Jobert Pepin - Nighthawks - Harpe

Summary of This Score

Nighthawks is a work for solo harp born from a request by Anaïs Gaudemard, who wished to include it in a program centered around the theme of birds. Camille Pépin then chose another poetic entry point: that of the famous painting by Edward Hopper, "Nighthawks" (1942), also known as "Night Birds." The piece unfolds in one continuous movement, like an immersive journey through the painting, adopting the viewer's perspective: first outside, in the dark and deserted street, then gradually drawn toward the harsh light of the diner, before returning to the night.

The musical writing depicts several very distinct states. The introduction, marked "Mysterious, dark," evokes the sensation of the twelve strokes of midnight and immediately establishes a nocturnal atmosphere. A strange chant then emerges, muffled, with "velvety" colors and xylophonic sonorities suggesting listening through the luminous window. This boundary becomes a true dramatic element: drawn in by the neon glow, the listener crosses the windowpane and enters the diner through a repeated, obstinate loop that creates a hypnotic tension close to trance.

The heart of the piece thickens in a "Rhythmic and pulsed" passage, reflecting the frozen scene and the underlying tension of the characters: a man seen from behind, a couple side by side, a waiter, all isolated "under a bell jar" behind the glass. Then the hypnosis dissipates: the music symbolically moves back from inside to outside, regaining the nocturnal atmosphere, between "Hypnotic" and "Mysterious." An ideal score to enrich a contemporary harp program, work on constructing a large narrative arc, and explore timbral colors serving a true sonic dramaturgy.

Technical specifications

Musical Genre

Classical

Composer	Camille Pépin	Instrumentation	solo harp
Artist	Anaïs Gaudemard