Harp Transcription

Overview

Researcher: Natalie Lo

I have always wanted to challenge the narrow range of repertoire usually written for the harp. Even with the large number of transcriptions available for harp solo, much piano and orchestral repertoire cannot be played on a single harp because of the instrument’s mechanical and technical limitations.

This project uses transcription as a practical way of working with these limitations, allowing music that is unplayable on one harp to be realised on two harps. I am particularly drawn to repertoire with dense harmonic writing and rapid tonal movement, such as Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No 4, where the harp’s pedal system presents clear physical challenges. Writing for two harps allows these challenges to be addressed by dividing material between the instruments, using different pedalling approaches and enharmonic spellings, and reshaping textures so that the music remains clear and playable. I also rewrite selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, redistributing orchestral lines across two harps to preserve rhythmic drive, colour and structural clarity rather than simplifying the original writing. Alongside this practical work, I examine how harp composers and performers have approached similar challenges in their own transcriptions by comparing different versions of the same works, considering where the line lies between transcription and arrangement and how musical decisions are shaped by the instrument itself.

Image: Huw Boucher and Natalie Lo (harp duo), with score extracts from Tchaikovsky's Pas De Deux from the Nutcracker