CHAMBER MUSIC WITH HARP
CHAMBER MUSIC FOR HARP AND WINDS
This page features chamber music for harp & winds. The repertoire presents unique harp and winds music for the specific ensemble of flute, clarinet, bassoon, and harp, highlighting a collection of new and original pieces for this instrumentation.
QUARTET FOR FLUTE, CLARINET, BASSOON AND HARP
for harp and winds
Duration:
27 minutes
Instrumentation:
flute / piccolo, clarinet,
bassoon and harp
Year Composed:
1994
Written For:
Gittit Boasson
Premiere Performance:
12 December 1997
Tel Aviv, Israel
Ruty Itzcovitch-Eyal, flute/piccolo
El’ad Avakrat, clarinet
Eyal Streett, bassoon
Gittit Boasson, harp
About Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon and Harp
This 27‑minute quartet, composed in 1994 and written for harpist Gittit Boasson, explores the rare and evocative combination of flute/piccolo, clarinet, bassoon, and harp. Influenced by impressionistic French music and jazz — the composer’s primary inspirations at the time — the work blends coloristic writing with lyrical expressiveness and rhythmic vitality. Across four movements, the quartet moves from pastoral innocence to contemplative depth, from pentatonic lightness to a long, lamenting Passacaglia, and finally to a spirited finale featuring piccolo, fugue writing, and a sweeping harp solo. The ensemble’s unique timbral palette allows for both transparency and richness, making the piece a distinctive contribution to chamber music for harp and winds.
For the Performers
Level: Ideal for professional wind players and harpists; also suitable for advanced students exploring blend, color, and multi‑movement chamber writing.
Programming: Works well in contemporary chamber concerts, mixed‑instrument recitals, and programs highlighting unusual instrumental combinations or French‑influenced modern repertoire.
Competitions / Auditions: Suitable for ensemble competitions and auditions that value coloristic nuance, rhythmic clarity, and the ability to shape long‑form musical arcs.
Style: A four‑movement work influenced by impressionism and jazz, featuring pastoral lyricism, pentatonic lightness, a Passacaglia of lamenting character, and a lively finale with fugue and harp solo.
Program Notes
The Quartet for Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Harp is influenced by impressionistic French music and jazz, which was my main influence at the time. The first movement begins with a pastoral character, somewhat naive, but soon introduces more contemplative themes, ultimately concluding on a darker note. The second movement is a light, flowing piece built around a pentatonic scale theme. A bassoon cadenza serves as a bridge between the second and third movements, the latter being a long Passacaglia with a lamenting character. In the final movement, the piccolo replaces the flute. This movement opens with a fugue involving all four instruments, leading into a lyrical second theme followed by a harp solo, and concludes with a grand finale.