Harp

This year’s issue in the “Austria, land of music” stamp series is the harp, an instrument used not only in classical music but also in folk, pop, and jazz.

A harp consists of a column, curved neck, knee block, and soundbox. Its strings are stretched parallel to the column, with some colour-coded for orientation. The strings are plucked with the fingertips of both hands while the instrument rests slightly tilted against the player’s shoulder. The piece of music featured on the stamp is by Czech harpist and composer Johann-Baptiste Krumpholtz (1742–1790). Originally composed as the First Sonata for Harp and dedicated to a Madame de Willers, it was later reworked into the Second Symphony for Harp (Op. 11). The small sheet shows excerpts from the score, sourced from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. The upper edge of the sheet features a close-up of a harp’s neck, highlighting the intricate string mechanism.