Eighteenth Century Music - Barbara Brundage

Standard: Intermediate to Advanced         Harp Type: Lever Harp

This book combines Three Baroque Favorites, the Handel Passacaille, and the Haydn Andante with Variations, along with five new arrangements. All are intended for a full-range lever harp tuned in E-flat.

Why does the Loeillet have two titles? This piece has long been a much-loved part of the pedal harp literature in an arrangement by Marcel Grandjany. He transcribed it as a "toccata"with a suggested tempo of quarter note = mm. 108. While it certainly makes a sparkling toccata, it is actually the opening allemande from Loeillet's fifth "suit" of harpsichord lessons.

The intrepid lever harpist who wishes to perform it at Mr. Grandjany's tempo may find it advisable to make the lever changes in measure 23, at least, with the right hand in the interests of speed. Similarly, those whose harps and lever technique will allow them to do so may prefer to make the lever changes in measures 40 and 41 of the Mozart with the right hand, although everything in this collection has been arranged so that all lever changes are possible using the left hand only.

Barbara Brundage

• Antonio Vivaldi: Largo from "Winter," Op. 8, no. 4
• Arcangelo Corelli: Giga, from Violin Sonata, Op. 9, no. 5 
• Jean-Baptiste Loeillet: Allemande (Toccata)
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Air (on the "G" String), BWV 1068
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Prelude in C, BWV 648
• Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata, K. 380, L. 23
• George Frideric Handel: Passacaille, HWV 432
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in C, K. 545, First Movement
• Franz Joseph Haydn: Andante with Variations, H. XVII:5 
• Luigi Boccherini: Minuet, Op. 11, no. 5