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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Kaddish

by David Diamond

Instrumentation
Cello, Orchestra
Composed
1989
Duration
12'
Publisher
G. Schirmer
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About this piece

Gerard Schwarz commissioned Kaddish in 1989 for Yo-Yo Ma and the Seattle Symphony, who premiered it in Seattle on 9 April 1990. A twelve-minute meditation on the Jewish prayer for the dead, it is Diamond's last work for solo cello and orchestra, scored for a full orchestra with harp and three percussionists. G. Schirmer publishes the cello-and-piano reduction (24 pages, via Hal Leonard); orchestral material is on hire.

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.

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