A World of Inspiration: An Interview with Breton Harper Tristan Le Govic
My interview with Tristan was recorded on June 4th of 2020 via Zoom from his home in Brittany. Since then Tristan welcomed his daughter Lena into the world. Tristan also has a new album, Dañs, Historical and modern dances from here and there . You can purchase it from Tristan’s website here: http://www.tristanlegovic.eu/stal.php?t=cdda
We chatted about how COVID has united the world and helps us appreciate the people we love and little things even more.
People are turning to the arts more and more these days and are playing music, painting, writing more and more.
Tristan is working on his PhD on the Breton harpist Kristen Noguès who was a contemporary of Alan Stivell. Alan Stivell was central to the revival of Celtic Music. In 1971 he released his famous album, “Renaissance of the Celtic Harp”, which is a must have for any fan of Celtic Music; and in 1972 he launched the Celtic Revival.
Kristen Noguès chose a different path from Alan Stivell by mixing folk, traditional, and jazz in her music, which was very unusual in the 1980s In the 1980s. Kristen was a pioneer of the Camac electro harp and developed a very unique sound along with an interesting way of approaching music. She was a pioneer of the Camac electro-harp.
When Tristan was sixteen he met Kristen Noguès. Much of her inspiration came from the space she kept in the music which gave musicians a chance to express themselves and share a unique spirit of the music, which was a huge influence on Tristan’s playing.
Through Noguès’ variations, ornamentation, and improvisation she shared her take on the spirit of the music. Music is more than what is written down it’s what you do with what is written down. It’s about figuring out how it works. There is a link between jazz music and traditional music in these ways of variation, ornamentation, and improvisation.
“We are in an open world.”
-Tristan Le Govic
What happens to our neighbors far away affects and influences us.
Breton music has changed a lot through the influence of the world on its music. It’s still Breton music, but there is a swing of a jazz influence. “The swing goes with the dance.”, as Tristan observes.
The harp as an instrument has gone through a type of dance. As it changes and evolves the music being played has also changed. The newer harps can be tuned to A 442 instead of A 440 creating a brighter sound. The levers on the harp move smoother so changing keys is faster. Also the electro harp has influenced musicians and their playing.
Development of the electric harp was inspired by musicians wanting to play on stage and be able to be heard; Musicians like Kristen Noguès, Alan Stivell and Deborah Henson-Conant.
The harp makers saw an opportunity for something new on the market. They wanted to make a harp that people could play at home with headphones so they could practice without disturbing anyone. Or for group harp lessons so all the students could be practicing at the same time.
Alan Stivell’s idea of the electric harp was so his harp could be heard on stage when he played with the traditional Breton instruments, the Bombard and Binioù during the Breton Fest Noz. The electric harp is a very different instrument from the acoustic harp. The basic technique is the same, but the decay on the electric harp is much longer so the player has to control the note more, not unlike the technique used on a wire strung harp.
The Fest Noz
Tristan uses two harps when he plays at The Fest Noz, the electric and the electro-acoustic harp when on stage. He is always amplified when playing with his bass player and drummer. He also plays with Bombard and Binioù during the festival as well.
Often when playing at a Fest Noz musicians know each other and collaborate and play. Much of the playing is very organic and spontaneous like musicians coming together at an Irish Session sharing tunes that are common in the Fest Noz community.
Historically, each village had its own dance and you wouldn’t dance another village’s dance, but in the modern open world dances from other villages are shared.
In Fes Noz everyone dances together, all ages sing and dance freeing the mind and being with others.
UNESCO added Fest Noz dance to the world heritage list.
“Our time is very unique because we have so many harp players and we can play in so many different ways we are much more creative, we see so many different ways to play”
-Tristan Le Govic
It is an exciting time in history with the new technological developments to the harp, but also have older recordings to look back on. There are many more harp players from which to draw inspiration.
“It’s about how does the music and dance make you feel. We need connection”
-Tristan Le Govic
On teaching
Tristan loves to teach the harp and Breton music and share the tradition. He is a regular instructor at The Somerset Folk Harp Festival which happens in Parsippany, NJ every July. (This past year the festival was presented virtually to great success.)
“The thing [that a teacher does] is to keep that sparkle.”
-Tristan Le Govic
On the Irish composer Turlough O'Carolan
“He is an open window onto the past”
-Tristan Le Govic
Check out Tristan’s gorgeous project, Collectif Arp
Members include: Clotilde Trouillaud, Cristine Mérienne, Alice Soria-Cadoret and Nikolaz Cadoret.
Tristan and I also discuss the revival of the Celtic Harp and the rise of its popularity along with the development of the Celtic Harp around the world and the harp community.
I’ll leave you with some words of wisdom from Tristan:
“It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you’re from. Just play.”
“The harp world is an image of the society there are all ages.”
“It’s my part as a teacher to remind them that it doesn’t matter who they are, they can do something.”
“It’s all ages, abilities, and cultures.” It is an open world.
“It’s not just about playing a tune, it’s knowing the history of your instrument and the story of the songs. We are lucky to have this history of the harp. It is an epic history. “
-Tristan Le Govic
Tristan’s Website: www.tristanlegovic.eu/
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/tristanlegovic
Tristan’s Blog: www.tristanlegovic.eu/blog.php
Somerset Folk Harp Festival: www.somersetharpfest.com/
Camac Harps: www.camac-harps.com/en/