List of compositions for harp

The following is a non-exhaustive list of notable compositions for the harp.

olo Works

*Elias Parish Alvars
**over 80 pieces
*Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
**Sonata for Harp in G major Wq.139
*Ludwig van Beethoven
**Six Variations on a Swiss Song, WoO 64 (for harp or piano, composed before 1793)
*Luciano Berio
**"Sequenza II" (1963)
*Benjamin Britten
**Suite for Harp (1969)
**A Ceremony of Carols (harp accompanies SSA choir)
*François-Adrien Boïeldieu
**Harp Sonata (1795), lost
*Garrett Byrnes
**"Amhrán Slán" (2001)
**"Visions in Twilight" (2000)
*André Caplet
**"Déchiffrage" (1910)
**"Divertissement à la française" (1924)
**"Divertissement à l'espagnole" (1924)
*Carson Cooman
**Sun Figment for Harp (2002)
*Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean
**Improvisation for harp solo, June 2003
**“The turtle’s castle” for harp solo, September 2003
**Four compositions for harp on Haiku poetry, October 2003
**Suite of eight dances: Laendrer, Tango, Fandango, Horo, Kazachok, Arabian dance, Pavane for harp solo April 2004
**"Fantasy on Verdi`s Opera La Traviata”for harp solo, June 2005
**Two haiku pieces on Basho for harp solo, February 2006
**“The mystic trumpeter” on Walt Whitman for harp solo, February 2006
**Five haiku pieces “Solo Honkadorae Renga” for harp solo, February 2006
*Jan Ladislav Dussek
**Sonata with "The Lass of Richmond Hill" in F, C. 183 (c. 1800)
**Three Sonatas (1797), possibly by Sophia Dussek
***No. 1 in B flat, C. 12
***No. 2 in G, C. 13
***No. 3 in C minor, C. 14
**Six Sonatinas (1799),definitely by J L Dussek
***No. 1 in C, C. 160
***No. 2 in F, C. 161
***No. 3 in G, C. 162
***No. 4 in B flat, C. 163
***No. 5 in F, C. 164
***No. 6 in E flat, C. 165
*Gabriel Fauré
**Impromptu, Op. 86 (1904)
**"Une châtelaine en sa tour", Op. 110 (1918)
*Graham Fitkin
**Skirting (2004)
**Scent for wire harp (2007)
*Alphonse Hasselmans
**"Gitana", Op. 21
**"La Source", Op. 44
**Three Préludes, Opp. 51–3
*Paul Hindemith
**Harp Sonata (1939)
*Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz
**Harp Sonata, Op. 10 (c. 1787)
**Four "Sonates non difficiles" with optional violin or cello, Op. 12 (c. 1787)
**Four "Sonates chantantes" with optional violin, Op.16 (c1788), no.3 ed. in T-B
**"Recueil de douze préludes et petits airs", Op. 2 (c. 1776)
**Duo for two harps, Op. 5 (c. 1777)
**"Recueil contenant différens petits airs variés", 1 sonata and 1 "petit duo" for two harps, Op. 10 (c. 1787)
*Théodore Labarre
**"Méthode complète pour le harpe" (1844)
**Fantaisies on operatic themes after Donizetti, Rossini and others
**Numerous concert works
*Francesco Petrini
**Sonatas for harp (violin ad lib)
***6 as Op. 1 (1769)
***6 as Op. 3
***2 as Op. 4
***Third book, Op. 9
***Fourth Book, Op. 10 (c. 1780)
***1 as Op. 39
***4 as Op. 40 (1801)
**Airs with variations
***First collection, Op. 2 (1774)
***Second collection, Op. 8 (1774)
***Seventh collection, Op. 15 (1779)
***Op. 16 (1779)
***Op. 17 (c. 1780-5)
**Airs, ouvertures, sonata movements, published in Delamanière at Delaplanque (c. 1790)
**Variations on "Le réveil du peuple de Gaveaux", "Vive Henri IV", "Bataille du Wagram", etc. published separately
*Gabriel Pierné
**Impromptu-caprice, Op. 9 (1885)
*Joaquín Rodrigo
**Impromptu (1959)
*Albert Roussel
**Impromptu, Op. 21 (1919)
*John Rutter
**Dancing Day (SSA choral song-cycle with harp accomp.)
**Many choral hymns and anthems with harp accompaniment, w/w/o orchestral accompaniment
*Camille Saint-Saëns
**Fantaisie, Op. 95
*Louis Spohr
**Fantasia in C minor, Op. 35 (1807)
**Variations on Méhul's "Je suis encore dans mon printemps", Op. 36 (1807)
**Variations in E, WoO 29 (1808), lost
*Germaine Tailleferre
**Le Petite Livre de Harpe de Madame Tardieu
**Sonate pour harpe
**Sonata alla Scarlatti for Harp

