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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Cello Acrostic

by David Del Tredici · arranged by David Del Tredici

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
1976
Publisher
Boosey & Hawkes
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About this piece

Del Tredici's own arrangement for solo cello of the 'Acrostic Song', the lullaby-like closing aria of Final Alice (1976), the fifth of his six large works for soprano and orchestra on Lewis Carroll's Alice books. The aria sets Carroll's acrostic poem on Alice Liddell's name and is the composer's most frequently performed melody; this eight-page unaccompanied version brings it to the cello as a short, singing recital piece. Published by Boosey & Hawkes, which rates it Advanced.

Technical overview

An unaccompanied cantabile transcription of a vocal aria; the publisher grades it Advanced.

Technical focus

  • Legato

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.

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