Die allerersten Vortragsstücke des jungen Cellisten, Op. 19, Book 2

About this piece

The second book of Hugo Schlemüller's 'The Very First Pieces of the Young Cellist', Nos. 13–20: Child's Play, Forward March (Immer vorwärts), Parade of the Dwarfs, Little Cradle Song, Story, At the Spinning Wheel, In the Boat and All's Well That Ends Well. Like Book 1 it stays in first position and prints each piece's subject at the top, but here the pupil moves from whole and half bows to dotted notes and then to two-, three- and four-note slurs, first on one string and then across strings. Every piece can be accompanied by piano or by a second cello, whose part is printed under the pupil's line. Published by Zimmermann in Leipzig in 1912; free on IMSLP. Nos. 14 and 15 are favourites in teaching studios and have several recordings online.

Technical overview

First position throughout, no shifting; each piece is a one-skill study with its subject printed at the top: crotchets with whole and half bows, dotted notes, then 2-, 3- and 4-note slurs on one string and slurs across strings; mostly D and A strings, reaching down to the G and briefly the C string; F natural and F sharp, C natural and C sharp; three brief extensions (B flat, A sharp, G sharp) in the last two pieces; dotted crotchets and dotted quavers, and quaver triplets in No. 19.

Technical focus

• Detaché
• Legato
• 2 Note Slurs
• 3 Note Slurs
• 4 Note Slurs
• A String Notes
• D String Notes
• G String Notes
• Dotted Rhythms
• String Crossings