Au Matin, Op. 22
by Marcel Tournier
Marcel Tournier (1879–1951) succeeded his teacher Alphonse Hasselmans at the Paris Conservatoire in 1912 and transformed harp pedagogy in France. Au Matin ("In the Morning"), the first piece of his Suite Op. 22, is one of the finest examples of French Impressionist harp writing: shimmering harmonics evoke early morning light, glissandi simulate birdsong, and the melodic line floats over a ceaselessly moving texture of broken chords. Technically demanding — it requires effortless control of harmonics and glissandi throughout — yet it sounds perfectly natural and evocative. Tournier's writing explores the harp's palette with the sensitivity of a Debussy or Ravel.
Editions
Henry Lemoine
Marcel Tournier, 1924
Original publication by Tournier's primary publisher; the authoritative edition, in print continuously since 1924.
Alphonse Leduc
Editorial staff, 1965
Reprint edition widely circulated in France; the text found in most French conservatory libraries.