Reflets laurentiens Concerto for clarinet, saxophone and orchestra
EFLETS LAURENTIENS, concerto for clarinet, saxophone and orchestra
, enriches the repertoire of the clarinet and saxophone as solo instruments in a same setting. “This is still a very rare combination of two solo wind instruments of different tone colours played by the same artist.” - Gerald Corey, National Arts
Centre Orchestra Source of inspiration: The Laurentian nature
Succinct presentation: The Concerto’s movements take their titles from paintings by Montréal painter T. K. Thomas, who is Maya’s uncle:
I. October Sky (clarinet & orchestra), based on an energetic giocoso thematic idea, is ingeniously developed, including different colours of the orchestra in combination with the soloist. Andante serves as a gentle oasis that leads to the
Cadenza a tre. A brilliant accelerando thrusts the musicians into the Tempo Primo.
II. Lake in the Laurentians (saxophone & orchestra) is, in contrast, orchestrated intimately with timpani, percussion, and strings as the only accompaniment
supporting the saxophone. The calmness is a reflection of Badian’s impressions of this lake’s static beauty.
III. Laurentian Rapids (clarinet & orchestra) has the soloist perform on the clarinet as in the first movement, the clarinet symmetrically surrounding the
novel use of the saxophone as a solo instrument. This final movement, filled with an evocative and mysterious rumbling, has an almost cinematic feeling and gives the soloist ample possibilities for solstice abandon. A recollection of this movement’s calm leads to an unexpected and unique percussion solo.
A short solo Cadenza of the solo clarinet prepares the orchestra for a brief brilliant coda marked Allegro.
At the final bar, Maya Badian writes "improvisation libre" - so the clarinettist creates his own interpretation to brilliantly put the closing touch to this colourful
Concerto.” - Professor Gerald E. Corey.
____________________________________________
II. Lake in Laurentians by T.K. Thomas
The middle section
III. Laurentian Rapids by T.K.Thomas
“Reflets laurentiens, concerto pour clarinette, saxophone et orchestre de Maya Badian, est une œuvre résolument moderne, à laquelle nous croyons; c’est assurément une musique à laquelle sa maturité va valoir une place de choix au grand répertoire.”
- Le nouvelliste, Mozart s’impose et Badian impressionne par Roland Héroux, le 9 novembre 1994.

Clarinet Concerto: III. Laurentian Rapids by Maya Badian

Clarinet Concerto: I. October Sky by Maya Badian

Program Note:
Quote from, “Maya Badian, Her Life and Her Music: A Privilege to Soar” by Popovici, Fred, published by Pro Ars Publications, Ottawa, Canada, 2010: "The French violin virtuoso Jean-Jacques Kantorow (1945-) commissioned Maya Badian to compose a violin concerto, taking in consideration his virtuosity. In immediately accepting this commission to compose a 20th-century concerto for violin, Badian considered that it would be joining a huge and well-known body of existing repertoire.
The VIOLIN CONCERTO by Maya Badian is cast in a three-movement form:
I.- Prelude; II.- Fugue and Choral; III.- Sonata -, blending unusual fantasia-like cadenzas with a fugue, and ending with a contemporary sonata finale. The result is a virtuoso concerto for the solo violinist with fascinating orchestral components..

II.- FUGUE AND CHORAL, the second movement, is a strict, classically structured Fugue in Allegro (reminiscent of Badian’s Chamber Concerto for Horn and Percussion), followed by a Choral in Adagio, molto legato, molto espressivo, and concluding with a Coda in Allegro. The timpani present the Fugue’s subject (based on a minor third), answered first by marimba (based on a major third), and then by tom-toms (undetermined pitches). At this point, the solo instrument makes its appearance with a dramatic vox vagans (ethereal voice). The movement continues with a counter-exposition using sequential statements of the theme in the low strings and based on the minor third, while the solo violin continues its ethereal voice in a high register. The high strings and orchestral percussion join and build together in a crescendo that finally pauses with a fermata. Rather than using a traditional development, Badian introduces here a surprising feature in the form of a lovely brass Choral. The vox vagans violin solo continues to soar above the brass instruments’ smooth passage. This leads to an extended Coda, a unifying full orchestral restatement of the fugal material, conceived as a blend of all the thematic material presented in this movement.

