The harp is such a handsome instrument that some are sold simply to decorate a room. Heretics who do not like the ethereal elegance of harp music often say that it looks better than it sounds. It is true that, compared with the piano, the range of its sound and its repertory are small-largely because a concert harp has only 47 strings while the average, modern piano has more than 230 for 88 keys. But there is no shortage of harpists, and sales of the instrument are rising steadily. Harps just for looking at can now be seen in a museum in a small town called Piasco, in the Alpine foothills of northwest Italy, not far from the French border. The museum is named after Victor Salvi, an energetic, balding figure with a grey beard, who was in Piasco recently to inspect the museum's premises, and to reminisce about a life dedicated to the harp.
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