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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Valachian Dance

by Maya Badian

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
1975
Duration
4'
Publisher
Canadian Music Centre (unpublished; CMC print, call no. MI 3113 B136da)
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About this piece

A four-minute virtuoso solo built on an imaginary folk tune inspired by Romanian folklore, in four linked sections (Allegretto giocoso e con spirito, Poco meno mosso, Poco più mosso, Tempo primo). The programme note mentions double, triple and quadruple stops. Premiered in Bucharest in 1975 by cellist Eugen Mantu and revised in 1996; it was listed on the Canadian Music Showcase 2000 syllabus. The Canadian Music Centre rates it Advanced, RCM Grade 10.

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.

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