No need to harp on about it
One is called the Attl technique after Kajetan Attl, in which apparently only the uppermost parts of the fingers move and the hand is largely still. There is a St. Petersburg school (more than one) in Russia in which the thumbs are moved in a circular fashion rather than in and out toward the hand.
The differences between the French schools lie in the posture of the arms, the shape of the hand and the musical esthetics. The traditional French schooling calls for the right arm to be lightly rested against the harp using the wrist to sometimes bring the hand only away from the string. The left arm moves more freely. The hands are more-or-less rounded, though the thumb is usually in a low position relative to the hand. Finger technique and control are the emphasis of the technical approach, with extensive use of exercises and etudes to develop this.
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No matter the school, it’s still an incredible talent.
Interesting. I went to Utube to find a clip of Alan Stivell and he played more or less as you described the French style.
Fascinating; all the different styles and sounds of the harp. That third one had a ‘musical box’ sound to it.
Something very Mac Benach about the harp.
I am not sure about all those different techniques but the first song for me is very much like the harp should sound. Gentle and melodic.
There’s something about the harp that no other instrument has. Stairway To Heaven sounded great.
Nothing more boring than the harp. I prefer the hurdy gurdy.