Fetch my beloved harp once again,
Let me sing a tender melody;
Let me hear those sounds once more
Before I reach those bright shores.
The Old Musician and His Harp, William S. Pitts
Legend says that the harp is an instrument given to man by the gods to remind him of his divine roots. The golden sound of the harp is the music of heaven, and its strings are like sun rays framed by the wings of a great fairy butterfly.
The Harp throughout History
The oldest records of the harp date back to the 4th millennium BC, in Sumerian and Egyptian cultures. However, the harp can be found in almost all known cultures around the world, which speaks to its ancient connection with mankind. We find it in various forms and in temple depictions from various eras. From the 3rd millennium BC, we can trace it from the Indus Valley and throughout Southeast and South Asia, and further, throughout the centuries, among African peoples, in ancient Iran, Greece, and Rome, all the way to the Caucasus. It is interesting to note that the indigenous peoples of Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria also have their own traditional harp Until today, we have preserved a harp similar to the Egyptian one from four thousand years ago.
The first harps were of the arched type, where the body and neck form an arch without a front pillar, with three to seven strings. Rectangular harps were also made in the same way, without a front pillar, while in frame harps, characteristic of Europe, a pillar connecting the neck and resonator was added.
The first frame harps were found in depictions of the so-called Megiddo harp (in present-day Israel) and in Cycladic culture, where figures of sitting musicians playing harps were depicted in tombs.
In Europe, we have material evidence only from the 8th and 9th centuries. It is believed that the European harp originated from Celtic culture in the British Isles.
From the 9th to the 12th century, the harp was the main instrument of bards, later troubadours and other traveling musicians. It was highly valued at feudal courts, so, for example, French kings had at least six harp players in their orchestras.
Since the Renaissance period in Europe, three types of harps have been used. Three types of harp: ordinary, double, and Celtic harp. The Celtic harp, native to Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, is characterized by its metal strings and resonator and neck made from a single piece of wood, usually willow, poplar, or birch.
From Italian records from the 16th century, we learn that a Celtic harp with two rows of strings, one tuned to whole tones and the other to semitones, was brought to Italy at that time. In addition to this type, the double harp or arpa doppia was used in Italy in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The size and appearance of the harp have changed over time and across cultures. The prototype of today’s modern harp was designed in the 19th century by Sebastian Erard. He constructed a harp with a double row of pedals that raise and lower the pitch, and it has been preserved until today.
This harp became an orchestral instrument, equal to other solo instruments in the orchestra. The first significant works written solely for the harp or for the harp in duet with flute, violin, cello, and so on, were created. can be achieved using a clarinet or a horn.
Interestingly, most works written for the harp originated from harp virtuosos themselves, as they had a better understanding of its character and capabilities compared to most composers. Many of these harp virtuosos were honored with the title “royal court harpist.”
The French composer Hector Berlioz was the first to include the harp among orchestral instruments, and in his Symphonie fantastique, he wrote parts for two harps. It also found a prominent place in Tchaikovsky’s ballets, as well as in Liszt’s, Schumann’s, and Strauss’s symphonic poems and oratorios.
The harp found its most significant role in opera. In the 19th century, major European opera houses introduced the position of a permanent harpist in their orchestras and gradually increased the number of harps. Composers used the harp to evoke natural elements such as water, fire, and wind, as well as a mystical atmosphere. Richard Wagner later wrote passages for eight harps in his opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung, and in the finale of his opera Das Rheingold, the gods’ entrance into Valhalla is accompanied by the harp. It enchants accompanied by six harps.
In the second half of the 20th century, a true harp renaissance began worldwide, both in manufacturing and in performance and composition. Harp schools opened in all major European cities and on other continents. Today, there is also the World Harpist Association and Friends of the Harp.
Structure and mechanism
The basic parts of today’s harp with a double row of pedals are: a neck in the shape of a laid letter S, a resonating box, a soundboard, a pedal harp (a base with pedals), a column that connects the base to the neck, and strings, most commonly 46 or 47 of them.
The characteristic sound of the harp is the resonance of the strings that determines its sonority. Due to plucking and resonance, one string not only produces its fundamental tone but also creates other harmonic tones, thus giving a unique color to the tone itself. Its strings are very soft to pluck (compared to the strings of a double bass or some other stringed instrument). By lightly placing a finger on the string, further vibrations are stopped. sound scale harp is divided into three registers: deep, middle, and high register. The harp is played with eight fingers.
Tuning the harp is a very sensitive job and requires experience, excellent hearing, silence in the room, and a specific air temperature. Namely, the strings are sensitive to temperature and humidity, so for example, the pitch of the tones lowers with an increase in temperature.
Meaning of the harp
In ancient times, harpists were often honored citizens and advisors to kings. An example is ancient Egypt where harpists were highly respected individuals, and their names were recorded. Music accompanied temple ceremonies and was considered primarily a temple instrument, and playing the harp was part of the duties of the priests. It was often present in depictions of gods.
Two types of harps were used: the small portable (shoulder) harp and the large arched or angular harp. They could have 4 to 22 strings. The most widespread and common harp in ancient Egypt was the one with seven strings. Wire.
The Sumerians had a special symbol for the harp in their pictographic writing system, and being a harpist was a respected profession, second only to the supreme singer. In Ireland, harpists were often consulted before going to war and would lead soldiers into battle, playing the harp and singing about victory. In medieval Ireland and England, a debtor could have all their possessions seized except for the harp. Among the Franks, there was a strict punishment for anyone who harmed the hand of a harp player.
All these examples speak of the importance of the harp and its connection to all aspects of human life. It represented harmony, light, beauty, poetry, and sublimity. The sounds of the harp connected people to the music of the heavens, to the harmony that vibrates and brings harmony to the soul.
Many ancient cultures were aware of the beneficial effects of the harp on humans. With its soft silver tones, it could bring harmony, create order, and please the human strings, thus achieving the harmony of heaven and earth.
Celtic Harp
I Croatian mythology is particularly rich in legends and symbols related to the harp. For thousands of years, there have been stories about the beauty of the harp and the music that emanates from its strings, connecting people with the divine.
One myth says that Dagda, the king of the mythical divine tribe Tuatha de Dannan, who was revered for his deep knowledge and wisdom, possessed three objects with magical powers. One of them was the harp Uaithne (harmony). It was made of oak, adorned with jewels, and produced sound only when the king played it.
Dagda could evoke sadness, joy, or deep, peaceful dreams in people through his playing. He would play it for his soldiers when they went into battle to make them forget their fear, and upon their return from battle, to help them forget their wounds and sorrow for their fallen comrades. With the sound of the harp, he would also summon the beginning of the seasons and bring order. He carried it with him wherever he went, and when he called it, it would fly into his hands.
Irish harps were highly revered and were adorned lavishly. They adorned it with precious gold and silver decorations and intricately carved, making them invaluable treasures.