18th Harp

Superb harp from the 18th century Very beautiful state of conservation The invention of the single-movement harp is attributed to the German maker Hochbrücker (1699 - 1763). It was at the beginning of the 18th century that he developed the system of pedals on the harp, it can be single movement formerly Cousineau, Naderman, Chaillot, Renault, Louvet, Krupp or double movement Erard. In both cases, we are referring to the mechanism connecting the pedals to the strings to modify their length and allow the musical alterations to be played, that is to say sharps and flats. This improvement makes it possible to play learned music, in particular works for harpsichord. The German harpist Gaiffre (1827-1809) introduced the new instrument in Paris. The pedal harp, or classical harp, is the one used in symphony orchestras and in chamber music groups. It is the most sophisticated harp. There are 7 pedals which modify the 7 notes of the scale on all octaves. Paris soon became the most important center for the manufacture of harps. The single-movement harp was the model on which Marie-Antoinette and the Duchess of Guînes played, for whom Mozart composed his Concerto for flute and harp in 1778. The chromatic harp was invented in 1894 by Gustave Lyon, director of the Pleyel firm .