Great recording  by Harpist Alberto Salvi "The Casals of the harp"
in his very first recording

Fantasie in B flat
Elias Parish-Alvars (composer)

Fantasie impromptu
Impromptus, piano, no. 4, op. 66, C? minor
Frédéric Chopin (composer) 

Alberto Salvi (instrumentalist : harp) 
Description: Harp solo

4/25/1921 Camden, New Jersey  Victor 55141

Orig Issue Blue Label Victor Batwing 12" 78 Rpm record

Condition: Excellent pristine faintest scuffs, plays very quiet rare ticks
GREAT SOUND - A SUPERB COPY

Salvi, Alberto
harp

But Salvi Harps is itself only a few decades old. Its story began in 1957 after Victor and his brother Alberto had both made their names as performing harpists. Victor and Alberto Salvi, born into an immigrant Italian family in Chicago in the 1920's, grew up with a common love for the same instrument. Alberto was the first to gain renown, the star, building a significant recording career as "the Casals of the harp."


Alberto Salvi (1893-1983) was an Italian harpist and composer. He was from a musical family, the oldest son of Rodolfo Salvi who was an instrument builder, and also the half-brother of Victor Salvi.
Alberto was growing up at Viggiano, a little city in the south of Italy. The city had 3500 inhabitants from which 300 were harpists.
Mother of Alberto died when he was only 5 years old,  he continues to live in Viggiano with his father. The harpists who were visiting his father‘s instrument shop, were teaching little Alberto how to play the harp. He was improving very fast and Rodolfo realized that his son is very gifted. Alberto did not attend the public school, he had a private teacher and was practicing 6-8 hours per day. At the age of 10, he was already performing, playing at the weddings, funerals, and improvised concerts in the city.  At the age of 13, he entered the Royal Conservatory in Naples and gained a scholarship for his studies (only 2 scholarships were given per year). Besides solo playing, he also had a possibility to play in San Carlo Opera and different opera and symphonic projects. Alberto finished his studies in only 5 years (regular studies lasted for 8 years) with the highest marks. He never mentioned his professor and was considering himself as a self-taught.
His father Rodolfo got married again, moved in America in 1909, and after the beginning of The First World War he organized for Alberto to come to America as well. When arriving in Chicago, Alberto was already a great harpist and started to perform at the Princess Theater. He was earning quite a lot as a performer and besides that, he was also teaching. 
His manager from Metropolitan Music Bureau was taking the biggest part of his earning. Alberto was mostly playing as a soloist and was earning much more than average (up to 400 000 dollars per year). 
He stopped to collaborate with that manager in 1927 and continued as a freelancer. In the 20is and 30s in America, it was not common for somebody to play as a solo harpist, what he was doing. His repertoire was contained from the original harp pieces as well as from the arrangements (Bach, Coupren, Rameau…). Also, he was trying to add a popular pieces to his repertoire which the audience loved so much, was a great improviser. The young elegant man playing on the harp was becoming a star. He was performing in almost every city in the USA, had great critics and up to 100 concerts per season.
Besides the solo career, Alberto was also known for playing with some of the most important singers of that period, Caruso, Gigli, Ponselle, Bori, Schipa ,Raisa, De Luca, Muzio, Crooks, John Charles Thomas…
He was the first harpist who played Debussy Danses in America, at 1916, and was also active in recording his playing. 
Due to the economical crises in the 30s, the music market was not in such good condition and Alberto started to work at NBC Radio as a harpist. He was performing in a radio program, played jazz, but also the classical pieces as Debussy Danses, Conzertstucke by Pierne, Introduction and Allegro by Ravel, Zabel Concerto…
Alberto was playing on Wurtzel harp which he got as a present from that company, to represent their instruments.
From 1946-1956 he was teaching at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Some of his students are Roslyn Rensch Erbes, Lois Adele Craft, Lynne A.Turner (winner of Israel Competition in 1962).
Alberto was a family man, had 9 grandchildren and was very proud of his lawyer son. He lived in Chicago until he died in 1983.