Duration: 15 minutes

Description: Carlos Salzedo (1885–1961) composed Variations sur un thème dans le style ancien, Op. 30 in 1911, creating one of the earliest masterpieces of the modern solo harp repertoire during the formative years of his career as a virtuoso performer and visionary composer. Written while Salzedo was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York and shortly before he emerged as the leading figure in the twentieth-century revival of harp performance and technique, the work reflects both his reverence for Baroque musical forms and his determination to expand the expressive and technical possibilities of the modern concert harp. Built upon an original stately theme in the style of an eighteenth-century dance rather than on an actual historical melody, the composition unfolds through a brilliant sequence of variations, each highlighting a different aspect of harp technique, including rapid scales, trills, wide leaps, harmonics, and richly colored chordal textures, while preserving the unity of the underlying theme. The work was published in Paris in 1914 as the third of Salzedo’s Trois Morceaux pour harpe seule and quickly became a showcase for his innovative performance style. Today, Variations sur un thème dans le style ancien, Op. 30 is regarded as one of Salzedo’s defining compositions and a cornerstone of the international harp repertoire, frequently featured in conservatory study, competitions, and recital programs for its exceptional blend of Classical elegance, technical brilliance, and imaginative exploration of the instrument’s unique sonorities. Reprint edition.

• M366391 / 36-M366391 VARIATIONS SUR UN THEME, OP. 30 SOLO $6.95Buy Now