History and Description of Harps

Twenty Years After The Founding of the Historical Harp Society:
Issues and Certainties About the History of the Harp

The study of the history of the harp is neither old nor recent. It has been considered for about the same length of time as that of the lute or the harpsichord. Unfortunately, the sources of information on the harp are more obscure. The first important student of harp history was Hand Joachim Zingel, a harpist and musicologist, who looked at the harp from the earliest references through the contemporary pedal harp, locating most of the sources we use now. His work provides an impressive list of “firsts” and develops important connections between music, liturgy, and imagery.

In the 1960’s, Joan Rimmer presented important documentation and studies of the instruments of Spain, Italy, and other parts of Europe. She also presented the concept of ethnomusicology - the study of living traditions (like the Welsh triple harp) linked to the past.

By the 1980’s, consideration was being given to new sources of information and problems of interpretation linked to the harp. In this decade, musicians also began to “reinvent” the use of the harp as a continuo instrument. Manuscripts were unearthed and presented. Extant harps were copied and reconstructed. This led to important collaboration between luthiers and musicians, taking a critical look at these extant instruments. In this atmosphere, the Historical Harp Society was founded.

The field of harp history now consists of several areas of study. They are surviving instruments, documents referring to instruments and players, and iconographical sources. Discussion of performance practices and historical playing techniques is also pursued. It has become apparent that all these lines of research are connected.

Following Joan Rimmer, harp history students also consider living harp traditions. These include Latin America, Southern Germany, Switzerland, Georgia, Siberia, and also those of Africa and Asia.

The study of existing instruments has also become more important. Reproductions are very important to both builders and musicians. In this area, there has been great growth in the past twenty years. One result has been a change in terminology, moving away from terms like “gothic” or “Celtic” to more neutral terms beginning with “single row” or “wire strung.”

Another important development has been in the translation of historic manuscripts and tablatures such as the Robert Ap Huw and Diego Fernandez de Huete tablatures. The study of these sources has become more scholarly and new perspectives have been applied.

The harp has also resumed its historic role in early music ensembles. More performances and recordings include harp in both ensemble and continuo uses. More university positions have been developed for historical harp studies.

The field of ethnomusicology has been very active in the last twenty years. Much work has been done on analyzing harp construction. More studies have been done of living traditions. Historical techniques have been revived and their original uses discovered. In this area, a lost tradition has been rescued and made to work again. The Spanish/Latin American connection has been deeply explored, as have the Bohemian and German traditions. Many extant instruments have been viewed and analyzed. Non-European harps have been discussed at historical harp conferences, including those of Burma, Africa, Indonesia, and the Caribbean. Work in this area is ongoing, and includes exposing wrong interpretations and analytical pitfalls. Other traditions (the Middle East, Georgia, Siberia, Scandinavia) and their connections to Europe are being studied. One area that still needs to be examined is the origins of these instruments - when, where, why, and how did they develop?

In the consideration of each issue, we can now list some certainties. The current definition of an historical harp now includes those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We have confirmed the interdependence of the various lines of research and underscored the need for cooperation between musicologists, builders, and performers. This is perhaps the most important development of the last twenty years, and a significant result of the annual workshop is that it enhances these links.

from a summary of a conference presentation at the 2003 Historical Harp Society Annual Conference

