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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Caprice for Cello Solo

by Alice Ping Yee Ho

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
1994
Duration
5'
Publisher
Plangere Editions (formerly CMC, call no. MI 3113 H678ca)
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About this piece

A five-minute virtuoso caprice for unaccompanied cello, commissioned for the International Stepping Stones level of the Canadian Music Competition. In the composer's words, sections of double stops and rhythmic figures contrast with a slow and moving section, asking the player to show both technical skill and musicality. The Canadian Music Centre rates it RCM ARCT level.

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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