Skip to content
Cello Repertoire Initiative

Naga

by India Gailey

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2024
Duration
6'30''
Publisher
Canadian Music Centre (unpublished; CMC print, call no. MI 3113 G138nag)
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

A single-movement solo of about six and a half minutes (a four-page score). Gailey's programme note describes it as the sorrow of a lonely naga, the water-dwelling serpent being of Buddhist and Southeast Asian traditions, 'gracefully thrashing, calling for more balance in our world.' Commissioned by Toronto's Harbourfront Centre and premiered by Rachel Mercer in June 2024. Also arranged by the composer for viola.

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

Level rubric

Advanced

Left Hand

  • Unrestricted fingerboard operation.
  • Effortless high‑register passages with thumb position.
  • Execute large leaps, rapid shifts & fast runs with precise intonation.
  • Render double stops with clarity and even vibrato.
  • Crisp, stylistically appropriate ornamentation (trills, turns, mordents).
  • Instinctive micro‑adjustments in intonation for expressiveness.
  • False harmonics in low positions

Right Hand

  • Complete command of all bow strokes at any tempo/dynamic.
  • Comfortable execution of virtuoso passages (sautillé, intricate ricochet).
  • Tone projection from whisper‑quiet to fortissimo.
  • Integrate advanced bow patterns with expressive phrasing.
  • Demonstrate technical precision with a broad dynamic range.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Interpret large‑scale structures with nuanced pacing and rhythmic freedom.
  • Highly refined phrasing with subtle note grouping & expressive rubato.
  • Convey emotional depth and stylistic authenticity.
  • Incorporate personal interpretive choices while meeting stylistic demands.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

Music

Recently AddedThe newest additions

About

Our MissionResource CatalogContributeContact Us