Violin Concerto: II. Fugue by Maya Badian

Program Note:
Quote from, “Maya Badian, Her Life and Her Music: A Privilege to Soar” by Popovici, Fred, published by Pro Ars Publications, Ottawa, Canada, 2010: "The French violin virtuoso Jean-Jacques Kantorow (1945-) commissioned Maya Badian to compose a violin concerto, taking in consideration his virtuosity. In immediately accepting this commission to compose a 20th-century concerto for violin, Badian considered that it would be joining a huge and well-known body of existing repertoire.
The VIOLIN CONCERTO by Maya Badian is cast in a three-movement form:

I.- Prelude; II.- Fugue and Choral; III.- Sonata -, blending unusual fantasia-like cadenzas with a fugue, and ending with a contemporary sonata finale. The result is a virtuoso concerto for the solo violinist with fascinating orchestral components.
I.- PRELUDE, the first movement, is introduced by a solo cadenza, ad libitum, unusually coupled with timpani, and continues with a dialogue between alto-saxophone and the solo violin. This dialogue is a reflection of the introduction and is based on a free retrograde inversion of the thematic material in the cadenza. It is orchestrated with a parallel dialogue/trialogue between three orchestral groups - the strings, the brass, and the woodwinds. The strings enter first, followed by the brass and finally the woodwinds. The central portion of this opening movement is based on the idea of mixing polyphony with heterophony. As it develops, thematic material recalling the initial cadenza is used in the polyphonic texture. A closing cadenza, mirroring the opening cadenza, features again the solo instrument but this time accompanied by a snare-drum instead of the timpani.

Violin Concerto: I. Prelude by Maya Badian

Concerto Grosso for four timpani, obbligato trumpet and string orchestra
Program Note:
CONCERTO GROSSO for four timpani, obbligato trumpet and string orchestra is acknowledged, with Maya Badian's Concerto for marimba, vibraphone and orchestra, and her Concerto for guitar and orchestra, as the first composition ever composed for this specific combination of instruments in the Romanian music history.
“Although Maya Badian’s ‘Concerto Grosso’ for timpani, obbligato trumpet and string orchestra was written in the 1980’s, there is a strong connection between this exciting work and the various musical periods of the past 300 years - a concerto that spans at least 300 years of music and all of its fascinating styles. Badian’s ‘Concerto Grosso’ is a wonderful piece that crosses so many musical styles but still retains a distinct 'Badian' sound and feel.” - Eric Paetkau, conductor, after his performance of the Canadian premiere of the Concerto Grosso’s original score, in Toronto, Canada, on 14 February 2014.
The three-movement Concerto: I. Allegro-Sonata II. Serenata III. Toccata, in concerto grosso style, presents the timpani and trumpet as the concertino, while the strings performing the role of the tutti.
Allegro-Sonata, the first movement, emphasizes the technical development of an initial rhythmic motive, announced by the timpani. This rhythmic motive is transformed and used in both the solo parts and in the accompanying strings.
Serenata, the second movement, is a reflection of the Romantic period, containing a rich theme simply presented, in a few bars, by the strings. In this movement, the only contribution of the solo timpani comes in an abstract and unusual glissando passage.
Toccata, the third and final movement, is totally modern in concept.
Glissandi, formally given to the timpani, now become aleatoric material for strings.
The timpani present brief elements of the thematic material, surprisingly combined with a vox vagans (trumpet). This voice independently "sings" above the concertino and tutti to finally introduce unexpected jazz elements. As unification, at the very end, the timpani return to reflect on the initial motive.

Concerto Grosso - 4 timpani, trumpet & strings: II. Serenata by Maya Badian

Concerto Grosso - 4 timpani, trumpet & strings: I. Allegro - Sonata by Maya Badian

Program Note:
Deeply shattered with the dreadfulness of the Nazi Holocaust, its meaning and implications for our times, I composed the Symphony Holocaust - In Memoriam in memory of the Holocaust victims. “The Fifth Son” Elie Wiesel’s novel is the source of inspiration for this work. The tragedy and the depth of this Symphony are suggested by two themes that symbolize Life and Death as an obsession: The first one, inspired by a Hora Lunga, a folklore melody from Sighetul Marmatiei, Maramuresh district, Romania, recalls the place where Wiesel was born. Metamorphosed and leading towards the second theme, this melody symbolizes Life. The second theme, inspired by the song From Suffering Through Hope To Victory, which Jews murmured in the concentration camps, symbolizes Death.
I consider my music a message for peace, love and harmony between people. - Maya Badian

