SKU: UT.MAG-221

ISBN 9790215318625. 9 x 12 inches.

Martin-Pierre Dalvimare, born in 1770, in Dreux (Eure-et-Loir), from a distinguished family, learnt music as an entertainment art, and was obliged to make it a resource for his existence, after the troubles of the Revolution in 1789. He had acquired a remarkable talent for the harp; when he arrived in Paris he made a very good impression. Then, man of the world, knowledgeable in many fields, which is rare for a musician, he was welcome everywhere, and very soon came in friendly terms with some of the most renowned artists and men of letters of his times. The marriage certificate of the poet Legouve (15 pluviose of the year XI, or February 1803, 12th municipality of Paris), shows that Dalvimare was one of his best men and that at the time he was thirty-two years old. He became harpist of the Opera in the year VIII (1800), and was definitively confirmed in the month of fructidor of the year IX. At the time of the institution of the emperor Napoleon's private music, M. Dalvimare was appointed as his harpist. In September 1807 he obtained the title of harp master of the empress Josephine. A lucky change of his fortune allowed this artist to renounce to practise his talent for living, he resigned from all of his positions on March, 12th, 1812, and he retired in Dreux, where he still was living in 1837. For a peculiar weakness, he does not like to speak about his artist career, which had been entirely honourable, and he would like to forget his success too. His first composition was a symphonie concertant for harp and horn, which he composed with Frederic Duvernoy, and published in the year VII (1798); notwithstanding, he counted as his first opus a collection of romances with accompaniment of piano or harp, which he later published with Pleyel.

In 1809 Dalvimare composed, for the theatre Feydeau, a one-act opera-comique called The Marriage for Imprudence. The music was weak; the work did not succeed, and people used to say that the greatest imprudence had been the one of the authors who had it performed. Nevertheless, the score of this opera was published in Paris by erard. (Francois-Joseph Fetis).

SKU: HL.48181024

UPC: 888680878566. 9x12 inches.

French harpist and composer, Henriette Renié (1875-1956) lived in poverty for much of her life. However, this did not stop her from composing significant works for the harp, including Legend of the Elves inspired the poem of the same name by French poet, Leconte de Lisle. Despite being a talented composer, Renié lived at a time where fame and success was socially unacceptable for women. In 1903, she composed her substantial work for harp, Legend of the Elves. As a highly virtuosic work, this Renié piece displays use of cadenza passages, exploitation of tonality, complex rhythms and variety in performance directions. For advanced harpists, Renié's Legend of the Elves is an exciting and varied addition to the repertoire.

SKU: HL.48180979

UPC: 888680878399. 9x12 inches.

French harpist and composer, Henriette Renié (1875-1956) lived in poverty for much of her life. However, this did not stop her from composing significant works for the harp, including Grandmother Tells a Story, an easy piece for beginners of the instrument. Despite being a talented composer, Renié lived at a time where fame and success was socially unacceptable for women. In 1940, Grandmother Tells a Story was published. As a easy piece, this Renié work is suitable for beginners of the instrument, including detailed performance directions and fingerings. For all beginner harpists, Renié's Grandmother Tells a Story is an exciting and varied addition to the repertoire.

SKU: HL.48181026

UPC: 888680878597.

This book, the first volume of Famous Studies for the Harp - Fifty Studies, Op. 34 by Nicolas-Charles Bochsa, was dedicated to J.B. Cramer. Edited and arranged according to Hasselmans's methods by R. Martenot, it features the studies 1 to 25 for intermediate harp players and above. This volume is followed by a second book including the studies 26 to 50. Nicolas-Charles Bochsa (1789-1856) was a musician and composer able to play the flute, the piano and the harp. He became the harpist of the Imperial Orchestra but had to move to London where he was one of the founders of the Royal Academy of Music.