In 1904 Pleyel, the famous Parisian firm of instrument manufacturers, approached Debussy with a commission for a new test piece for chromatic harp, intended for use in the diploma examinations at the Brussels Conservatoire.
Debussy's response to Pleyel's request was to compose his 'Danses Sacrée et Profane', which eventually took a place among the best-known and most frequently performed works for harp in the concert repertory.
The part of the harp is surprisingly conventional, and actually not especially difficult to play, though the exotic, coruscating passagework and rich chordal effects might suggest otherwise.