Cello Sheet Music Reviews

by Catherine Milligan

CONCERTO IN G MINOR For Two Cellos, Strings & Basso Continuo RV 531 Antonio Vivaldi BÄRENREITER BA 10946-90

This joyous and energetic concerto is cherished by performers and audiences. It is unique amongst Vivaldi’s large output for the cello, as it is the only concerto for two cellos. The three-movement work dates from around 1713-1717 during Vivaldi’s time at the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, where regular performances raised both finances and public prestige for the institution. The two solo parts take centre stage with virtuosic and imitational passages, but lie on the cello so well that the work can be played comfortably by advanced students.

This urtext edition is based on Vivaldi’s autograph score, and some inconsistencies from previous editions have been clarified. The solo cello parts with piano reduction correspond to the edition of the score with critical report (BA 10946). Any editorial additions (trills, accidentals, slurs and dynamics), although minimal, are indicated in the musical text. The solo parts are well-spaced and clear, and are without awkward page turns. The edition allows for a flexible realisation of the work, either by full orchestra, or by one performer on each part as was common in the early 18th century.

SCHERZO STRINGS - CHARACTER-FILLED PIECES FOR CHAMPION CELLISTS

Edited by Sarah Jameson BLACK CAT MUSIC, SYDNEY 2022 www.scherzostrings.com.au

This is a collection of seven short pieces with piano accompaniment, designed for younger cellists. The pieces are tuneful and cheerful, and allow students to explore different genres and rhythmic styles, using various string techniques. The range of difficulty is from preliminary to approximately grade 5. The pieces could be used in concerts or as extra lists for exams.

All but the first piece require basic shifting in the neck positions, while the three more advanced pieces require reading in tenor clef. So Basically the only piece for solo cello, makes use of percussion on the cello, pizzicato and a swung quaver rhythm. Lazy Morning Blues is also in a jazz style. Jump makes use of a 5/8 metre, while Twilight Tango has some engaging rhythms and interesting harmonies, and encourages an expressive cantabile tone. Most of the pieces are in ternary form with a contrasting middle section. The piano accompaniment is supportive.

The composer, Sarah Jameson is a Sydney-based cellist who also teaches and conducts school string orchestras. With clear and well-spaced performance parts, the works have bowing markings and clear tempo and dynamic markings. Fingering markings are minimal, and further direction here would add to the accessibility for students.

CELLO SONATA OP. 1 NO. 1 in G major CELLO SONATA OP. 1 NO. 2 in E minor Leokadiya Kashperova. Editor: Graham Griffiths

BOOSEY & HAWKES 19832, 19833

Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940), a respected pianist and chamber musician in St. Petersburg for two decades, was also a successful a composer. She had studied composition with Nikolay Solovyov and piano with Anton Rubinstein. Although remembered as Stravinsky’s piano teacher, Kashperova’s music was largely forgotten after her death. More recently there has been a growing interest in her musical talent and creativity as a composer.

The two cello sonatas were written in 1895 and 1896, just after Kashperova had graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. They were dedicated to Russian cellist, Aleksandr Verzhbilovich, who gave the first performances. Although very early works, the sonatas show compositional assurance and are highly expressive, each with four expansive movements. The sonatas reveal the richness of Russian romanticism, although some movements are a little juvenile in style. Brilliant piano writing gives an indication of the composer’s own abilities. The cello part sits well on the instrument, and the writing shows an understanding of the cello’s cantabile qualities.

These new reprints by Boosey & Hawkes are well-spaced and clean. There are no fingerings or bowing directions given. Brief biographical and editorial notes are provided.

Catherine Milligan

by Sharon Lierse

SONATA FOR PIANO & CELLO, OP. 183

Joachim Raff (1822-1882)

BREITKOPF EB 9406 www.breitkopf.com

German-Swiss composer Joachim Raff’s works were well known during his lifetime. Today, they are largely forgotten. His output includes 11 symphonies, concertos, opera, chamber music, works for solo piano, five violin sonatas, a piano quintet, two piano quartets, a string sextet, and four piano trios. For cello, he composed the sonata, duo for cello and piano, two Fantasy pieces and two Romances. The four-movement cello sonata in D major was composed in 1873.

