mherfformio mewn ffordd ddramatig."

Mae’r tiwtor newydd hwn i’r delyn wedi’i ysgrifennu gan Kathryn Rees,  a gafodd ei  hapwyntio yn 2022 yn Bennaeth Adran y Delyn, Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a  Drama Cymru. Mae Kathryn yn delynores amryddawn ac yn athrawes wych sydd yn sicrhau seiliau technegol cadarn i bob un o’i disgyblion.

Fel y dywed yn y bennod gyntaf:

“Mae’n syniad da i wirio’r egwyddorion mwyaf sylfaenol yn fanwl, gan ddechrau gyda’r ffordd yr ydych yn eistedd a dal eich hun wrth y delyn. Mae’n hawdd datblygu arferion anghywir yn anfwriadol, ac o ganlyniad amharu ar eich datblygiad a’ch sain."

Wedi’i argymell gan Skaila Kanga, mae’r llyfr hwn yn trin hanfodion canu’r delyno’r camau cyntaf hyd at dechnegau uwchraddol - ac felly gall y llyfr hwn fod o gymorth mawr i athrawon (ac efallai  hefyd i riant!), gan arwain y myfyriwr i ddatblygu chwarae cadarn fydd yn arwain at sain brydferth a chwarae deallus yn llawn mynegiant. Mae’r llyfr yn cynnwys 27 o ymarferiadau a 9 Etude.

Intermediate to advanced level.

Yma gellir lawrlwytho yr holl dudalennau rhagarweiniol.

Arranged and edited by Delphine Constantin-Reznik.

Piano reduction by Brian Raby.

 

The recently rediscovered Swedish harpist and composer Anton Edvard Pratté (1796-1875), once described by his contemporaries as "the Harpking of the North", composed over 200 works and enjoyed an illustrious career as a harp virtuoso, both in Scandinavia and Continental Europe, alongside other illustrious figures such as Elias Parish-Alvars (1808-1849) and Nicholas-Charles Bochsa (1789-1856). Interestingly, a critic compared Pratté´s playing with the latter, stating that Pratté was "the teacher" and Bochsa "the student"!

 

We are extremely grateful to harpist Delphine Constantin-Reznik for the opportunity for us to be the first to publish Pratté's harp music and for her dedication, hard work, enthusiam and diligence throughout this huge project. It is through her passion for pursuing new repertoire for the harp and researches in Swedish archives which has resulted in the unexpected discovery of the works of this Romantic harp virtuoso and prolific composer who, coincidentally, lived in the very same region and town as she does herself: Norrköping, Eastern Sweden.

Delphine writes:

"I am thrilled to present to you here the Grand Concert for Harp and Orchestra by the recently rediscovered Bohemian harp-virtuoso and composer Anton Edvard Pratté (1796-1875). You will find the Harp part with my fingering and other suggestions, as well as the very practical piano reduction of this concerto by Brian Raby. For the orchestra parts and score, you are welcome to contact me at dcr.harp@gmail.com.

Please note that this beautiful and large 45-minute work could be performed alternatively as follows: either the 1st movement alone, making the piece a 20- minute Concertino, or by playing the Andante followed by the Rondo Polacca alla Svedese as one piece of approximately 25 minutes. I had the honor to record this Concerto for BIS Records a few years ago, and the album can be found on all digital platforms.

I hope you will enjoy working on and performing this wonderful piece!"

Delphine Constantin-Reznik

A new composition from the highly talented Haldon Evans, this is a diverse and brilliant suite of five dances that invokes a day in the life of a busy musician.

As such, the emotional tone of each dance mirrors a mood suggested by a particular moment in time. The movements draw freely on stylised Latin dance rhythms, with elements of Celtic folk music emerging in the finale.

 

For standard Brass Quintet - 2 trumpets, horn, trombone & tuba.

 

Excellent recital material indeed!

 

Advanced level.

This edition of Antonio Vivaldi’s sonata RV44 in A minor for cello and basso continuo is a version adapted for bassoon or cello and harp, based on the arrangers' Youtube videos and CD recording of the piece. In this edition, all our notations (dynamics, phrasing, fingerings, pedaling, etc.) should be seen as suggestions, as baroque music allows many ways for interpretation.

 

A fine choice for recital programmes.

 

Arranged and edited by Delphine Constantin-Reznik and Roman Reznik.

 

Advanced level.