Meditations
and Toccatas in the Ancient Modes offers harpists a unique
journey into the expressive world of Dorian and Phrygian modality,
reimagined through a modern harmonic palette.
Written specifically for 36-string lever harp and fully adaptable
to pedal harp, the cycle transforms modal writing into a vivid
concert experience. The pieces require few—if any—lever changes,
allowing performers to focus on sound, phrasing, and musical
expression rather than mechanical adjustments. Lyrical, singing
Meditations unfold in spacious resonance, while the Toccatas bring
rhythmic vitality and brilliant yet accessible virtuosity.
The music combines clear melodic lines with rich seventh and ninth
harmonies, subtle modal shifts, and colorful extended
techniques—including harmonics, xylophonic sounds, glissandi, and
Aeolian chords—always integrated musically rather than used for
display.
Ideal for both recital programs and sacred or resonant acoustic
settings, these works balance architectural clarity with expressive
warmth. Each Meditation and Toccata form a cohesive diptych, offering
performers flexibility: individual movements may stand alone, or the
full pairing can create a compelling formal arc.
A refined addition to the contemporary harp repertoire, this
collection invites the performer to explore resonance, color, and
modal transformation with both discipline and imagination.
The printed score is available at Amazon (click here)
The PDF score is available at SheetMusicPlus (click here)
Preface
Composed
in the autumn of 2024, and revised in 2026, Meditations and
Toccatas in the Ancient Modes arose from a personal artistic
intention: to write a work that could inhabit both the concert hall
and the liturgical space. The aim was not to produce functional
sacred music, but rather a form of “pure” instrumental writing
capable of adapting naturally to a sacred acoustic and spiritual
context, while retaining full structural autonomy in performance.
The
choice of modality emerged in part from the practical limitations of
the 36–string lever harp. Rather than perceiving these limitations
as constraints, they became a generative stimulus. The reduced
availability of chromatic alteration encouraged a disciplined
exploration of modal resources and suggested a musical language in
which constraint functions as creative catalyst. The “ancient
modes” of the title are therefore not invoked as historical
reconstruction, nor as reference to medieval repertories, but as part
of an imagined Gothic sound world — an abstract medievalism shaped
more by architectural and spiritual associations than by direct
musicological models.
Although
grounded in modal scales (primarily Dorian and Phrygian), the
harmonic language incorporates modern sonorities, including seventh
and ninth chords. Dissonance is treated not as instability demanding
resolution, but as color within a modal field — an approach that,
while independent in conception, may recall the harmonic
sensibilities of Debussy, Ravel, or Puccini. The modal environment
remains structurally central, yet it is animated by contemporary
harmonic inflection.
The
cycle consists of two diptychs, each formed by a Meditation followed
by a Toccata. Each pair may be understood as a two-movement sonata.
All four movements adopt an abbreviated sonata form: the development
section elaborates exclusively on the first theme, while the
recapitulation begins directly with the second theme. In the
Toccatas, an additional coda reinforces the closing gesture.
Within
this formal framework, the traditional tonal trajectory of sonata
form is reinterpreted through modality. Instead of tonal modulation,
the music employs modal modulation — the shifting from one mode to
another over the course of a movement. A single thematic idea may
thus assume contrasting expressive characters when articulated in
different modal environments. Moreover, within each diptych, the
harmonic path traced in the Meditation reappears in the corresponding
Toccata, creating an intimate structural and expressive connection
between the two movements. This same connection is reaffirmed through
the melodic approach: Meditation and Toccata are conceived as
complementary, despite their evident differences — cantabile
lyricism on the one hand, measured virtuosity on the other. Even in
the faster movements, melodic clarity remains central. Polyphonic
interplay between two voices appears in selected passages, though the
overall texture privileges transparency over density. The virtuosic
writing of the Toccatas is brilliant yet restrained, incorporating
extended techniques such as harmonics, xylophonic sounds, varied
glissandi, and Aeolian chords, all integrated into the musical
discourse rather than presented as mere display.
The
work was conceived on a 36-string lever harp and requires few, if
any, lever changes. Nevertheless, it may be performed effectively on
pedal harp. The writing favors resonance and breadth of sonority;
muffling is rarely necessary. The ideal acoustic is one that allows
sustained reverberation — a space analogous to a cathedral interior
— in which harmonic color and modal transformation can unfold
fully.
Interpretatively,
each theme should be clearly characterized according to its modal and
expressive function. The Meditations invite an emotive and singing
approach, yet without excessive rubato: tempo should remain steady
and proportionate. The Toccatas do not demand extreme speed;
brilliance derives from articulation and rhythmic vitality rather
than sheer tempo.
Each
movement is bipartite, with repeat signs marking both sections. The
repeats are optional, but structural balance requires consistency:
either all repeats within a movement are observed, or none.
Performing only the repeat of the first section and omitting the
second is discouraged, as this disrupts the intended symmetry. While
individual movements may be performed separately, the complete
diptych remains the preferred artistic unit.
In
these works, modality is not treated as a static archaic frame, but
as a dynamic structural principle capable of sustaining formal
architecture, harmonic color, and expressive contrast. The “ancient”
thus becomes a living resource — a means of shaping contemporary
instrumental discourse through clarity, resonance, and disciplined
imagination.
