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Couplet

by Raven Chacon

Instrumentation
Cello Ensemble
Composed
2024
Publisher
Self Published
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About this piece

A 2024 work 'for cellos' commissioned by the cellist Michelle Kesler, who also commissioned Chacon's Quiver for solo cello (2018, in this database). Chacon, a Diné composer and the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music (for Voiceless Mass, 2022), has written several works for cello, among them Invisible Arc for Rhonda Rider and Táágo Dez'á for Dawn Avery's North American Indian Cello Project.

Technical overview

Scored for multiple cellos; no further details published.

Level rubric

Professional

Left Hand

  • Complete command of the fingerboard.
  • Proficient thumb position across all strings.
  • Execute complex double stops and rapid trills precisely.
  • Fast scales and leaps with precise intonation and speed.
  • Apply expressive techniques (portamenti, micro‑adjusted intonation) tastefully.
  • Easily execute false harmonics.

Right Hand

  • Seamlessly blends martelé, spiccato, sautillé, legato & ricochet.
  • Meticulous bow distribution for sustained lines or rapid passages.
  • Clear pianissimo to controlled fortissimo.
  • Economical, efficient bow movement with smooth transitions.
  • Employ advanced effects (ponticello, bow effects) artistically.

Musicality

  • Focus on a deeply personal, communicative performance.
  • Make interpretive choices reflecting deep understanding of form, style & emotion.
  • Convey nuanced phrasing, wide dynamic range & a unique artistic voice.
  • Craft dramatic cadenzas/solos with rubato, tone & expressive timing.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.