Legende

French harpist and composer, Henriette Renié (1875-1956) lived in poverty for much of her life. However, this did not stop her from composing significant works for the Harp, including Legende D'Apres Les Elfes inspired the poem of the same name by French poet, Leconte de Lisle.

Despite being a talented composer, Renié lived at a time where fame and success was socially unacceptable for women. In 1903, she composed her substantial work for Harp, Legende D'Apres Les Elfes. As a highly virtuosic work, this Renié piece displays use of cadenza passages,exploitation of tonality, complex rhythms and variety in performance directions. For advanced harpists, Renié's Legende D'Apres Les Elfes is an exciting and varied addition to the repertoire.