The Italian Baroque Harp

Rehearsals have begun for the extraordinary Monteverdi madrigals that will be performed in the Saturday festival concert, ‘Songs of Love and War’. The concert includes Antoine Melette-Chénier with his Italian baroque harp, which will also be heard in ‘Sonate Concertate’ on Friday, and at Sunday’s Choral Evensong Service.

You are likely familiar with the modern pedal harp, in a symphony orchestra or playing beautiful romantic music, or the popular Celtic harp, which brings the traditional repertoire of Celtic cultures – as well as Canadian folk music – to our ears. The baroque harp is a different beast altogether, reflecting a wonderful evolution of the instrument that occurred at the end of the Italian Renaissance. 

This instrument is called arpa doppia in Italian, because it is very large (twice the size of the renaissance ‘gothic’ harps that preceded it), and because it has a low bass register (we also say ‘double-bass’, ‘double-bassoon’ for instruments with low bass notes). The instrument that will be heard at this year's festival has three parallel rows of strings, providing the chromatic and diatonic notes. The two outer rows are tuned like the white keys of the keyboard, and the inner row is tuned like the black keys of the piano; the harpist navigates by plucking strings on that chromatic inner row as needed, to play all the sharps and flats required. The low gut bass strings allow for deep and clear bass lines, while the extended high register allows the harp to soar and improvise above the range of the human voice.

Starting from the early 1600's, harpists played accompaniment, most often being part of a basso continuo ensemble, along with the harpsichord, organ, viola da gamba, and various sizes of lute. The harp, as part of the ensemble, becomes a bit of a chameleon. It may take the role and sound of the lutes, the theorbo, the guitar, the harpsichord or the harp itself. Its sparkly high register and lush bass notes are perfect for accompanying in an intimate musical setting (like the instrumental program of Friday night), or adding colour, sparkles and rhythm to a big ensemble, as you will hear on the Saturday program as well as for the Choral Evensong service on Sunday.

Harpists also played solo music, just like the keyboardists and lutenists, and often borrowed from other instruments’ repertoire, as well as from vocal music, playing fashionable madrigals while adding their own florid ornamentation – called diminutions – to the original pieces. They also played dance music and improvised, in both sacred and secular musical settings.

The program of musical gems from the Italian 17th century instrumental repertoire that you will hear on Friday night promises to be full of surprises and delight. Having the luxury of varying the accompaniments between the harp, organ, harpsichord and viola da gamba, while improvising countermelodies to the melodic violins, will prove to be an endless treasure chest of delightful textures, melodies and dances.