Classical Music

A symphony evoking different flavoured chocolates, a piano concerto as a soundtrack for a chess match, a fishing story mimed by a costumed clarinetist, a cabaret opera based on a comic book, a crowd game for orchestra with a giant beach ball, an 8-bit concerto, symphonic aerobics… With his communicative musical language and the originality of his concepts, the Montreal based composer Maxime Goulet connects with audiences from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences, from youth audiences to savvy music aficionados.

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Highlights

Ice Storm Symphony

Ice Storm Symphony evokes the historic ice storm that hit eastern Canada in the winter of 1998. The work is inspired as much by the meteorological turmoil as by the light that springs from darkness, the courage and empathy that emanated from the crisis. It also raises awareness among listeners of the importance of our ecosystem, highlighting the vulnerability of our environment.

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Symphonic Chocolates

Symphonic Chocolates is a work meant to accompany a chocolate tasting. An orchestral suite in four short movements in which each movement evokes a different flavour of chocolate. During the concert, the audience is invited to eat four small chocolates while each movement of the corresponding flavour is being played.

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On Halloween Night

On Halloween Night is an orchestral suite in five short movements in which each movement evokes a fantastical creature traditionally associated with the celebration of Halloween: a witch, zombies, a werewolf, ghosts and skeletons. The work is freely inspired by children’s drawings of each creature.

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Beach Ball Games for Orchestra

Beach Ball Games for Orchestra is a series of three small crowd gaming titles. During the concert, the audience plays the game by moving a ball in response to projections on the screen.

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United Anthems

United Anthems is a mosaic of very short musical excerpts from the anthems of 35 nations across the globe. The piece celebrates diversity and world peace.

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Citius, Altius, Fortius!

Inspired by the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger), this short and energetic orchestral movement is characterized by rapid, bustling textures (citius), ascending melodic gestures (altius), and powerful, brass chords (fortius).

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A Bassoon Circus

A Bassoon Circus is a concerto for solo bassoon and orchestra staged as an instrumental theatre. Each of its seven short movements evokes a different kind of circus act, starring the soloist: The Ringmaster, The Lion Tamer, The Tightrope Walker, The Magician, The Human Cannonball, The Clown, The Strongman.

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Checkmate!

Checkmate! is a short concerto for solo piano and orchestra that puts into music the legendary chess game played by Garry Kasparov vs Deep Blue.

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Symphonic Aerobic Dance

What is a staccato? A fortissimo? A ritardando? Learn all about the basic elements of musical language while having fun, thanks to Symphonic Aerobic Dance, a workout for orchestra and a unique learning experience!

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Fishing Story

Fishing Story is a concerto for solo clarinet and string orchestra staged as an instrumental theatre. The piece is inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s American novel The Old Man and the Sea. Rather than a precise setting of the novel itself, it was created as a free-form sequel to the story, exploring what happens next to the kid who accompanied the old man.

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Symphonic Factory

Symphonic Factory is a one-movement Instrumental Theatre work for orchestra and students with their music teacher. The work depicts the difficult work in factories, characterized by the repetitive work of assembly lines and strikes.

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A Puppet Parade

A Puppet Parade is an orchestral suite inspired by a selection of marionettes made by Micheline Legendre. Each movement evokes a specific puppet created by the artist.

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Level Up! (8-bit Concerto)

Level Up! is a succession of variations based on an original theme, for keyboard soloist (playing 8-bit sounds) and string orchestra. Each variation evokes a typical video game situation (opening theme, time up jingle, boss fight, game over jingle, etc.).

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Concertized Introductions

Concertized Introductions is a piece in one movement, for string orchestra, in which each musician gets to be introduced to the audience. A piece that allows the audience to discover each musician!

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What a Day

What a day, a four-movement work for string orchestra, outlines the parallels between a day and a life, as if one were the microcosm of the other. The four movements are: “Joyful Morning”, “Long Day at Work”, “Tête-à-tête Evening” and “Serene Night”.

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Micro Météo

Micro Météo is a song cycle based on a series of very short weather themed poems written and set to music by composer Maxime Goulet. The music was composed and recorded in the spring of 2020, during the confinement period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Flight of the Hummingbird

The Flight of the Hummingbird is a chamber opera for the whole family. It is a call to action positioned in the context of climate change. The opera is based on the book Flight of the Hummingbird – A Parable for the Environment, written and illustrated by Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, also co-librettist.

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Bungalopolis

Bungalopolis is a cabaret opera based on the comic book Des tondeuses et des hommes (Of Lawnmower and Men), created by Jean-Paul Eid. The music is composed by a collective of 5 composers and is an original concept of Maxime Goulet.

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Complete List of Works

Click on the title of the work to access its corresponding detailed information page

ORCHESTRA

Beach Ball Games for Orchestra

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / 1 pno-cel / hrp / timp+3 / strings (3rd perc, hrp, pno/cel are optional)

5 min.

The Carnival of the Insects

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / hrp / timp+2 / strings

20 min.

Citius, altius, fortius!

3.3.3.3 / 4.3.3.1 / timp+2 / hrp / strings
2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / timp+2 / strings

3 min.

Ice Storm Symphony

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / hrp / timp+2 / strings

40 min.