	The Historical Harp Society
A Brief History and Description of Historical Harps
What are historical harps? About historical harp research Photos, instruments' description	What Are Historical Harps? Historical Harp Research Twenty Years After The Founding of the Historical Harp Society: Issues and Certainties About the History of the Harp Photos and Instruments' Description Here we have a few harps representative of styles prominent in history. As our survey and iconography projects proceed, we may be able to enlarge our gallery.
The Historical Harp Society Purpose Contacts History Membership
HHS Publications Bulletin Journal Sheet Music Back issue index
HHS Events Conference brochure Workshop brochure Other HHS-Sanctioned events Conference history index Workshop history index
HHS Projects Survey Iconography Interviews
Members' Research Area
Member Links
HHS Listserve
Home Page
Additional Links to other sites on the history of the harp: Illustrations of Early Harps - from Thurau Harps Ancient Iconography - from Richard York Early Harp History - by Alison Vardy	Twenty Years After The Founding of the Historical Harp Society: Issues and Certainties About the History of the Harp The study of the history of the harp is neither old nor recent. It has been considered for about the same length of time as that of the lute or the harpsichord. Unfortunately, the sources of information on the harp are more obscure. The first important student of harp history was Hand Joachim Zingel, a harpist and musicologist, who looked at the harp from the earliest references through the contemporary pedal harp, locating most of the sources we use now. His work provides an impressive list of “firsts” and develops important connections between music, liturgy, and imagery. In the 1960’s, Joan Rimmer presented important documentation and studies of the instruments of Spain, Italy, and other parts of Europe. She also presented the concept of ethnomusicology - the study of living traditions (like the Welsh triple harp) linked to the past. By the 1980’s, consideration was being given to new sources of information and problems of interpretation linked to the harp. In this decade, musicians also began to “reinvent” the use of the harp as a continuo instrument. Manuscripts were unearthed and presented. Extant harps were copied and reconstructed. This led to important collaboration between luthiers and musicians, taking a critical look at these extant instruments. In this atmosphere, the Historical Harp Society was founded. The field of harp history now consists of several areas of study. They are surviving instruments, documents referring to instruments and players, and iconographical sources. Discussion of performance practices and historical playing techniques is also pursued. It has become apparent that all these lines of research are connected. Following Joan Rimmer, harp history students also consider living harp traditions. These include Latin America, Southern Germany, Switzerland, Georgia, Siberia, and also those of Africa and Asia. The study of existing instruments has also become more important. Reproductions are very important to both builders and musicians. In this area, there has been great growth in the past twenty years. One result has been a change in terminology, moving away from terms like “gothic” or “Celtic” to more neutral terms beginning with “single row” or “wire strung.” Another important development has been in the translation of historic manuscripts and tablatures such as the Robert Ap Huw and Diego Fernandez de Huete tablatures. The study of these sources has become more scholarly and new perspectives have been applied. The harp has also resumed its historic role in early music ensembles. More performances and recordings include harp in both ensemble and continuo uses. More university positions have been developed for historical harp studies. The field of ethnomusicology has been very active in the last twenty years. Much work has been done on analyzing harp construction. More studies have been done of living traditions. Historical techniques have been revived and their original uses discovered. In this area, a lost tradition has been rescued and made to work again. The Spanish/Latin American connection has been deeply explored, as have the Bohemian and German traditions. Many extant instruments have been viewed and analyzed. Non-European harps have been discussed at historical harp conferences, including those of Burma, Africa, Indonesia, and the Caribbean. Work in this area is ongoing, and includes exposing wrong interpretations and analytical pitfalls. Other traditions (the Middle East, Georgia, Siberia, Scandinavia) and their connections to Europe are being studied. One area that still needs to be examined is the origins of these instruments - when, where, why, and how did they develop? In the consideration of each issue, we can now list some certainties. The current definition of an historical harp now includes those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We have confirmed the interdependence of the various lines of research and underscored the need for cooperation between musicologists, builders, and performers. This is perhaps the most important development of the last twenty years, and a significant result of the annual workshop is that it enhances these links. from a summary of a conference presentation at the 2003 Historical Harp Society Annual Conference
Return to Table of Contents	Descriptions of Some Historic Harps with Photographs Here are photos and brief descriptions of some of the types of harp that have been prominent in musical history.
	Gothic-style Renaissance Harp These small harps were the standard harp throughout Europe in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period in music history. They were strung with gut strings at a much lower tension than we are accustomed to today. Earlier models had 19 to 22 strings, later harps were larger and had 26 to 30 strings. They were tuned diatonically, half steps usually accomplished by pressing the string against the neck near the top. Current scholarship tells us that these harps almost always employed brays, small L-shaped pegs that touch the string very lightly near the soundboard. The effect is a nasal rattling sound similar to a crumhorn or regal organ. The soundbox was generally hollowed from a plank of hardwood, giving the harp a distinctive plucked sound that differed from the lute, an instrument it often played with in consort.
	Wartburg Single-Row Harp (circa 1350-1450) This instrument was acquired during the middle of the 19th century for the art collection of the Wartburg Museum, Eisenach, Germany. It purportedly belonged to Oswald von Wolkenstein, who lived in Tyrol from 1377-1445. The original is beautifully inlayed with Certosinia-work. Some believe the inlay was added after the harp was built. It has 26 gut strings from F to c''', and a full set of brays. It is a 'carved-body' type and made of maple. It stands at 109 cm high.
	Italian Arpa Doppia This three-rank Italian harp of the late Renaissance or early Baroque period had 26 chromatic strings in the central row, with 24 trebles on the right, and 25 basses on the left. This gives a two octave diatonic duplication in the middle range of the harp. The center row of strings supplies all of the half steps, including the enharmonic notes. The range descends to GG (one and a half octaves below middle C). The soundbox is built up of hardwood staves, and the soundboard is maple, as were all but the latest examples.
	Early Spanish Harp The Spanish single rank and cross-strung harps generally had 29 diatonic strings, lowest note C, two octaves below middle C. The chromatic strings intersected, or went between, the diatonic strings, forming an X. In this way, all chromatic and diatonic strings were accessible to both hands at any point on the harp. The soundboard is very guitar-like, spruce with cross bracing, producing a marvelous sound. The single rank harp could be fretted against the neck for half steps.
	Wire strung harp Many would say that the ancient Irish harps are the predecessors of our current lever harps in spirit, if not in technical features. These instruments were wire strung (brass, iron, silver, or gold) often with the soundboxes carved from a single piece of willow (bog wood).
	Italian Double-Row Harp This harp is housed in the Musee` Instrumental du Conservatoire, Royal de Musique, Brussels, Belgium. It has a carved soundboard of maple and a five-staved back made of walnut with 52 chromatic notes, ranging from C to c''', all gut strings and without brays. This harp has been well studied and there is some controversy about its having been a triple row harp. It stands 156 cm tall. This harp is attributed to Martino Kaiser, Venice, 1675. One of the few extant harps with a label.
Return to Table of Contents	Editor (for ideas, submissions, questions about organization, etc.) Cheryl Pfeil von der Heyde, cpfeil@nomadharp.com Webmaster (to report broken links, other technical problems, etc.) David C. Nelson, dchristiannelson@sbcglobal.net	(c) 2007 Historical Harp Society All Rights Reserved Web site content by Cheryl Pfeil von der Heyde Designed by David Christian Nelson updated December 21, 2007