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Six Arias for Cello and Piano

by Thomas M. Sleeper

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
2010
Publisher
Uroboros Music

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About this piece

Six Arias (2010) is a set of six songs without words for cello, existing both with piano and in an orchestration for cello and chamber orchestra. The orchestral version was recorded by cellist Ashley Garritson with the Russian National Orchestra under the composer for Albany Records (TROY1212). Sleeper, a member of the Cherokee Tribe (Blind Savannah Clan), was known for richly lyrical, soaring melodic writing, and these arias put that lyricism in the cello's hands. Scores are supplied by his imprint, Uroboros Music, on request by email.

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

Level rubric

Advanced

Left Hand

  • Unrestricted fingerboard operation.
  • Effortless high‑register passages with thumb position.
  • Execute large leaps, rapid shifts & fast runs with precise intonation.
  • Render double stops with clarity and even vibrato.
  • Crisp, stylistically appropriate ornamentation (trills, turns, mordents).
  • Instinctive micro‑adjustments in intonation for expressiveness.
  • False harmonics in low positions

Right Hand

  • Complete command of all bow strokes at any tempo/dynamic.
  • Comfortable execution of virtuoso passages (sautillé, intricate ricochet).
  • Tone projection from whisper‑quiet to fortissimo.
  • Integrate advanced bow patterns with expressive phrasing.
  • Demonstrate technical precision with a broad dynamic range.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Interpret large‑scale structures with nuanced pacing and rhythmic freedom.
  • Highly refined phrasing with subtle note grouping & expressive rubato.
  • Convey emotional depth and stylistic authenticity.
  • Incorporate personal interpretive choices while meeting stylistic demands.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.