The first is a lively and energetic Allegro which in some ways is reminiscent of Beethoven’s D major Sonata for Piano and Cello. Interestingly, Raff also titled his sonata, for Piano and Cello. Here, he features the interplay between the two instruments highlighting the virtuosity of the piano and the cello’s range of melodic and expressive tonal colours.

It is Classical in its form, but Romantic in scope. Movement two is a lively Vivace in d minor featuring the piano’s soaring melody in the trio section. The Andante in B flat major is reflective and offers some respite from the frenetic first and second movements.

The final movement is an Allegro containing folk elements to the melody. The Sonata would be considered a major work for an advanced cellist, challenging in its scope yet highly accessible.

Suite For Strings

Victor Kosenko arr. Robert Debbaut

Carl Fischer CAS139F

Viktor Kosenko (1896-1938) was a concertmaster, pianist, educator and composer. He arranged a collection of music by Soviet composers entitled The Young Soviet Violinist and another collection: Kosenko’s Children’s Pieces. The music has been arranged by Robert Debbaut who has led a range of orchestras and operas in the USA, Europe and Asia. Debbaut has a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Michigan where he was the first American conductor to be Fellow in Conducting. The Suite for String Orchestra has four movements: I. Scherzo, II. Melody, III. Olden Dance, and IV. March.

The Scherzino is in D minor with a lively melody performed by the first violins. Melody is a contrasting slow and reflective movement in A minor with a lilting quaver counter melody in the viola part. The Olden Dance is a folk inspired elegant dance in the style of a Minuet and Trio. The cellists have a delightful solo in the Trio part. The final movement is an energetic rhythmic March in D major. The music is graded level three to threeand-a-half in which the players require some shifting and chromatic note skills. Each of these attractive short pieces can be played alone or together in a performance.

SYMPHONY NO. 2. 2nd Movt.

William Grant Still, arr. Todd Parrish

For String Orchestra & Harp CARL FISCHER AS144F

Todd Parrish (b. 1971) studied violin, piano and string pedagogy at ORU where he received a Bachelor of Music Education.

Later he received a Master of Music from the University of Arizona in Tucson where he studied conducting, string quartet and violin. Parrish has taught orchestra at public schools for over 20 years, arranges classical music for school orchestras and writes original compositions. He became the orchestra editor for Carl Fischer in 2018.

William Still (1895-1978) has been described as the ‘Dean of African-American Composers’..His groundbreaking work includes the first to have an opera performed by the New York City Opera, and to be part of the Harlem Renaissance. Still’s music is infused with jazz and blue styles and classical forms. His Symphony No 2 was premiered in 1937 by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski subtitled; ’ Song of a New Race.’ It is infused with elements of blues and jazz into the classical form. Here it is arranged for strings and the original harp part. The string parts are best suited for an intermediate or advanced string orchestra with a competent harpist.

ZEPHYRUS for String Orchestra

Todd Parrish

Carl Fischer CAS138F

Zephyrus is named after the west wind which is depicted by triplet octave leaps and scalic passages creating a whirling sensation. The energetic music commences in b minor and has a middle section in D major. Most of the second violin and viola parts are in unison; thus the players can provide each other with support. A significant cello melody has an accompanying separate bass part. The music is for a level 3 string group and is therefore ideal for an intermediate string group.

Each publication in the Carl Fischer Junior String orchestra series is designated with a suggested grade level and can also be viewed and heard on their website, making it easy to choose works for your ensemble. All pieces come with a full score and multiple string parts.

Winter Stars

Kathryn Griesinger

Carl Fischer YAS211F

Kathryn Griesinger’s. Winter Stars was inspired by a poem by Sara Teasdale. It is a level 2 work, in the key of D Major and marked Tranquillo. The music is arranged for strings and a piano part. The program notes describe how these: “Gentle phrases capture the wistful hope the poet felt as she contemplated the steadfast stars that ‘burn steadily as long ago’ even as the world changed below”.. The music changes from D Major to G Major and also shifts briefly to a minor key. The music is atmospheric and sounds like program music for a beautiful movie. It would be a lovely interlude or slow piece in a recital for a first or second year string orchestra.

Artefacts

Kathryn Griesinger

Carl Fischer FAS123F

Cellist Kathryn (Griesinger) Parrish received her BA from the University of Akron and has taught string pedagogy there as well as in Ohio and Florida. Her current role is an orchestral editor in educational music publications. Artefacts is written for a junior string group. It has been inspired by a ‘mysterious hunt for ancient artifacts’. Some of the concepts used here are staccato, accents, bow-lifts, pizzicato, dynamics, 4th finger, and natural symbols without using low-2 finger patterns. The piece has been arranged with Violin 2 doubling the viola and double basses. There is also an optional piano part. The music commences with staccato crotchets followed by quavers, then a pizzicato section. Much of the music is rhythmically in unison which makes it easy to perform and conduct. At 68 bars long, it has the complexity of different melodies, but still sustains the listener and players with the overarching theme. Griesinger’s work for young players with both the range of techniques and in a minor key is a welcome addition for a string orchestra.

Cello Concerto In B Minor Op 104

Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)

G. HENLE URTEXT HN1185 www.henle.com

Nicknamed the King of the cello concertos, the Dvořák concerto is a well-loved work in the cello repertoire. As a student, there weren’t many publications available so this new edition by Annette Oppermann with fingerings and bowings by Steven Isserlis is a welcome addition to my music library. The piano part includes a page of the autograph score and an extensive Foreword in German, English and French detailing the development and first performances of the work. There are also extensive comments elucidating what was in the original score and the justification for the changes in this edition. Two cello parts are included. The first is the edited part, and the second contains Isserlis’ fingerings and bowings.

It is interesting to read his suggestions and reasons for changing a note in a chord and his interpretation of some key phrases. This provides a human touch to a work which has many technical challenges and is symphonic in its scope. I highly recommend this scholarly edition for musicians to consider what it has to offer for a much deeper interpretation and new understanding of a concerto which is firmly entrenched in the mainstream cello repertoire.

Fantasia On An Original Theme

Liam Ramsey-White

Carl Fischer CAS141F

Liam Ramsey-White (b.1996) is a largely selftaught composer who commenced writing music from the age of twelve for his school orchestra. He continued his training at the Jacobs School of Music with a double degree in composition and music education. He is currently director of orchestras at Creekside Intermediate in League City, Texas. Recommended for a level three group, it is arranged for string orchestra with separate parts for violins 1 and 2, viola, cello and bass. Coincidentally, this work is based on a theme which he composed at the age of twelve. It is lush music in the style of Vaughan Williams, commencing with a melancholy viola solo. Melodies are shared amongst the parts. The music alternates between four and two beats in a bar and features changes in dynamics, pizzicato passages, and changes in tempi. It would be suited for a young string orchestra with a strong viola section, and players who wish to further develop their expression and tone production.

Firestorm

Liam Ramsey-White

Carl Fischer CAS142F

Firestorm is arranged for string orchestra with an optional piano part. What is immediately striking on the score is the expressive mark Con Fuoco, crotchet equals 160 beats per minute and the alternating 4/4 and 3/4 tempo. The program notes describe this as a ‘fiery piece for string orchestra depicts the ferocity of an out of control blaze’. In the key of a A minor the melody in the first violin part is then passed throughout the other parts; ‘like a fire jumping across an asphalt road’. There are lots of accented rhythms requiring strength and rhythmic precision. This piece is graded at a level three and would be a great final piece in a recital.

SYMPHONY NO 1 – 1st Movt.

Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges arr. Todd Parrish for String Orchestra

CARL FISCHER CAS140F

Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) was a French violinist and conductor. He wrote string quartets, symphonies and symphony concertantes. His style is reminiscent of Haydn’s early string quartets and symphonies with lightness and elegance in the music. Symphony No. 1was originally scored for two oboes, two horns and strings, but has been arranged for string orchestra by Todd Parrish. It is in the key of G major with a light, cheerful melody in the first violins with support by the other strings. It would be suited for a string orchestra with advanced first violin players who can musically capture its charming style.

Sharon Lierse

by Anne Berry

SONATA IN F MAJOR for cello & basso continuo

Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739)

Ed. Annette Oppermann

Figured Bass realization: Wolfgang Kostujak

Cello part marked by Thomas Klein

G. HENLE URTEXT HN 1481

This Sonata in F Major is the first of six (sometimes referred to as Opus 1) composed by Marcello, first published in Amsterdam in 1732. No autograph copy has been found and it is thought they were likely composed some years before they were published. These six works are popular amongst cellists and have also been arranged for a variety of other instruments including viola, recorder and trombone. This edition’s informative Preface notes the importance of these sonatas as an early contribution to the cello sonata genre. The original title clearly indicates that these six sonatas are for cello. However, some awkward fingerings and the fact that the sonatas are generally in the higher registers, avoiding the C string, have raised the question of instrumentation –perhaps for viola da gamba or a five- string or alternatively tuned cello. Or perhaps the higher register is simply due to it being a melodic part.

This Henle Urtext Edition includes two inserts, for solo cello and a cello and basso continuo part – as well as the figured bass for keyboard. These inserts facilitate practice and performance in ensemble. Minimal fingerings and bowings added to the cello part are helpful although many cellists may prefer to reverse the suggested bow direction in the bariolage sections in the 2nd Allegro movement as the repeated note is of the higher pitch. The first two movements, Largo and Allegro, are in the Fifth Grade AMEB cello syllabus. However, students would do well to study and perform the entire sonata for its gorgeous, simply expressive 3rd movement and lively 4th movement.

Anne Berry

Double Bass Music Reviews

by Marian Heckenberg

THREE AFTERIMAGES for solo double bass

by Marcin Stańczyk PWM 12662 www.pwm.com.pl

The score for Stańczyk’s Three Afterimages for solo double bass is very confronting at first for those of us who are used to reading traditional notes and creating conventional sounds with the bow or pizzicato. Inspired by a series of modern paintings that depict the bright distorted optical images we see after staring at the sun, this piece ranges from delicately atmospheric to dramatically bold. Three Afterimages is a world of extended techniques not only for the bass part but also for the performer’s voice that interjects at meaningful moments.

At times the score seems to have four parts running simultaneously. It takes time to decipher all the instructions and realise it is possible to face the intellectual challenge of this epic work. Without doubt, a virtuosic performance of this piece would be totally enthralling. In his lengthy performance instructions Stańczyk says, ‘This piece requires the use of two or three microphones, a headset to amplify the musician’s voice, an omnidirectional microphone set up in standard position to amplify the double bass and a cardioid microphone placed behind the instrument to amplify the percussive effects created on the body of the instrument’. This epic three movement work boasts a very difficult double bass part augmented by a dramatic range of extended techniques and vocalisations. If you like a challenge this work will delight you.

UKRAINIAN FIDDLE TUNES for Two Double Basses

Compiled & arranged by Deborah Greenblatt www.greenblattandseay.com

Deborah Greenblatt and David Seay continue to introduce folk music from around the world to young musicians. It’s a fun way to learn about the various tonalities and rhythmic patterns specific to these nationalistic tunes. This set of duets for two double basses is an adaptation from the original version for two violins. All of the publications in this series are available for viola and cello too, so the combinations are flexible. The colours and idiosyncrasies of Ukrainian traditional songs and dances feature toe- tapping syncopations and haunting tonalities especially the Ukrainian Dorian mode. Many of the duets are charming and lively but my favourites feature the melancholy minor modes.

Chords are marked throughout so adding a guitar or piano line is easy and certainly desirable to break up the often muddy texture of two bassists playing harmonies within the same octave. find that playing the top line an octave higher really enhances the arrangement as close harmonies on the bass are very dense. The advantage however, of using the lower positions is that the pieces are accessible to the beginner.

Many of the duets are homophonic, so these are particularly busy and this creates a chunky effect, but the arrangements where the lower part functions as a simple accompaniment work very well. Combining a violin or viola on the top line with the lower bass line would also expand the musical possibilities. Greenblatt dedicated these duets to her Ukrainian grandfather, so this publication has a personal touch.

