Strumming the Harps of Tokyo

A harp concert at the Jakarta International Festival was seen as a lackluster and languid performance. Following is Suka Hardjana’s account of the show.

September 18, 2000

Harps or harep as the native people of olden Jakarta called them, are among the world’s oldest musical instruments, like flutes, drums and tambourines. Their prototypes date back to two or three thousand years ago, especially in Egypt, Babylonia, Persia and Greece. In ancient times, poetry recitals, narration and mythological hymn chanting were conducted with the accompaniment of harps. Greek and Roman philosophers, poets and statesmen of a

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