Virko Baley (born October 21, 1938) is a Ukrainian-American composer, conductor, and pianist. He was born in Radekhiv, in those days Poland (now Ukraine), the only child of Petro (Peter) and Lydia Baley. Before he had celebrated his first birthday, Hitler's army had invaded Poland and World War II had begun. The war defined Baley's early years and gave him a very different view of life and the world from that of children born in the United States during those same years. His father was interred at the concentration camp in Auschwitz following the German invasion while Baley, his mother, uncles, aunts, and grandmother were relocated to Slovakia. The family was reunited on a farm in Germany near the end of the war to work as farm laborers, after which they relocated to Munich. From 1947 to 1949, the Baleys lived in a Displaced Person's camp in Regensburg, Germany.

Baley began formal music training in Germany and later studied at the Los Angeles Conservatory (currently the California Institute of the Arts). Baley retired from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's School of Music with the rank of Distinguished Professor of music composition after serving forty-six years on the faculty.

Baley is the former conductor of the Nevada Symphony Orchestra and was the guest conductor of the Kiev Camerata in Ukraine. He also co-directs N.E.O.N., Nevada Encounters of New Music, and often collaborates with the New Juilliard Ensemble in New York. Baley composed the score to the 1991 Ukrainian film Swan Lake, The Zone.

In Spring 2007, Baley was commissioned by the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University to finish his opera, Hunger, about famine.

As a producer, and through his record label TNC, Virko Baley has released a series of CDs containing rare recordings of the pianist Sviatoslav Richter and of the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the latter earning him a GRAMMY® Award.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

Instrumentation Guide

The standard format is being used in which the first four figures refer to woodwinds, the second four refer to brass, then percussion are listed separately and finally strings (which are given the minimum number of players needed). Principal auxiliary instruments are linked to their respective instruments with either a 'd' if the same player doubles the auxiliary instrument, or a '+' if an extra player is needed.

For example: 2d1(pic) +1(a.fl) 2+1(E.h) 3d1(b.cl) 2+1(c.bn) - 4 2+2(crt) 3, 1 - timp., 2 perf., hp., pf(cel), hpchd - strings (10 10 6 6 4 min.)

translates to...

  • 2d1(pic) +1(a.fl) 2+1(E.h) 3d1(b.cl) 2+1(c.bn) = 2 flutes, one of which doubles on the piccolo, plus a third player playing alto flute only; 2 oboes plus a third for English horn; 3 clarinets, one doubling bass clarinet; 2 bassoons plus 1 contrabassoon
  • 4 2+2(crt) 3, 1 = 4 horns; 2 trumpets plus 2 coronets; 3 trombones; 1 tuba
  • timp., 2 perf., hp., pf(cel), hpchd = 1 timpanist; 2 percussion; 1 harp, 1 piano doubling on celesta; 1 harpsichord
  • strings (10 10 6 6 4 min.) = strings (minimum of 10 violins I, 10 violins II, 6 violas, 6 violoncellos and 4 contrabasses)

* Indicates that the work has been recorded (for discography).

Abbreviations:

  • Dur: = Duration
  • pic = piccolo
  • a.fl = alto flute
  • E.h = English horn
  • b.cl = bass clarinet
  • bar sax = baritone saxophone
  • c.bn = contra bassoon
  • timp = timpani
  • perf = percussion
  • hp = harp
  • pf = piano
  • cel = celesta
  • hpchd - harpsichord
  • synth = synthesizer

Musical Works

Orchestral

  • Sacred Monuments: Symphony No. 1 (chamber orchestra version -1997)
  • Partita, a Concerto Grosso for Trombone, Trumpet, Violect* Electronics and Orchestra (1995)
  • Orpheus Singing for Oboe and Strings (1994)
  • *Adam's Apple, prelude for orchestra (1991)
  • Concerto No. 1 for piano and orchestra (1990 - 1993)
  • Concerto No. 2, favola in musica for violin and orchestra (1998; rev. 1989)
  • *Concerto No. 1, quasi una fantasia for violin and orchestra (1987)
  • *Concerto No. 1, quasi una fantasia for violin and orchestra (chamber version 1987)
  • Duma, a Soliloquy for orchestra (1985, rev. 1988)
  • Woodcuts for String Orchestra (1971; rev. 1997)

