The three pieces in the set were written for Artemy Izmaylov, fourth generation harpist, and son of the composer, when he was eight or nine years old.

A Dream, the nocturne-like first movement, concentrates on arpeggios and a singing tone, whilst the second, Sad Waltz, has a slightly more difficult left hand, supporting a legato melody in the right hand. Both pieces are Grade 3 standard. The Toccata which ends the suite is longer, more demanding (Grades 4-5), and is a fascinating study-demonstration, in miniature form, of various compositional techniques. These include frequent time-changes, contrapuntal elements, independence of the hands, sometimes with the two different main themes in both hands at the same time, but all blending into a cohesive whole and an attractive solo harp piece.

Beautifully written for the instrument, the pieces For Artemy have a contemporary freshness of appeal, far removed from the traditional mould of harp writing. They may be played as a suite, or performed separately. Deliberately written so that there are no pedal changes except for the E pedal used in the Toccata, they can be played on lever harp as well as on concert harp.

For Artemy has been recorded by Artemy Izmaylov and is available from Creighton's Collection - see Recordings panel below.

© A.G. 2007