Lucia

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / hrp / timp+3 / strings

10 min.

On Halloween Night

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / 1 hrp / timp+2 / strings
2.2.2.2 / 2.2.0.0 / 1 pno / timp-perc / strings

11 min.

A Puppet Parade

2*.2.2.2 (fl2 dbl picc) / 2.2.0.0 / timp+1 / strings

18 min.

Symphonic Aerobic Dance

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / timp+2 / strings

4 min.

Symphonic Chocolates

2.2.2.2 / 2.2.0.0 / 1 perc (optional) / strings
1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.0 / 1 perc (optional) / strings

12 min.

Symphonic Factory

3.3.2.2 (eh optional) / 4.2.3.1 / hrp / timp+2 / strings / students and their teacher playing percs.

8 min.

United Anthems

2.2.2.2 / 4.2.3.1 / timp+2 / strings

3 min.

CONCERTO

A Bassoon Circus

bsn solo / 2.2.2.1 / 2.2.0.0 / timp+1 / strings

16 min.

Beatles Fantasy

vln solo / 2.2.2.2 / 2.2.0.0 / timp+1 / strings

22 min.

Checkmate!

pno solo / 2.2.2.2 / 2.2.0.0 / timp+1 / strings

15 min.

Fishing Story

cl solo / string orchestra
cl solo / string quartet / bass and/or pno

11 min.

Level Up! (8-bit Concerto)

Electronic keyboard (or piano) + String orchestra (or string quintet)

5 min.

OPERA

Bungalopolis

4 voices / wind quintet / piano
4 voices / piano

1 hr. 20 min.

The Flight of the Hummingbird

English version: 4 voices / cello / piano
German version: 4 voices / cello / piano

41 min.

BALLET

The Little Prince

2.2.2.2 / 2.2.0.0 / pno / timp+1 / strings

35 min.

CHAMBER MUSIC

Citius, altius, fortius!

Organ solo
Brass quintet

3 min.

Concertized Introductions

String orchestra

7 min.

Fishing Story

cl solo / string orchestra
cl solo / string quartet / bass and/or pno

11 min.

Level Up! (8-bit Concerto)

Electronic keyboard (or piano) + String orchestra (or string quintet)

5 min.

Lucia

Piano solo
Celesta solo

3 min. 30 sec.

Micro météo

Voice (tenor) + Piano

13 min.

On a Tightrope

String quartet
Organ solo

16 min.

Symphonic Chocolates

String orchestra + Piano
String orchestra
String quintet + Piano
String quintet
String quartet
Wind quintet
Two violins + Piano
Solo violin + Piano
Solo flute + Piano
Solo clarinet + Piano

12 min.

United Anthems

1.1.1.1 / 1.1.0.0 / timp+1 / strings

3 min.

Watercolour

Piano solo

2 min.

What a Day

String orchestra

13 min.

The Wool-Spinning Devil

Narrator + Clarinet + Cello + Piano
Clarinet + Cello + Piano
Narrator + String quartet
String quartet

12 min.

WIND ORCHESTRA

A Bassoon Circus

bsn solo / 1picc, 2fl, 2ob, 1bsn / 2cl-bb solo, 1cl-eb, 3cl-bb, 1cl-bss / 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 2hr, 2trp, 1tuba / 1db / timp, 1perc

16 min.

Beach Ball Games for Orchestra

2fl, 1 picc (optional), 2ob, 1eh (optional), 2bsn, 3cl, 1cl-b / 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 4hrn, 3trp, 2tbn-t, 1tbn-b, 1eup, 1tuba / hrp, pno and cel / timp / 3perc

5 min.

Citius, altius, fortius!

3fl, 3ob, 2bsn, 3cl, 2cl-b / 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 4hrn, 3trp, 2tbn-t, 1tbn-b, 1eup, 1tuba / hrp, pno, cel (optional) / timp / 2perc

3 min.

Lucia

1picc, 2fl, 3cl, 1cl-b / 1sax-s, 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 2trp, 2cor, 2tbn / 1eup, 1tuba / cel (or pno) / timp / 3perc

10 min.

On Halloween Night

2fl, 2ob, 2bsn, 3cl, 1cl-b / 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 4hrn, 3trp, 2tbn-t, 1tbn-b, 1eup, 1tuba / hrp, pno / timp / 3perc

11 min.

Symphonic Aerobic Dance

2fl, 2ob, 2bsn, 3cl, 1cl-b / 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 4hrn, 3trp, 2tbn-t, 1tbn-b, 1eup, 1tuba / timp / 3perc

4 min.

Symphonic Chocolates

2fl, 1ob, 1bsn, 3cl, 1cl-b / 2sax-a, 1sax-t, 1sax-b / 2hrn, 3trp, 2tbn-t, 1tbn-b, 1eup, 1tuba / timp / 2 to 5 perc

12 min.

You have a request?

To commission him a new composition or a new arrangement of an existing piece, getting a free copy of one of his scores (as a PDF file), renting/buying the music sheets for one of his pieces, listening to a complete recording of one of his pieces (if not already available on this site), requesting an interview, informing him of a performance of one of his compositions by your ensemble, simply send a message to Maxime Goulet.

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