Two or more harps

*Francesco Petrini
**Duo for two harps (or harp and piano), Op. 7 (1773?)
**Duo for two harps (violin, basso continuo, ad lib), Op. 31
*Karlheinz Stockhausen
**"Freude" (Joy), for two harps ("Klang: zweite Stunde", 2005)
*John Thomas
**"Scenes of Childhood" for two harps (1863)
**"Cambria" for two harps (1863)

=Chamber works=

*Elias Parish Alvars
**Grande fantaisie brillante for harp and piano (1838), based on themes from "Anna Bolena", "La sonnambula" and "Lucia di Lammermoor", composed with Carl Czerny
*François-Adrien Boïeldieu
**Duos for harp and piano
***No. 1 (1796)
***No. 2 (1796)
***No. 3 (c. 1800), lost
**Air and nine variations for harp and piano (1803), lost
*Garrett Byrnes
**"Villanelle" for violin and harp (2006)
*Claude Debussy
**Music for "Chansons de Bilitis" for two flutes, two harps, and celesta, L. 96 (1900-1)
**"Danses Sacrée et Profane" for harp and string quintet, L. 103 (1904)
**Sonata for harp, flute, and viola, L. 137 (1915)
*Jan Ladislav Dussek
**Duo in F for harp and piano, C. 63 (c. 1789)
**Duetto in F for harp and piano, C. 102 (1794)
**Two pieces for harp, violin, and cello (1797)
***No. 1 in E flat, C. 147
***No. 2 in B flat, C. 148
**Duet in E flat for harp and piano, C. 170 (1799)
**Two Duettinos for harp and piano (c. 1802)
***No. 1 in C, C. 189
***No. 2 in F, C. 190
**Three Duos concertants for harp and piano
**No. 1 in B flat, C. 234 (1810)
**No. 2 in E flat, C. 239 (1811)
**No. 3 in F, C. 243 (1811)
*Nigel Keay
**Terrestrial Mirror for flute, viola & harp (2005)
*Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz
**6 harp sonatas with violin, Op. 1 (c. 1775)
**4 harp sonatas with violin, double bass, and two horns, Op. 3 (c. 1776)
**6 harp sonatas, Op. 8 (c. 1780), nos. 1-5 with violin or flute
**"Collection de pièces de différens genres distribuées en 6 sonates" with piano, Opp. 13-14 (c. 1788)
**4 "Sonates en forme de scènes de différens caractères" with piano, Op. 15 (c. 1788)
**3 "Sonates … dont la 1er en forme de scène" with violin, Op. 17 (c. 1789)
**2 "Sonates en forme de scènes" with piano, Op. 18 (c. 1789)
**Andante for harp and violin, Op. 19 (c. 1789)
*Théodore Labarre
**Duos for harp and horn
**Trios for harp, horn, and bassoon, Op. 6
**"Grand duo du couronnement" for harp and piano, Op. 104 (1841)
**Numerous salon pieces for harp and piano
**Romance for violin and harp
*Lior Navok
**Al Mishkavi Baleylot - for soprano and harp
**Quartet for flute, clarinet, bassoon and harp
**Veiled Echoes - for flute, viola and harp
*Charles Oberthür
**"Orpheus", Op. 253 for harp and piano
*Francesco Petrini
**Airs with variations
***Third collection (1774) for harp, violin, and oboe
***Fourth and fifth collections, Opp. 12-13 (c. 1778) for harp, violin, and oboe
***Sixth collection, Op. 14 (1778) for harp, bassoon, and cello
**3 preludes for harp and basso continuo
*Einojuhani Rautavaara
**Ballade for harp and strings (1973/1981)
*Maurice Ravel
**Introduction and Allegro for harp, flute, clarinet, two violins, viola, and cello (1905)
*Albert Roussel
**Sérénade for flute, string trio, and harp, Op. 30 (1925)
*Camille Saint-Saëns
**Fantaisie for violin and harp, Op. 124
*Carlos Salzédo
**"The Enchanted Isle" (1918)
**Harp Concerto No. 1 (1926)
**Harp Concerto No. 2 (1953)
*Louis Spohr – in many of these works, the harp was to be tuned down a semitone and the music written a semitone higher
**Sonatas for harp and violin
***No. 1 in C minor, WoO 23 (1805)
***No. 2 in B flat, Op. 16 (1806)
***No. 3 in E minor/F minor, WoO 27 (c. 1806)
***No. 4 in D/E flat, Op. 113 (1806)
***No. 5 in D/E flat, Op. 114 (1811)
***No. 6 in G/A flat, Op. 115 (1809)
***No. 7 in G/A flat, WoO 36 (1819), lost
**Sonata movement for harp and violin in G, WoO 24 (1805), incomplete
**Introduction in G for harp and violin, WoO 25 (1805)
**Trio in E minor/F minor for violin, cello, and harp, WoO 28 (1806)
**Rondo in E minor/F minor for violin, cello, and harp, WoO 33 (1813), lost
**Fantasia on themes by Handel and Vogler in B minor/C minor–A/B flat, Op. 118 (1814)
*Igor Stravinsky
**"Epitaphium" for flute, clarinet, and harp (1959)

