Mother (2021)

For chamber orchestra
2 (2nd also picc), 2, 2 (2nd also b. cl), 2
2, 2
hp
timp, 1 perc
strings
Duration: 5 minutes
Commissioned by BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo to open Last Night of the 2021 Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall

Review of the world premiere:

“ethereal” -BBC Radio 3
“immersed in Gity Razaz’s mesmeric new commission” -The Arts Desk
“… bubbling orchestral showpiece” -Financial Times
“Musically, there was much to enjoy... Mother, by the Iranian-born Gity Razaz, an attractive piece about climate change” -The Guardian
“… masterpiece” -afegames
“… ritzy orchestration and a breezy, Copland-meets-John Adams sort of atmosphere.” -The Times

Program Note:

The short orchestral piece, Mother, is an ecstatic tribute to nature's elegance and eternal resilience. Right now, however, our home to life as we know it is frequently in distress from the impact of modern society. Due to climate change, we've witnessed wildfires from Alaska to Australia, droughts rage through California, and each summer water becomes more scarce in the Middle East.

Mother is my attempt to showcase the fearsome majesty of the natural world, alongside its awe-inspiring beauty. The piece vibrates with constant waves of energy depicting nature's unstoppable will to survive and propel life. Two yearning melodic themes churn and soar amidst various pulsating textures, creating a dramatic trajectory. The themes develop and transform throughout the piece culminating in a gripping finale.

As we begin to take cautious steps away from the pandemic, Mother is meant as a reminder of our delicate, precarious dance with the natural world, and at its essence, a celebration of life.