Did you have that too, that when you started playing the cello you had a piece in your head that you hoped you would play someday? With me, it was Bach’s first cello suite, as with so many. But over the years I got to know more and more pieces. When I was 19 I got my first cello lesson from Ellis Moorman. I will never forget that lesson.
I came from a family where no classical music was played so I didn’t have a lot of luggage; I sucked it all up like a sponge.
Now I want to share my top five favorite cello music with you as cellists among each other.
Favorite 1
L. von Beethoven sonata five in D, second movement Adagio;
Favorite 2
L. von Beethoven Bei Maennern welche liebe fuehlen… Theme from Mozart’s Zauberfloete
Weer Beethoven… What a sweetness: E flat large, such a positive key; not too spicy, mellow chops on the bass key. A theme with variations allows you to show your colours and different and different qualities to the listener. I love themes with variations. I played this work during masterclasses with a.o. Marien van Staalen, Quirien Viersen; delicious!
Favorite 3
O. Respighi Adagio con variazione
What a work, what variations, so cellistically, and melodious so…sigh…
I’m not a Misha fan; in fact, he does all kinds of things here that are not in the music at all but the colour of his furious cello makes me choose this clip and a technical detail. Note where Misha strikes; piano insert at the… comb! Show projection in optima forma. Do it after!
Favorite 4
Bach suite 5, C small with scordatura; hmmmmm… (Scordatura is a string twisted higher or lower than its original height)
Because the A string is twisted to a G, the cello resonates so insanely beautiful in the c minor piece. It starts with a great recitative to turn into a polyphonic fugue. I worked very hard on this, came from afar in search of a beautiful interpretation. I played it at my final exam. It had to be played by heart, because this prelude is four pages long and it cannot be turned over. My teacher had given me permission to sit down pages 3 and 4 in front of me and then turn pages 1 and 2 out of my head. Do you understand how I felt halfway through page two? “Am I gonna make it, am I gonna make it?” And that doubt got me out.
Favorite 5
Finally, the third movement, slow movement from Elgar’s Cello concert. That this is not more often in cello collection albums is a mystery to me. I fall like a block for the fingering / position change moments in the first 8 bars of Yo Yo!
What do you think of these pieces?
Do you want to compare them to these moments of changing position?
This is what Jacqueline DuPré does; despite the blurry image, you can see when she changes position and what that does to her melody…
And here… with no position changes. What a waste… Or do you like this best?
Spare differences.
And do you notice anything about the first note to the greats we see? Open string. Tough…
Here is the pdf of the cello part of Elgar’s cello concerto: Print out the music and take it to class :).
And do you recognize this work?
If yes. Super! However, maybe you know the Brahms e sonata when you hear it, and you also know the second example, namely the cello entrance in the first part of Dvorak’s cello concerto but don’t recognize it in the notation? Then consider joining us on 18 July for the threshold-free solfege evening in Amsterdam, or on 20 July for the solfege afternoon in Havelte, Drenthe.
Every musician is welcome, regardless of his or her instrument. This is a great opportunity for everyone to learn and develop again.
Read more about it here at the bottom of the blog.
I’m looking forward to it!
I am very curious what your favorite top 5 is and how your journey has been to learn those pieces. Let me know via info@celloverkoop.nl.
Scarlett
info@celloverkoop.nl | 06 – 1818 9005
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