Concertante works

Concertos

*Johann Georg Albrechtsberger
**4 harp concertinos (1772)
**Harp Concerto (1773)
*Elias Parish Alvars
**Three concertos
**Two concertinos, one for solo harp, one for two harps
*Nicolas-Charles Bochsa
**
*François-Adrien Boïeldieu
**Harp Concerto in C (1801)
*Henry Cowell
**Harp Concerto, L. 947 (1965)
*Jan Ladislav Dussek
**Harp Concerto in E flat, C. 53/265 (1789)
**Harp Concerto in F, C. 78/266 (1792)
**Harp Concerto in C, C. 129/267 (1795)
**"The Favourite Concerto" in F, C. 158 (1798?)
**Harp Concerto in B flat, C. 264 (1813), lost
*Ernst Eichner
**Harp Concerto in C (1769)
*Alberto Ginastera
**Harp Concerto, Op. 25 (1956)
*Reinhold Glière
**Harp Concerto in E flat, Op. 74 (1938)
*Radamés Gnattali
**Concerto for harp and string orchestra
*George Frideric Handel
**Concerto op.4 no.6 in B-flat major for harp, HWV 294 (1738)
*Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz
**Harp Concertos Nos. 1 and 2, Op. 4 (c. 1777)
**Harp Concertos Nos. 3 and 4, Op. 6 (c. 1777)
**Harp Concerto No. 5, Op. 7 (c. 1778)
**Harp Concerto No. 6, Op. 9 (c. 1785)
*Marjan Mozetich
**Concerto for Two Harps and Orchestra, "The Passion of Angels" (1995 )
*Darius Milhaud
**Harp Concerto, Op. 323 (1953)
*Charles Oberthür
**Harp Concertino, Op. 175 (c. 1863)
*Francesco Petrini
**Two harp concertos arranged from works by "Mr. Bach" and "Mr. J.-B. Davaux", Op. 18 (c. 1782)
**Harp Concerto No. 1, Op. 25 (1786)
**Harp Concerto No. 3, Op. 27 (1793)
**Harp Concerto No. 4 in B flat, Op. 29 (1793)
*Einojuhani Rautavaara
**Harp Concerto (1999-2000)
*Joaquín Rodrigo
**"Concierto serenata" (1952)
*Nino Rota
**Harp Concerto (1947)
*John Thomas
**Two harp concertos, including the Concerto in E flat, the only work by a Welsh composer to be performed (1852) during the first hundred years of the history of the Royal Philharmonic Society
*Geirr Tveitt
**Harp Concerto No. 1 (Lost)
**Harp Concerto No. 2 "Concerto Eroico" op.170 (1957)
*Heitor Villa-Lobos
**Harp Concerto (1953)
*Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf
**Concerto for Harp
*Georg Christoph Wagenseil
**Concerto for Harp and strings in F, WWV 281 (1761)

Other concertante works

*Luciano Berio
**Chemins I on Sequenza II (1964)
*André Caplet
**"Légende" (1908) after Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death," revised as "Conte fantastique" for harp and string quartet (1922-3)
*Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz
**Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 for harp and orchestra, Op. 11 (1787)
*Théodore Labarre
**Fantaisie, Op. 101 (1841)
*Charles Oberthür
**"Macbeth" Overture, Op. 60 (1852)
**"Loreley", legend, Op. 180
*Gabriel Pierné
**Concertstück, Op. 39 (1903)
*Joaquín Rodrigo
**"Sones en la Giralda" (1963)
*Camille Saint-Saëns
**Morceau de concert in G, Op. 158 (1918)

Concertos with other solo instruments

*Henry Cowell
**Duo concertante for flute, harp, and orchestra, L. 894 (1961)
*Paul Hindemith
**Konzertmusik for brass, harp, and piano, Op. 49 (1930)
**Concerto for woodwinds, harp, and orchestra (1949)
*Frank Martin
**Petite symphonie concertante for harp, harpsichord, piano and double string orchestra, op.54 (1944)
*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
**Concerto for flute and harp in C, K. 299 (1778)
*Louis Spohr
**Concertante for violin and harp in G, WoO 13 (1806)
**Concertante for violin and harp in E minor, WoO 14 (1807)

References

Compiled from the Works Lists of the composers in "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", ed. S. Sadie and J. Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).