Single action harp: Louis XVI harp

Handmade facsimile of a French pedal harp after 18th century masters as Naderman, Renault & Chatelain, Cousineau and others. This type of the early pedalharp reached its highest reputation in Paris (Marie-Antoinette) and is suited for a wide repertoire reaching from Krumpholtz and Cardon up to Rameau and Spohr. Mozart has written his fl/hp-concerto for this type of single action harp.

The original single action crotchet system (“à crochets”) gives the authentic prerequisite to 18th century playing techniques. The tone is full and warm with clear, brilliant voicing, excellent timbre.

39 gut strings F1 - bb3 (415 / 430 / 440 Hz). Hight 167 cm; 15 kg.
On request: painted sound board

Sound samples: CECILIA BARTOLI is accompanied by Margret Köll playing a WOLF harp:

» CECILIA BARTOLI YouTube

» Masumi NAGASAWA plays Rameau mp3

Documentary:

» DVD: Building a Louis XVI-Harp

Gothic Harp: These harps are found in numerous iconographic sources around 1500 (this type of harp should be named correctly "Renaissance harp with Gothic shape"). My model is built closely after the “Nuremberg” type. The slim body is hollowed out of one piece of maple or cherry wood.

The short lute-like tone is typical of the period. By adjusting the bray-pins the Gothic harp obtains a characteristic timbre, so that it marks clearly in a Renaissance consort. On the diatonic instrument the semitones can be reached by appropriate tuning or by "squeezing" the string with the thumb nail.

26 gut strings. Hight 110 cm; weight 2,5 kg.
Various tunings and pitches, 415, 440, 466, 494 Hz. (common example: G – d3 at 440 Hz).

Sound samples:

» mp3: N. LLOPIS played without bray-pins

» mp3: A. VOLLENWEIDER played with bray-pins

MARTA GRAZIOLINO playing with the group TETRAKTYS:

» TETRAKTYS YouTube

Small Harp made after hook harps from around 1800 in late Baroque style with a body-shell made of seven ribs, spruce soundboard. Bright, powerful tone and very warm timbre. As a lever harp it is equipped with modern semitone levers by CAMAC, thus it is equally suitable for professionals and pretentious amateurs for multifarious purposes. Today such a harp is often (but incorrectly) called Celtic Harp.

I make this successful model in three different styles: French with a scroll, in Italian elegancy or in German style. Equipped with historical hooks on request.

34 gut strings C - a3 (415/440 Hz). Height 146 cm. Weight 7,5 kg.

» mp3: E. WITSENBURG: Minuet [222kB]