Harp Concerto, Op. 25, Op. 25

Ginastera's Harp Concerto (1956-65, premiered 1965) is the most significant harp concerto written since Saint-Saens, and the greatest contribution to the harp's solo orchestral repertoire in the 20th century. Commissioned by Edna Phillips, the former principal harp of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the work fuses Argentine folk idioms -- malambo rhythms, modal pentatonic melodies -- with Bartokian percussive techniques and Ginastera's mature atonal language. The soloist's part extends the harp's technique to its extreme limits, demanding strummed chords, harmonics, bisbigliando, and precise rhythmic interactions with the chamber orchestra. The middle movement is a transcendently still Molto moderato that stands as one of Ginastera's most intimate inspirations.