Skip to content

A.D.A.

by Wilma Pistorius

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2024
Duration
15'
Publisher
Donemus
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

A.D.A. (2024) is a solo cello work of about 15 minutes by Wilma Pistorius, commissioned by Stichting CelloWercken Zutphen and the Cello Biennale Amsterdam and written for the cellist Jeroen den Herder. Donemus publishes it in versions for four-string and five-string cello. The linked recordings are Den Herder's premiere on five-string cello at the Muziekgebouw during the Cello Biennale Amsterdam (10 November 2024), a complete performance of the four-string version by Ragnhild Eskeland Wesenberg (Stockholm, June 2025), and the second movement, Fantasia & Improvisation, played by Iida Hirvola (Tampere, October 2024).

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

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.