Skip to content

Cello Concerto No. 3 in F-sharp minor

by Julius Röntgen

Instrumentation
Cello, Orchestra
Composed
1928
Duration
17'
Publisher
Donemus
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

Julius Röntgen's Cello Concerto No. 3 in F-sharp minor (1928) is a 17-minute work in three movements (Allegro non troppo, Andante tranquillo e cantabile, Allegro con spirito), written when the composer was in his seventies, four years before his death. Röntgen, a German-born composer and pianist, spent most of his career in Amsterdam and directed its conservatory from 1912 to 1924. The linked recording is by Arturo Muruzabel with the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra under Henrik Schaefer.

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.