Alchimia Duo - Hinner, Cardon, Nadermann: The Queens’ Harp (2017)

Harps and ladies, harps and queens: the Parisian salons of the last decades of the Ancien Régime echoed sweet melodies created by the diaphanous hands of aristocratic maidens. Introduced in the capital by the German Goepfert in the 50’s of the 18th century, the harp became an instrument à la mode. Richly decorated by French luthiers, the harp offered the ladies an important chance to highlight their elegance. Its shape, in fact, suited to a young and beautiful woman: «a tant d’élégance, l’attitude que donne a tant de grâce, qu’il semble ne convenir à une femme que lorsqu’elle est jeune et belle.» (so elegant is the attitude given to such a charm that seems appropriate for a young and beautiful woman, ndt), Mme de Genlis wrote in her Nouvelle méthode pour apprendre à jouer de la harpe. […] (Translation by Chiara Damia)