Twentieth Century Music
Many twentieth century composers use the harp in unusual or surprising ways, seeking to push the instrument to its limits. I've always enjoyed the challenge of interpreting twenthieth century music.
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Performance at Carnegie Hall
Performance at Carnegie Hall, New York, New York. -
Dance of the Bull by R. Murray Schafer
The Dance of the Bull comes from Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer's (b. 1933) larger suite, the Crown of Ariadne, based on the Greek myth of Thesus, Ariadne and the minotaur. The Dance of the Bull is an aggressive piece depicting the minatour full of fury, with brief moments when the light and airy gestures of Adriadne break through. Many percussive extended techniques are employed, including the xylophone effect, the thunder gliss, the extensive use of pedal slides, and scraping the strings with a coin. -
Sonata for Harp by Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) wrote his Sonata for Harp in 1939. Written in three movements (I. Mässig schnell II. Lebhaft III. Sehr langsam), it demonstrates a masterful understanding of the harp. It remains a staple of the harp repertoire and an excellent example of 20th century writing for the harp. -
Glitch by Robert Paterson
Glitch by Robert Paterson (b. 1970) is a contemporary piece for solo harp performed here by Jacqueline Pollauf. Here is the program note from the composer: "A ‘glitch’ may be defined as a sudden, usually temporary equipment malfunction or irregularity, and it also means to suffer from such a malfunction or irregularity. In Glitch, my primary goal was to create a fun, highly rhythmic piece with lots of twists and turns, using a few extended techniques to emulate glitches in the musical tapestry. Each glitch interrupts the current section a couple times, triggering the next section." -
Interlude from A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) wrote A Ceremony of Carols for treble voices and harp in 1948. The work consists of many short pieces, and this interlude for solo harp comes at the center of the piece and echoes the a capella processional and recessional. Britten uses harmonics extensively throughout the piece, which gives it a sense of stillness. -
Prayer by Sergiu Natra
Sergiu Natra (b. 1924) is a Romanian-born composer who has resided in Israel for many years. He feels a strong affinity to the harp and has written an extensive amount of solo and chamber music for the harp. Prayer, from 1970, has been a required piece for several international harp competitions and remains popular among the harp community. It features Natra's signature style involving repeated motifs, alternating rhythmic and free sections, dissonant harmonies, and a wide variety of articulations. -
In a Landscape by John Cage
In a Landscape by John Cage (1912-1992) was written in 1948. He wrote the piece to be played on either solo piano or solo harp. It's a surprising piece as it's not nearly as experimental or avant-garde as one would expect from Cage. Instead, it bears a marked resemblance to Erik Satie's (1866-1925) music, and seems to suspend time. -
Apunte Betico by Gerardo Gombau
Apunte Betico by Gerardo Gombau (1906-1971) is a piece that won the Northern California Harpists' Association Award in 1952. This award was designed to encourage new works written for the harp, and the president of the association, Yvonne LaMothe Schwager edited this work. -
Petite Suite by David Watkins
The Petite Suite is a set of three pieces written by harpist-composer David Watkins (b. 1938). In addition to using the harp in innovative ways, many layers of rhythmic patterns are explored throughout the pieces. I. Prelude 0:08 II. Nocturne 4:10 III. Fire Dance 7:06 -
Impromptu, op. 48 by Lex van Delden
Impromptu, op. 48 was written by Dutch composer by Lex van Delden (1919-1988) in 1955. This dark and dramatic piece won the Northern California Harpists' Association Award, a composition competition that encouraged composers to write for the harp.