Chamber

  • Treny for 2 celli & soprano (1996 - 1997)
  • Adam's Apple for String Quartet (1997)
  • Shadows for flute and piano (1996)
  • Dreamtime Suite No. 2 for Violin, Violoncello and Piano (1996)
  • *Dreamtime (1993 - 1995)
  • *Orpheus Singing for Oboe and String Quartet (1994)
  • Orpheus Singing for Oboe and Piano (1994)
  • *Dreamtime Suite No. 1 for Clarinet, Violin and Piano (1993 - 1994)
  • Partita No, 2 for Bassoon and Piano (1991 - 1992; rev. 1997)
  • *Duo-Concertante for Violoncello and Piano (1971; rev. 1990)
  • Adam's Apple for Woodwind Quintet (1989)
  • *Sculptured Birds for Clarinet and Piano (1978, 1982 - 1984)
  • *Partita No. 1 for 3 Trombones and 3 Pianos (1970, 1976)

Solo Instrumental

  • Persona for oboe solo (1997)
  • Lament 1 for bassoon solo (1996)
  • Lament 1a for contrabassoon solo (1966)
  • Stamping Dance for bass clarinet solo (1995)
  • *Nocturnal No. 6 for Piano (1988)
  • "...figments" for solo violin (Etudes Tableaux, Book I, 1981; 1990 - 1992)
  • *Nocturnal No. 5 for Piano (1980)
  • *Nocturnal No. 4 for Piano (1971; 1987)
  • Nocturnal No. 3 for Three Pianos (1970)
  • Nocturnal No. 2 "Tears" for Piano (1960)
  • Two Dumas for Piano (1959)
  • Nocturnal No. 1 "Mirrors" for Piano (1958)

Vocal

  • Hunger, opera in one act (1985; 1995 - 1997)
  • "Edge" for Mezzo-Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1977; rev. 1997)
  • Two Songs in Olden Style for Soprano and Piano (1960)

Discography

Compilations

  • Kiev Camerata Vol. 1
  • Kiev Camerata Vol. 2
  • Chamber Music of Virko Baley Vol. 3: Dreamtime, a masque for seven players in nineteen movements
  • Chamber Music of Virko Baley Vol. 2: Orpheus Singing for oboe and string quartet
  • Chamber Music of Virko Baley Vol. 1: Jurassic Bird
  • 20th Century Concert Etudes for Solo Violin
  • Boris Lyatoshynsky Orchestral Music
  • Artyomov/Baley/Silvestrov/Ives
  • The Music of Morton Subotnick featuring The Wild Beasts, written for and recorded by Miles Anderson, trombone and Virko Baley, piano
  • 20th Century Ukrainian Violin Music
  • Miles Anderson Plays His Slide Trombone Again
  • Music of Portugal
  • Dragonetti Lives

Orchestral

  • Adam's Apple prelude for orchestra (1991)
  • Concerto No. 1, quasi una fantasia for violin and orchestra (1987)
  • Concerto No. 1, quasi una fantasia for violin and orchestra (chamber version 1987)

Chamber

  • Dreamtime, a masque for seven players in nineteen movements (1993 - 1995)
  • Orpheus Singing for oboe and string quartet (1994)
  • Dreamtime Suite No. 1 for clarinet, violin and piano (1993 - 1994)
  • Duo Concertante for violoncello and piano (1971; rev. 1990)
  • Sculptured Birds for clarinet and piano (1978, 1982 - 1984)
  • Partita No. 1 for trombones and 3 pianos (1970, 1976)

Solo Instrumental

  • Nocturnal No. 6 for piano (1988)
  • "...figments" for solo violin (Etudes Tableaux, Book 1, 1981; 1990 - 1992)
  • Nocturnal No. 5 for piano (1980)