Beethoven for Harp

The invention of the chromatic pedal, which simplified playing, made the harp much more popular. The harp became so popular that Beethoven wrote his "Variations on a Swiss Song" for harp or piano. Later his most popular pieces were arranged, such as the "Moonlight Sonata", which was virtuosically transcribed by John Thomas, the harpist of Queen Victoria. The "Divertissements pour la harpe" were previously attributed to Beethoven, but were possibly written by his contemporary and acquaintance, count Karl Wilhelm von Haugwitz. Paola Perrucci, one of Italy's most prominent harpists, plays on an Érard harp (with the exception of the Adagio grazioso, Op. 31, No. 1, which she plays on a modern instrument). She followed in the footsteps of her father (Mario Perrucci) and became a musician and composer. At age seventeen, she graduated cum laude from the Pesaro conservatory. She continued her studies at the Accademia Nazionale di S. Cecilia and later in Vienna. She also obtained a diploma in composition from the Bologna conservatory. Perrucci is an advocate for rare and historical harp works and performs repertoire from the Renaissance to the present.