Flute, Viola and Harp

Flute, viola and harp are the instruments of a chamber music grouping that have become common through the establishment of ensembles that feature this set of instruments and have enjoyed new compositions written for the set. The first major composition written for the instruments was the Sonata for flute, viola and harp (1915) by Claude Debussy; Debussy had set out to compose a set of chamber works for "diverse ensembles," as distinguished from more common groupings like string quartet or piano trio. Though other composers have written chamber works that feature harp, this set of instruments has gained a repertoire, which places it among other established genres of the twentieth century such as the "Pierrot ensemble" (flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello, with frequently added percussion or voice).