Holocaust - In Memoriam Symphony: II Fuga by Maya Badian

Holocaust - In Memoriam Symphony: I Preludio by Maya Badian

Program Note:
“SINFONIETTA is structured in three movements:
(1) Grave; (2) Andante, molto legato ed espressivo; (3) Allegro ma non troppo.
Grave, the first movement, is of dramatic character, in polyphonic style. The theme is announced in the
low register of the strings, and it progressively encompasses the whole orchestra. Near to the close, a
cello cadenza accompanied by the double-bass sustained tones precedes a closing stretto in the strings,
marked Allegro assai.
Andante, the second movement, constitutes a lyrical intermezzo, and it is performed by an instrumental
quartet (oboe, viola, cello and violin).
It leads, without pause, into:
Allegro ma non troppo, the final movement, in which the horns introduce the main theme. The mood of
the movement is optimistic, a march of youthful, high spirit.

Sinfonietta For Orchestra: III. Allegro ma non troppo by Maya Badian

Program Note:
“SINFONIETTA is structured in three movements:
(1) Grave; (2) Andante, molto legato ed espressivo; (3) Allegro ma non troppo.
Grave, the first movement, is of dramatic character, in polyphonic style. The theme is announced in the
low register of the strings, and it progressively encompasses the whole orchestra. Near to the close, acello cadenza accompanied by the double-bass sustained tones precedes a closing stretto in the strings,
marked Allegro assai.Andante, the second movement, constitutes a lyrical intermezzo, and it is performed by an instrumental
quartet (oboe, viola, cello and violin).
It leads, without pause, into:
Allegro ma non troppo, the final movement, in which the horns introduce the main theme. The mood of the movement is optimistic, a march of youthful, high spirit.

Sinfonietta For Orchestra: II. Andante, molto legato ed espressivo by Maya Badian

Program Note:
“SINFONIETTA is structured in three movements:
(1) Grave; (2) Andante, molto legato ed espressivo; (3) Allegro ma non troppo.
Grave, the first movement, is of dramatic character, in polyphonic style. The theme is announced in the low register of the strings, and it progressively encompasses the whole orchestra. Near to the close, a cello cadenza accompanied by the double-bass sustained tones precedes a closing stretto in the strings,
marked Allegro assai.
Andante, the second movement, constitutes a lyrical intermezzo, and it is performed by an instrumental
quartet (oboe, viola, cello and violin).
It leads, without pause, into:
Allegro ma non troppo, the final movement, in which the horns introduce the main theme. The mood of the movement is optimistic, a march of youthful, high spirit.

Sinfonietta For Orchestra: I Grave by Maya Badian

Program Note:
TOCCATA AND PASSACAGLIA for Orchestra presents my homage to two of the major Western musical forms, transmuted in accordance with the requirements of this work.
Toccata, the first movement, is based on the first seven overtones from the rising series of the natural resonance on C. These seven overtones, first suggested by percussion instruments, become the rhythmic-dynamic motive, extended over the main of the sound parameters (pitch, duration, dynamics,
timbre), generating the entire Toccata.
Passacaglia, the second movement, is based on continuous variations over my original ground bass.

Toccata & Passacaglia: II  Passacaglia by Maya Badian

Toccata & Passacaglia: I  Toccata by Maya Badian

Concerto Grosso - 4 timpani, trumpet & strings: III. Toccata by Maya Badian

Dr. Maya Badian is a Contemporary Classical Music Canadian Composer of Romanian Origin. 
Maya Badian has more than 100 published original compositions including symphonies, orchestral music, concertos, cantatas, chamber music, music for multimedia, and musicology and pedagogy works. All her works are published and internationally distributed by Lucian Badian Editions. Her musical output is part of the collections of international libraries, such as Library and Archives Canada, The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Bibliothèque Božidar Kantušer, Paris, France, and of many music libraries across Canada, the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, and National Library of New Zealand. 
”Maya Badian is an important composer, if it does not use some of the extreme devices discovered by earlier 20th century composers, Badian’s music does reflect the accumulated wisdom of a century of experiment and invention.” – The Ottawa Citizen
Dr. Maya Badian have her life and achievements reflected in an international biography work: The Life and The Music of Maya Badian, A Privilege to Soar by Fred Popovici, Pro ARS Publications, Ottawa, 2010.
“An internationally acclaimed composer” – as described in Orchestral Works CD Review, Winnipeg Sun, 1999.
Dr. Badian is a member of the Canadian Music Center, Canadian League of Composers, Association of Canadian Women Composers, Ottawa New Music Creators, Romanian Union of Composers and Musicologists, Union of Composers and Musicologists of Moldova.

Maya Badian, Composer

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