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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Cello Sonata in D minor

by Emilie Mayer

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Duration
26'30''
Publisher
Unpublished in Mayer's lifetime (autograph fair copy, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin); first edition Furore Verlag (fue 10453), ed. Barbara Gabler; free engraved edition by Albrecht Zumbrunn on IMSLP (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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About this piece

An undated four-movement sonata (Andante leading to Allegro maestoso; Adagio; Scherzo; Andante leading to Allegro) that survives in Mayer's fair copy in the Berlin State Library. Despite the shared key, it is a different work from the D minor Sonata, Op. 38, which Bote & Bock published in 1873 with a different set of movements. A manuscript scan and a free modern score and part by Albrecht Zumbrunn are on IMSLP, Furore Verlag published a first edition edited by Barbara Gabler in 2025, and a complete performance lasts about 26 minutes.

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.

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