Description
Oberthür Song Without Words no. 17, “Ah, Be Not Sad”, from Trois Romances
Watch Charlotte Trinh perform Song Without Words No. 17:
Charles Oberthür (1819-1895) enjoyed a successful cosmopolitan career that took him from Germany to France and Belgium, to finally settle in England. Since his recent bicentennial, a re-evaluation of his contributions is definitely in order. Like Bochsa, he composed prolifically, flooding the market with a constant stream of harp pieces, both original and arranged. He did more than anyone else to establish a universal and popular vocabulary for the harp, which lasted past the jazz age. Unfortunately, his famous Method is now out of print. Nonetheless, his favorite technical and expressive ideas survive, codified, in his charming 12 Exercises and 24 Preludes.
