!!!Harfe Harp, one of the oldest stringed instruments, since the Middle Ages traditionally played by jesters and travelling musicians, influenced the Alt-Wiener Harfenisten (Old Vienna Harpists) ( Baenkelsaenger). Today the harp has almost completely disappeared from traditional folk music, it is, if at all, only played in western Austria. Tirolean instrument makers developed the hooked harp towards the end of the 17%%sup th/% century, a forerunner of the pedal harp still built in the Tirol today. As an instrument of art music, the harp became generally accepted in Austria mainly in the late 18%%sup th/% century and in the first half of the 19%%sup th/% century. In the Biedermeier period the harp was particularly popular with upper-class women and girls. %%language [Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Harfe|class='wikipage austrian'] %% [{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}] [{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]