And now for something different and fascinating

[lady_kishiria]

Watch on YouTube

A selection from a recitation of Gilgamesh, accompanied by a reproduction of the beautiful bulls-head "Lyre of Ur". As everyone knows, I'm obsessed with antique musical instruments and this is the great-grandmama of them all.

Comments

[garpu.livejournal.com]

God almighty. It was playing that god-forsaken Glenn Campbell song vanatru linked to when I was trying to play it from my LJ.

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

Hit refresh and try again. It's playing what it's supposed to be playing on my LJ.

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Yah, was interesting. Made my stomach drop to hear it had been stolen when the Baghdad museum was looted.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Well, of course, I've wandered off on a different tangent. I'm reminded of Robert taking me to a concert by a famous harpsichordist in ... 1974-75? and, before intermission, he asked how many in the audience had built their own instruments. That memory has just made me nostalgic to have my own harpsichord. Because ... quiet, elegant ... and I played one when with the Hart House Chorus.

Totally off-topic though melodious and harmonious hugs,
H.

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

Will you hate me if I say that harpsichord music drives me crazy? Can't stand it.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

No, of course not. If I don't hit you over the head with my instrument, there's no need for you to hit me over the head with yours.

Differing opinions on different instruments.

And, of course, you never heard me say nya nya nya nya nya.

I-need-to-go-to-sleep hugs,
H.

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

You don't like HARP?

Even if the concert grands are scary as hell....

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Hey, are we having a discussion about this?????

It's not that I don't LIKE the harp, but I don't love it. It also has to do with the fact that I couldn't play one, even 3 decades ago. The whole shifting tonalities (I think you know what I mean) would confuzzle me and the position would pretzel me.

OTOH, I'd even started to learn how to play the organ, when I was the pianist at Newman Chapel in the mid 70s. It was fun, it was challenging, and my feet knew what they were doing.

Anyway, my feet are leading me to bed.
Nighty-night hugs,
H.

[kishiriadgr.livejournal.com]

The theory behind the concert grand is simple enough. There is a pedal for each note in the octave. Lift, say, the F pedal with your toe and every F on the harp goes sharp. Punch it to the lowest position and they all go flat. Keep it level and they're natural. However, I've read that harpist pump iron to be able to slam down on those pedals with the right amount of force. I haven't tried it yet, but given the amount of tension in a *piano's* strings...

I favour the lever harp. Here is a video of Cheyenne Brown (who is amazing) playing one; note the lever changes. She even starts the piece with one: