O'Carolan Fiddle Tunes for Two Cellos

About this piece

This spiral-bound book contains 32 tunes by the blind Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan, compiled and arranged for two cellos by Deborah Greenblatt and published in 2009 by Greenblatt & Seay of Avoca, Nebraska. Each tune is laid out in score with the melody on top and a harmony part below, plus guitar chord symbols, and the layout avoids page turns. It covers favourites such as 'Beauty in Tears', 'Blind Mary', 'Lord Inchiquin', 'O'Carolan's Concerto', 'Planxty Irwin' and 'Si Bheag Si Mhor', followed by tune notes and a short biography of O'Carolan. The same arrangements, in the same keys, come in books for violins, violas, basses, mandolins and soprano recorders, so mixed groups can play together. American String Teacher (February 2011) called it a 'great compilation...highly recommended as good repertoire for any studio and curriculum.' The book is sold in print and as a PDF from the publisher.

Technical overview

32 short tunes (airs, planxties and laments), mostly in score as melody plus harmony line. The sample tune 'Beauty in Tears' (D major, 3/4) stays mostly in first position with a few higher notes (D on the A string). It uses two-, three-, four- and six-note slurs, and the harmony part goes down to the C string.

Technical focus

• Ensemble Skills
• Legato
• 2 Note Slurs
• 3 Note Slurs
• 4 Note Slurs
• C String Notes
• Shifting