Piece for Harp (2015)
Approx. Duration = 7′ 30″
Live premiere 5/20/16 Michael Maganuco, harp
Demo Recording, Michael Maganuco, harp
PROGRAM NOTES
Piece for Harp #1 begins abruptly with an invitation to the listener to take an inner journey into a potentially uncomfortable place. The discomfort dissipates into a more celebratory feel, which leads into the final contemplative mood to end. Compositionally, besides trying to challenge the performer, I am interested in exploring the counterpoint that results from overlapping patterns of different durations, as well as opposing rhythms within these patterns, which can be heard throughout the different sections. The final section of the piece introduces a 3rd contrapuntal layer, which further challenges the performer in that each voice is played on a different part of the string. (Harmonics on top, PDLT or close to the table in the middle, and sustained bass on the bottom.) In combination with the complex rhythmic and metric structure, this is probably the most difficult section, especially when trying to express a calm, contemplative soundscape.