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132 - Chromatic burr harp, without pedal, with 78 strings, resting…
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Estimate €500 - €700
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Description
Chromatic burr harp, without pedal, with 78 strings, resting on claw feet. Inscribed in ink "Pleyel (Paris), 900. Harpe Syste, Gve Lyon, breveté". Circa 1900. Damage to the veneer and missing parts. H. 188 cm Related work : - Collection of the Musée de la Philharmonie de Paris, Inventory no. E.983.8.1. At the request of several musicians, Gustave Lyon (1857-1936), director of the Pleyel company, registered a patent in 1894 for a new model of harp without a pedal, known as the "chromatic harp". It is based on the principle of the cross-strung harp, which has existed since the sixteenth century, but the characteristic feature of chromatic harps is that they have one string for each semitone. The tension borne by the instrument, higher than on a classical harp, meant that the console and column had to be made of metal and the strings had to be attached to a metal windchest inside the body. This type of harp was not made until the late 1920s. Gustave Lyon [1], a former polytechnician and director of Pleyel, Wolff & Cie, developed a chromatic harp in 1894 which was first exhibited at the Brussels Universal Exhibition (1897). It had no pedals and 76 strings divided into two rows: 44 for the left hand and 32 for the right. It was tuned in C major, whereas the diatonic pedal harp is tuned in C flat. Without pedals, its solid wooden body gives a warmer sound. There were plans to add pedals to the chromatic harp to improve chromaticism and glissandi, but the war of 14-18 prevented the project from coming to fruition. The harp ceased to be manufactured in 1930, and teaching fell into disuse. The chromatic harp was taught at the Paris Conservatoire from 1903 to 1933 and at the Brussels Conservatoire from 1900 to 1953 and again from 1978 to 2005.
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About the sale Classical collections - Musical instruments
Auction location
Auction time 06/15/2026 at 2:00 PM
Lot description modified on 06/10/2026 at 10:07 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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