Harps

The maize (Zea mays L.) late wilt disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthiopsis maydis, is considered the most severe threat to commercial maize production in Israel and Egypt. Various control strategies have been inspected over the years. The current scientific effort is focusing on eco-friendly approaches against the disease. The genus Trichoderma, a filamentous soil and plant root-associated fungi, is one of the essential biocontrol species, demonstrating over 60% of all the listed biocontrol agents used to reduce plant infectious diseases. They produce different enzymes and elicit defense responses in plants, playing a significant role in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, hyphal growth, and plant growth promotion. Trichoderma asperellum was found to have biocontrol ability and protect crops against various plant pathogenic fungi, including the maize late wilt disease causal agent. This research aimed at isolating and identifying T. asperellum secondary metabolites with antifungal action against M. maydis. From T. asperellum growth medium, the 6-Pentyl-α-pyrone secondary metabolite was isolated and identified with high potent antifungal activity against M. maydis. This compound previously exhibited antifungal activities towards several plant pathogenic fungi. Achieving clean and identified T. asperellum active ingredient(s) secreted product(s) is the first step in revealing their commercial potential as new fungicides. Follow-up studies should test this component against the LWD pathogen in potted sprouts and the field.

This article is aimed at two groups of readers. First, we present an interactive guide to pitch on the pedal harp for anyone wishing to teach or learn about harp pedaling and its associated pitch possibilities. We originally created this in response to a pedagogical need for such a resource in the teaching of composition and orchestration.

Secondly, for composers and theorists seeking a more comprehensive understanding of what can be done on this unique instrument, we present a range of empirical-theoretical observations about the properties and prevalence of pitch structures on the pedal harp and the routes among them. This is particularly relevant to those interested in extended-tonal and atonal repertoires. A concluding section discusses prospective theoretical developments and analytical applications.

Esta obra está sujeta a la licencia de Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 4.0 España de Creative Commons. Puede copiarla, distribuirla y comunicarla públicamente siempre que cite su autor y la revista que lo publica (TRANS-Revista Transcultural de Música), agregando la dirección URL y/o un enlace a este sitio: www.sibetrans.com/trans. No la utilice para fines comerciales y no haga con ella obra derivada. La licencia completa se puede consultar en Resumen La vigencia y la supervivencia de expresiones musicales tradicionales con raíces en un pasado más o menos lejano y su evolución a través del tiempo es desde hace algunas décadas una temática clave inseparable de la etnomusicología. ¿De qué manera el público y los músicos van a manejar las tradiciones que consumen o practican? ¿Cómo se sitúa cada individuo en el marco de estos procesos, a veces muy virulentos? ¿Tienen los músicos que defender con garras y dientes el legado de sus antepasados, o más bien iniciar procesos de adaptación y modernización de estilos antiguos? Estas interrogantes dan origen a este artículo, que trata de brindar un panorama actual de la tradición del arpa en Huamanga, Ayacucho (Perú), y de los retos que enfrenta la música de esta ciudad desde hace dos décadas, después de la oscura época de la violencia política que dejó abiertas heridas sentimentales, espirituales y musicales. Abstract The validity and survival of traditional musical expressions rooted in a more or less distant past and its evolution over time is – after having been reintroduced into our discipline by adaption of historical (re-) studies – a key theme of ethnomusicology. How are the audience and the musicians going to manage the traditions they consume or practice? How does each individual place himself in the context of these – sometimes highly virulent – processes? Do the musicians have to defend the legacy of their ancestors tooth and nail, or should they rather initiate processes of adaptation and modernization of ancient styles? These questions stand at the origin of this article which tries to provide a current overview of the harp tradition in Huamanga, Ayacucho (Peru), and the challenges faced by the music of this city since two decades, after the dark years of political violence, which have left still open sentimental, spiritual and musical wounds.

The original harp repertoire is rather limited. It seems there are two efficient ways to help its increase : contemporary creation on the one hand, and transcription on the other. This study questions the relation between early music and a current way of transcribing for harp the eighteenth century french harpischord repertoire. Transcription is here considered as an unwritten practice that comes close to interpretation, and like interpretation and translation, it faces fundamental issues which seem paradoxical : spirit and letter, idiomatism and fidelity. Transcription forces the performer to face his own limits as well as his intrument’s, and it favours the encounter with the otherness of a writing that is free of any familiar gesture. Transcription is one of the best ways to comprehend the transcribed repertoire, the instrument the piece is being transcribed for, and the relationship the performer has with his instrument.
The transcription for harp of the eighteenth century french harpischord repertoire will be examined first under a historic angle, then, with esthetic concerns raised by the paradox between idiomatism and fidelity, and finally, the issue of the limits and impossibilities will be studied from a technical and practical approach.

