CLASSICS FOR THE LEVER HARP - Vol. 1
Ten glorious works from four centuries of harp and keyboard writing, newly playable on lever harp for the first time.
This collection presents a wide-ranging set of intermediate-level pieces by Handel, Bochsa, Tournier, and Ravel, carefully adapted and edited for modern lever harp. In addition to being gorgeous and musically rewarding, these works are wonderful for building technique and introducing players to a harmonic vocabulary rarely heard on the lever harp.
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685–1759): Chaconne from Suite in C Major, HWV 443 (Theme and 15 Variations)
NICOLAS-CHARLES BOCHSA (1789–1856): Nocturne in G Minor, Op. 34 No. 2
MARCEL TOURNIER (1879–1951): Soupir · Offrande · Tranquille · Décidé · Allegretto · Au seuil du temple · Adagietto
MAURICE RAVEL (1875–1937): Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (from Mother Goose Suite)
These pieces span the Baroque, bel canto, and Impressionist styles to Bochsa’s operatic, singing melodic lines, to Tournier’s delicate character pieces, and Ravel’s dreamlike orchestral pavane. Careful editorial choices—including key changes, hand redistribution, and clearly marked lever changes—make each piece idiomatic and playable on a full-lever 36-string harp tuned in E♭.
All the lever changes are clear and easy to read. But in addition to that, Swanson has added something new. At various places in each piece, the lever settings are listed above the staff, allowing the player to start and stop when practicing and not have to go back to the beginning of the piece each time.
These works introduce lever harpists to real technical and musical challenges beyond typical folk and contemporary repertoire, including quick lever changes, phrasing across long melodic lines, and stylistic range across four historical periods. Detailed editorial notes, lever diagrams, and suggested fingerings support confident practice and performance.
Perfect for advancing intermediate students and teachers looking to introduce serious classical repertoire—including a stately wedding processional (the Handel Chaconne), delicate French character pieces, and a beloved Ravel orchestral movement—into the lever harp world.
Here’s what’s inside. Have a look!
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This collection presents six exquisite intermediate-level pieces by three celebrated harpist-composers of the early 1800s. These works fill an important gap in standard harp repertoire, offering gorgeous original compositions from the period between the Classical and late Romantic eras.
