Home (2022) version 2 Forums Technique Questions Contemporary Harp pieces with Effects

  • Contemporary Harp pieces with Effects

    Posted by William Rinatti on 24 August, 2021 at 11:00 pm

    Can anyone recommend some excellent contemporary harp pieces that include a lot of special harp effects? The most advanced I have in that regard is Salzedo’s Five Poetic Studies.

    William Rinatti replied 2 years, 7 months ago 2 Members · 9 Replies
  • 9 Replies
  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    24 August, 2021 at 11:10 pm

    Not sure which pieces are in Five Poetic Studies; Salzeo’s Chanson dans la Nuit is loaded with harp extended techniques: https://youtu.be/mCdgtqdDUHI

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    24 August, 2021 at 11:13 pm

    Bernard Andres wrote a lot of pieces with extended techniques as well, such as “Pistachio” from his collection “Epices”: https://youtu.be/b6aYeI3QRko

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    24 August, 2021 at 11:17 pm

    Lara Somogyi write a lot of contemporary pieces with her electroacoustic harp and effect pedals, though a lot of the work she does is for TV and films. Here is one of her original compositions “Hard Hat”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkVhdPhr_VM And here is her talking about using effect pedals with the harp: https://youtu.be/GHDAQFbj81o

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    24 August, 2021 at 11:25 pm

    Josh Layne himself uses extended techniques in many of his pieces too. Maybe not as often as Salzedo etc but he does a good job in incorporating extended techniques into his pieces when they make sense. “Autumn Labyrinth” has glisses between the tuning pins and the bridge pins: https://youtu.be/0rWQR6tHsEo “Forgotten Summer” uses xylophonic sounds: https://youtu.be/LrI6Q2eXAkA His arrangement of the Skye Boat Song has soundboard tapping for drum sounds: https://youtu.be/ttZdxLdERwE

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    24 August, 2021 at 11:27 pm

    Oh let’s not forget Deborah Henson-Conant’s Baroque Flamenco: https://youtu.be/0dsGuT6AnaU

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    24 August, 2021 at 11:28 pm

    Harpists writing for harps are the best in my opinion! 🙂

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    25 August, 2021 at 1:59 am

    This tread gave me a reason to watch harp videos; I am enjoying this way too much ha ha!

    There are a lot of cool techniques that can be done on the lever harp too, such as the slap bass here in the second half of Metropolis, composed and performed here by Adriano Sangineto: https://youtu.be/MFPAlix-Jig?t=103

  • Victoria Johnson

    Member
    25 August, 2021 at 2:01 am

    Some really cool percussive effects (including the slap bass) in Ailie Robertson’s arrangement of the Prelude Polka: https://youtu.be/bLEkZQmxWD4

    • William Rinatti

      Member
      25 August, 2021 at 8:00 am

      Wow, thanks Victoria! Lots of great suggestions. I haven’t heard of these. I’ll give a listen to them all tomorrow.

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