# Harps



## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

I just wanted to see if any of you had some suggestions of works that prominently feature the harp. Not harp concertos or anything, but orchestral works where it's used for more than just an occasional background pluck or two. I've heard quite a few myself (Mahler seems to be a fan), but I'm always looking for more! I really like the sound of the harp, and its effect in conjunction with the orchestra, but it seems like it is fairly underused in most classical music!


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## Karabiner (Apr 1, 2013)

Bruch's Scottish Fantasy has the harp quite prominently accompanying the violin.


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## schuberkovich (Apr 7, 2013)

Elgar Sospiri
Parts of Ravel Daphnis et Chloe


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

In the first movement of Ravel's Concerto in G, there is a place where the piano plays and then it is replaced by low harp(s), so it sounds like the piano turns into a harp. Then the two harps play unaccompanied for a minute or so with only one or two brief interruptions.

The beginning of the Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite (not to denigrate the entire ballet, but it really is in the Suite) has a beautiful and fairly long harp solo.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Debussy, Danses Sacre et Profane is a good one


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2013)

Liszt was also a fan, see his symphonic poems.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Bantock's excellent Celtic Symphony for strings and six harps (available on Hyperion).


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)




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## Downbeat (Jul 10, 2013)

I recently took a few (business) students to see the Chicago Symphony. They played Siegried's Funeral amongst other things, featuring a number of harps. The students made the same observation; not much more than giving colour to the orchestral texture.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

There is some lovely harp playing in Sibelius' 1st symphony, last movement. Also try Tchaikovsky's Manfred, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique and Prokofiev's 6th symphony. Harps are also plentiful in Wagner, notably 'Magic Fire Music' from Die Walkure and 'The Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla' from Das Rheingold (The Ring cycle uses 6 harps).


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Tchaikovsky's The Nut Cracker Suite (Pas de deux) and Smetana's Má Vlast has a harp, particularly in the symphonic Poem 'Vysehrad'.


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

Speaking of Sibelius, his tone poem "The Bard" has some nice harp solos.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Chamber:
Already mentioned, Debussy ~ Danses sacrée et profane, for harp and strings





also...

Debussy ~ Sonata for Flute, Harp and Viola





Ravel ~ Introduction et allegro pour harpe, flûte, clarinette et quatuor à cordes





Einojuhani Rautavaara ~ Ballad for Harp and Strings 




He has also written a harp concerto





André Caplet:
Conte Fantastique (The Masque of the Red Death), d'après E.A.Poe
for harp and string quartet 








André Caplet - Étude symphonique pour harpe chromatique et orchestre à cordes





Alan Hovhaness:
Island of the Mysterious Bells, for four harps.




The Spirit of the Trees, for Harp and Guitar




The Garden of Adonis, for Flute and Harp





TWO OF MY FAVORITES:
*Irving Fine ~ Notturno, for Strings and Harp
*








*Luciano Berio ~ Concertino*, for Clarinet, Violin, strings, harp, and celesta 





Jacqueline Fontyn - Halo (1978) pour harpe et seize instruments





Robert Moran ~ 10 Miles High over Albania, for eight amplified harps (recordings are often done by one Harpist, and overdubbing)
http://archive.org/details/P_MOR_ROB_03

Orchestral:
The piece I'd most like you to become aware of is Stravinsky's Ballet "Orpheus," some of the most effective writing for harp you could hope to find, and a lovely score.













Bernard Hermann ~ Film Score for Beneath the twelve mile reef - the underwater scenes are scored for orchestra, and use _ten harps_!

Concerti:
Germaine Taillefaire ~ Concertino for harp and orchestra





Joaquin Rodrigo ~ Concierto Seranata (seems to be far less known than I would have thought













Leo Sowerby ~ Concerto for Harp and small orchestra


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

...and Mozart's concerto for Harp and Flute K 299.


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

The Entry of the Gods into Valhalla (Rheingold) uses eight harps, Magic Fire Music (Die Walkure) has a good harp part.


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## TitanisWalleri (Dec 30, 2012)

Shostakovich's 5th has a brief harp solo, but I don't know exactly if that is what you are looking for.


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## drpraetorus (Aug 9, 2012)

Smetanas Ma Vlast has some good harp parts. The first section "Vyserad" opens with an extended harp solo.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Bruckner's symphony #8 comes to mind, also Faure's Requiem...


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## Orpheus (Jul 15, 2012)

The second movement of Shostakovich's 7th symphony _Moderato, poco allegretto_ features a very prominent harp. It's perhaps a little unexpected for the harp to be used in an orchestral setting as it is here, to intensify a sense of discord and anguish amidst turbulent music. Given the common perception of the harp as a soothing, gentle, calming instrument, it's difficult for me not to see his use of harp here as having ironic intent.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

PetrB said:


> Chamber:
> Already mentioned, Debussy ~ Danses sacrée et profane, for harp and strings
> 
> 
> ...


Woah. Thanks PetrB! The harp is one of my favorite instruments, and Debussy is one of my favorite composers - and didnt even know he had a sonata for it!

I want to add Ginastera - Harp concerto. Got some really beautiful moments in there.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

They played The Witch of Atlas by Granville Bantock at the Proms a few nights ago, and that had a wonderful little harp solo.

RVW's London Symphony, 1st mvt.

Tchaikovsky - Manfred Symphony, 4th mvt.

Holst - The Planets, Neptune.


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