Happiness Is a Warm Harp, In This Case

The Fogg Art Museum houses art of all shapes, sizes and genres, from 14th-century church relics to abstract expressionist canvases. On November 16, the Fogg played host to another, more fleeting art form for a few hours. On that evening, the Cambridge Society for Early Music held the first concert of its 18th season in the courtyard of the Fogg--the first time the space has been used by the society. It proved to be the ideal setting for the "Chamber Music by Candlelight" concert entitled "Harp and Double Harp," featuring acclaimed harpist Andrew Lawrence-King.

The atmosphere of the concert could not have been more perfect. A small platform placed in a back corner of the courtyard served as the stage around which folding chairs were intimately grouped. The lights in and around the three-story courtyard were turned off, a few small spotlights illuminating the stage and the stone walls behind, casting eerie shadows into the archways framing the scene. The simple, classic European backdrop was the ideal setting for the 17th- and 18th-century music that was played. Though I had been looking forward to real candlelight, I came to accept the fact that since we were in a museum, having open flames would probably not be the best idea. The spotlights sufficed however, and it was a small matter to have to imagine candlelight when the rest of the scene was such a fairy tale.

The concert began with Italian pieces, lulling and melodic despite the sirens that could be heard from the nearby fire station, and the chimes of the antique clock housed in the Fogg which insisted on making a considerable amount of noise every half-hour. The harp is a very beautiful, simple and intimate instrument. There is no bow or any other intermediary between the player and the instrument, and the harpist actually seems to be embracing the instrument most of the time. The music itself was harmonious and regal, conjuring images of royal courts, Shakespearean plays and village fairs. Especially enjoyable was "Gagliarda," by Carlo Gesualdo, which according to Lawrence-King contains "entirely enough ornamentation," and was filled with trills and other complex forms of auditory decoration. The most engaging piece was an improvised "Paradetas" at the end of the first half of the concert. The piece was lively and quick, with a catchy, easily discernible melody and much "percussion," which was accomplished by hitting the wooden body of the harp.

The second portion of the concert featured English pieces, some of which were performed on a "normal" Renaissance harp, an instrument about the size of an abnormally large cat and held in the lap similarly. These ballads, with names like "My thoughts are winged with hope" and "Watkin's Ale" combined with the petite harp to bring to mind images of wandering minstrels. The last piece, "Amarilli," was an effective and thoughtfully chosen ending, as it combined the Italian and English traditions, drawing together the first and second halves of the concert.

Between each group of pieces, Lawrence-King inserted relevant historical and technical information in his soothing, English-accented voice. He briefly demonstrated the three rows of strings on the double harp (a seeming irony), which encompass all the notes of a piano. He also explained the necessity of reaching through the strings on the outer rows to reach the sharps and flats which lie in the middle row, which made all the more obvious the tremendous skill and agility required to play the harp as beautifully as Lawrence-King does.

Lawrence-King is an ideal person to introduce early music, as he has quite an impressive background. He won an Organ Scholarship to Cambridge and attended the London Early Music Center. He is the Baroque conductor and founder and director of two ensembles, has made solo recordings and was the recipient of two significant awards.

Despite these credentials, I was not blown away by the performance--impressed, but not blown away. The pieces became quite repetitive after a while, probably a result of the genre of music and no fault of Lawrence-King's. At the same time, the music was soothing and enjoyable, and I appreciated the informative format of the concert, namely the fact that the pieces and instruments were discussed a bit. It was impossible to leave without having learned something. Hopefully the Society for Early Music, and other musical organizations, will continue to bring their art forms to the Fogg, where it can float among those African masks and Renaissance portraits for an evening.