Skip to content

Nieuwe Blues I & II

by Nubim Soyoung Kim

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
2023
Duration
5'20''
Publisher
Donemus

Purchase or download

About this piece

Nieuwe Blues I & II is a pair of blues pieces for cello and piano by Nubim Soyoung Kim, composed in 2023. Kim describes the first as close to the original Delta blues, with a raw, primitive sound, and the second as an attempt to strip everything back to message and emotion, expressing the deep sadness and pain caused by social problems. The linked video, of Nieuwe Blues II, features Reinout de Vey (cello) with the composer at the piano.

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.