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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Mahogany

by Elizabeth Knudson

Instrumentation
Cello Ensemble
Composed
2005
Duration
7'30''
Publisher
Canadian Music Centre (unpublished; CMC print, call no. MI 3132 K741ma)
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About this piece

A trio for three cellos drawing on the interlocking rhythms of early 20th-century Afro-Cuban music and, from Martinů, the idea of working in vertical space across nearly the cello's whole range. Premiered in 2005 at Douglas College Theatre, New Westminster, by Sue Round, Joseph Elworthy and Ariel Barnes.

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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