Another opera/harp question
CherubLL@aol.com
Wed, 28 Aug 1996 19:37:08 -0400
Have you ever played harp in the opera Hoffman? I ask because I was just
listening to a studio recording of it today. In the 3rd act the heroine is
suppose to be singing and accompanying herself on a harpsichord. Further
into the scene, she sings while her lover accompanys her on the same
instrument. The problem is one doesn't hear any harpsichord.....just a harp.
I was wondering if it's actually scored that way, or if it was simply a
substitution. A harpsichord is not a difficult instrument for a professional
orchestra to come up with. The libretto says harpsichord, but it's a harp
coming out of the pit.
Lin