Skip to content

Amid Fleeting Pockets of Billowing Radiance

by Jeffrey Mumford

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
1990
Duration
11'
Publisher
Theodore Presser Company
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

An unaccompanied cello work of about 11 minutes, composed in 1990 and dedicated to cellist Joshua Gordon. Pamela Greitzer gave the first performance on September 20, 1991, at St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Gordon recorded it for the 1993 CRI album 'the focus of blue light', a portrait disc of Mumford's music. Theodore Presser publishes it from the composer's own edition.

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.