Program notes
Malagigi the Sorcerer (1999) is a piece that grows out of the romanticism of mythical stories — in this case, the legends of Charlemagne. Rinaldo, nephew of Charlemagne and appointed knight by the Emperor, “eager to go in pursuit of glory… took the way to the forest of Arden.” There he is told by an old man (Malagigi in disguise) of an untamable horse, Bayard, who lives in the forest and has been kept under enchantment by a magician. The spell will be broken only when a knight of the lineage of Amadís of Gaul, and no less brave, subdues the horse. Rinaldo ultimately succeeds, after a mortal combat, and proves himself worthy of this magnificent legacy.
The first movement, The Enchantment, focuses on the spell itself. Its opening section evokes the moment when Malagigi, in trance and calling upon his magic, casts the spell on Bayard. The second section is a fugue and depicts the struggle of Bayard’s will against Malagigi’s spell. In the end, Bayard succumbs peacefully to the enchantment.
The second movement, Arden Forest, has three main sections. It opens with a flute cadenza that paints the forest — particularly birdsong and the atmosphere of the woods. A transition leads to a faster, more exasperated section in which the flute expresses the inner feelings of the horse, trapped forever in the forest. The cadenza becomes increasingly agitated until the piano joins, building to a climax, and then to a second, even more dramatic climax. After this outburst of anguish and frustration, the music evolves into a final section where the wisdom of the forest takes over Bayard, offering the serenity and peace the horse has long sought.
The last movement, Bayard, depicts the confrontation and fight between Rinaldo and the horse, in which Rinaldo overpowers Bayard, winning both the horse’s freedom and its loyalty.
— Efraín Amaya
(1) Adapted from Legends of Charlemagne, in The Illustrated Bulfinch’s Mythology, Macmillan / Eddison Sadd Editions, 1997.
Instrumentation, duration & movements
Instrumentation: Flute and piano duo.
Duration: ca. 15:00 (three movements). :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- I — The Enchantment
- II — Arden Forest
- III — Bayard
Purchase options
All PayPal buttons below open in the floating cart (top/right on desktop, bottom/right on mobile) so you can combine items before checkout.
To order this piece without using PayPal, please email LaFi Publishers.