Nataliana for Solo Harp - Deborah Henson-Conant

Nataliana is a lyric, romantic piece. It is meant to be played on either pedal or lever harp. There are no lever or pedal changes throughout the piece. Performance length is approximately 3:15 minutes. It is meant as a concert piece and is of moderate difficulty. It is not necessary to play the piece fast.

You should play the melody as though you were singing it. The melody often changes hands or is accompanied by arpeggios. In these cases, the notes which create the melodic line are indicated. Make sure that you bring the melody out clearly, while at the same timeproviding a rich accompaniment with the arpeggiated figures. 

As it is not possible to write every subtle expression marking and tempo change in Nataliana, the performer must really discover its interpretation in her or his own heart. Please do remember that this is a romantic, passionate piece of music. Tempo markings are written for reference only, not to dictate you. You must let the piece rise and fall as you feel it. "Very freely throughout" (the first indication) really means just that:

...very...freely...throughout...