Two pieces for Harp

These days we were talking about some issues in harp writing. I think it's not easy...

Here two examples and how I notate the pedal changes (only for me because I think for players its better not to write them, but the initial setting).

The first one (Nearly half a world away) uses the Bizantine scale (double harmonic) but changes to other ones.

The second one (Clarion) is strictly in the Enigmatic scale.

HARP2 Nearly half a world away.pdf

HARP3 Clarion.pdf

HARP2 - Nearly half a world away.mp3

HARP3 - Clarion.mp3

I don't know about these days, but I had featured a harp in my piece from an earlier competition, "Everything That Grows". And there was talk about how quickly the harpist could execute the tunings. There is not much literature on the subject, but what I learned concurs with what you say. So I put a full tuning at every rehersal number and incremental changes along the way. Harpists insist on marking up their parts to suit their playing style. So it's best not to second guess them regardng placement and just put those changes as they occur, right under the note, as you also did here.   Nice work, Luis.

@Luis Hernández

Thanks for the examples!

It'll take me a while until I'd be able to write a full scale piece for harp,

but I want to open my big piece with it.

I'll only begin to write the big piece in a few years,

so my opinion might change until then.

Both pieces are nice,

"Nearly half a world away" sounded more stable to me since it repeated twice rhythmically,

so my brain had something it can stick to.

"Clarion" is nice to, but I prefer the first one.

What is this Enigmatic scale?

I actually got to know the double harmonic yesterday when I played with scales.

I think it was a double harmonic.

It's like a Phrygian scale but with 3# and 7#.

@Rabbival507 

The enigmatic scale was a challenge thrown by some editor in 19th century. Verdi took it and used the scale in one of his quattro pezzi sacri

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigmatic_scale

Both pieces are superb, in my opinion. The first piece is easier to listen to. The second piece reminded me a little of some of the piano pieces of Erik Satie. Both pieces bring about a mood that is somewhat lonely and detached from the enforced extroversion of our modern world. I suppose what I am saying is that the two pieces open up a window into a different world. Well done.

Those are two fine studies in tone material!

I'm sure you have figured out all the pedaling, so won't go through that but I just wanted to point out, that the harpist's right hand can't reach much further below middle-C, so you might want to reconsider some voicings.

Hi @bryla

That's confusing. I always try to keep the right hand up above this G

What I've read in several orchestration books, also online, is this:

There are many examples from the masters:

Hindemith

Debussy

What do you think? This is something that worries me, I always want to write possible music.

Sorry! My mistake. It’s just what some harpists have told me. They might not have had the same reach. 

Double checked with my two harp books and they mention the same range you have.