ARIA from the opera Bildbeschreibung

For Double Bass

PWM 12705 www.pwm.com.pl

Agata Zubel is known for her unique skills as a singer and composer. Aria from the opera Bildbeschreibung for double bass is a work requiring a five string bass with the lowest string tuned to B; it also requires the bassist to vocalise. The work relies on the performer interpreting the layers of sound as well as understanding the German text so word painting can be used effectively. There is quite a cerebral approach in the conception of this work and deciphering the performance instructions for this wildly difficult bass part is quite a task. After digging into the technical challenges the work starts to reveal its charm but achieving a relatable narrative would be very time consuming. Undoubtedly a meticulous performance of this complex, expressive work would be compelling but it would require a virtuoso with a passion for drama and extended techniques!

Best Of Double Bass Classics

16 Famous Concert Pieces

Double Bass & Piano

Edited by Charlotte Mohrs

SCHOTT ED22412

www.schott-music.com

Charlotte Mohrs is dedicated to enriching the lives of bassists and has published many wonderful books for beginner and intermediate bassists. This time she has compiled sixteen famous advanced bass solos with close reference to original scores and first publications. Her own editorial suggestions are desirable but clearly marked as optional.

Finally it is possible for bassists to buy one book that contains essentials like the Eccles Sonata, Capuzzi’s Concerto, Bottesini’s Elegy, Saint Saëns’ Elephant and The Swan. She also includes important pieces by Koussevitzky, Sperger, Fauré and Simandl to name a few, so this collection is a must have for bassists over Grade 4 AMEB.

One of the most useful aspects of this publication is Mohrs’ insight into the requirements of orchestral tuning versus solo tuning. She has provided piano accompaniments for both tuning systems, which is greatly appreciated. After playing favourite solos from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, her compilation ends with a delightful pair of fantasy pieces by Mohrs herself. This is a thoughtful and varied collection of works for bass edited by an excellent bassist who is also a high motivated educator.

CONNEXION by Marcin Antkowiak for double bass & tape

PWM 12261

ISMN 979-0-2740-2025-5 www.pwm.com.pl

GLOSSY by Aleksandra Słyź for double bass & electronics

PWM 12 882

ISMN 979-0-2740-3503-7 www.pwm.com.pl

The annual Tadeusz Ochlewski Composition Competition aims to promote Polish composers and in 2016 the task was to write for double bass and electronics, the winners were Marcin Antkowiak and Aleksandra Słyź.

Antkowiak’s Connexion for double bass and tape is a short contemporary piece inspired by sounds produced by technology and exploring the idea that they can be considered music. As a traditional classical musician with only moderate experience with world music and contemporary music, I am committed to performing this work on a solo recital later this year. The abstract work was immediately userfriendly with the taped track available online via a link and the printed part is notated logically. Initially the pre-recorded tape is jarring and confronting, however it quickly blends with the dark double bass tones and creates an effective merger of rhythmic and textual sound worlds.

The bass part cannot be described as melodic but it does have a lyrical presence in the texture with sonorous harmonics and punctuating pizzicatos. There are a few but effective extended techniques and some technical challenges to make the work interesting! Preparation of Connexion has been a journey in self awareness for me and an examination of where and when does sound become music to our ears?

Aleksandra Słyź’s work Glossy was inspired by a character in Stephen King’s The Shining who gradually goes mad. In the design she aims to fuse the double bass part with the electronic layer. All the sounds on the tape and the live electronics originate from the double bass and combine with the live playing. The taped material is accessed via an online link along with a daunting list of required electronic equipment and instruction. The extended techniques (like hitting the bass, note bending and trilling between the fundamental and its harmonic) are woven into the solo bass line with ‘real’ notes and thematic material. A double bass with five strings is required for this brief but provocative piece as the jagged thematic material heavily features the very low B string. Even though the work is abstract the notation is approachable, so it is clear when to activate the tape or the live electronic component. The result certainly sounds insane!

Marian Heckenberg