Godefroid, Psaume de David: Sing to the Lord a New Song
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Composer Felix Godefroid (1818-1897) was a Belgian harpist who was also a prolific composer. He studied the single-action pedal harp in Paris with François Joseph Naderman and then the recently developed double-action pedal harp with Elias Parish Alvars. Godefroid's music falls naturally into the harpists' hands. Melody - whether in the right or left hand - reigns supreme, rising out of shimmery repeated note patterns such as cross fingering, trills and thumb slides and singing out in harmonics or imitating the dark tones of the cello. Arpeggios prolong the ringing of pivotal chords, quick grace notes render heroic or elfin moods. Delightful filigree climbs over the whole range of the harp, while tremolo and bisbigliando effects over synonym notes whisper and quiver.
Godefroid's subject matters evoke the beauty of nature, the moods or popular tunes, romantic myths and fairy legends, exotic locales and sentimental religiosity. A master enchanter, he blazed a magic trail and, in retracing his steps, the works republished here will reveal, like sleeping beauties, the spell hiding behind their deceptive simplicity. Psaume de David (Sing to the Lord a new song…) combines the majesty of a grand hymn with quiet devotional expression. Set in the key of Cb major, it brings out the ringing quality of the harp, with wide rolled chords dominating a texture that also features arpeggios and running figures.
For depth of interpretation in this piece, it is important to go back in time to the second half of the 19th century, in France, and remember a religious atmosphere steeped in sentiment. Think of Cesar Franck, another Belgian from the same generation, also settled in Paris, and his Panis angelicus.
For the intermediate-advanced pedal harpist.
5 pages
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