Father Pius Hancke’s music collection includes numerous pieces written for harp. Its out-standing repertoire and provenance distinguishes it from other monastic collections. Hancke expanded it throughout his life and took it with him when moving home. He spent the last thirty years of his life in the Dominican monastery in Nysa. Music for the liturgy contained in his collection (masses, litanies) was certainly used there and is currently the only testimony of that monastery’s musical culture. Besides liturgical compositions, Hancke’s collection includes a number of instrumental pieces for harp with the accompaniment of other instruments and contrafacta of operatic arias. The latter often include parts arranged for harp, probably by Hancke himself. The scriptors’ names link this collection to a unique manuscript containing a Credo ascribed to Antonio Vivaldi.

The collection of Pius Hancke’s works includes numerous pieces written for the harp. Its outstanding repertoire and provenance distinguishes it from other monastic collections. The collection belonged to the monk who developed it during his whole life and carried it with him when changing places he lived in. Last 30 years of his life Pius Hancke spent in Dominican monastery in Nysa. Notes used during the liturgy (masses, litanies) certainly were used there and currently are the only testimony of the music culture of this monastery. Next to liturgical pieces Hancke’s collection includes a number of instrumental pieces for the harp with the accompaniment of other instruments and contrafacta of opera arias. The latter often include arrangements of harp parts, most probably made by Hancke himself. Scriptors’ names relate this collection to the unique manuscript containing Antonio Vivaldi’s Credo.

The Lamont and Queen Mary harps of National Museums Scotland are two of the oldest surviving examples of the harp of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. Growing interest in these iconic instruments has led to a need for new research into their materials and construction. With recent advances in imaging and analytical tools, these instruments can now be examined and understood to a much greater degree than previously possible.

With this in mind, the authors have undertaken a research project to study the Lamont and Queen Mary harps. Each harp underwent CT-scanning, and a visual and photographic survey, with x-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy of selected areas of interest.  The CT scanning was conducted at the Clinical Research Imaging Centre of Queen's Medical Research Institute, and the survey and laboratory analysis were conducted at the National Museums Scotland Collection Centre.

This paper presents the initial findings of this project. The interior construction of the harps, hidden internal damage and repairs, pattern of the wood grain, and current state of the wood are discussed. Results of the visual and photographic survey and analysis of the composition of pigments and metal parts are also presented and discussed in the context of the findings from the CT scans. Additionally, contour maps of the soundboard thickness generated from the CT scanning data for each harp are presented.

"Resumen: En el presente artículo se esgrimen los argumentos históricos, estilísticos y técnicos utilizados para la adaptación y orquestación de la obra original para arpa cromática y piano Prélude, Valse et Rigaudon, del compositor Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947), trabajo realizado por Juan Francisco Sans y Cecilia de Majo en 2002, que se encuentra comprendido dentro del marco de un proyecto más general de orquestaciones de obras de autores venezolanos del siglo XX que adelanta el autor de este escrito.

Palabras clave: Reynaldo Hahn, arpa cromática, arpa a pedales, Debussy, Ravel, concierto."

"RESUMEN

En este artículo se aborda el problema de los géneros musicales, la tradición y la autoría intelectual de la música llamada folklórica a partir del examen de un caso particular, cual es el de José Cupertino Ríos, músico del llano venezolano de comienzos del siglo XX. Surgido en un momento histórico donde no existían posibilidades de difundir su música a través de medios masivos, y donde tampoco se llevaban registros autorales (por no existir tampoco sociedades de gestión  ni leyes de propiedad intelectual), se atribuyen a Ríos gran cantidad de obras musicales que en la actualidad se han "folklorizado", es decir, han pasado a constituir parte del acervo cultural colectivo y anónimo. Tratar de dilucidar si las piezas tienen o no autoría intelectual reconocida, y validar los testimonios recogidos en otros tiempos referentes a esta leyenda de la música llanera, puede constituir un desafío importante al tan debatido anonimato inherente a las obras pertenecientes al folklore.  "