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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Fantasistykker (Fantasy Pieces)

by Hilda Sehested

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
1907
Duration
10'12''
Publisher
Edition·S (Danish Classical Music, DCM.040, 2024); first published by Wilhelm Hansen
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About this piece

A set of three character pieces for cello and piano (Caprice, Alla romanesca, Humoreske), about ten minutes in total, written in 1907 for the cellist Ernst Høeberg, its dedicatee. It was first played at a private matinee Sehested arranged herself that year in the Knights' Hall of Copenhagen's Odd Fellow Palace, with Høeberg and the composer taking part. Dacapo's album notes describe it as typical of her late-Romantic manner, where lyrical tunes are offset by rhythmic drive and unexpected modulations. Wilhelm Hansen published the set soon after, but no later performances are known until Edition·S issued a new edition in 2024 and Jonathan Slaatto and Martin Qvist Hansen recorded it for Dacapo.

Technical overview

The opening Caprice keeps an expressive, singing line across bass, tenor and treble clefs, rising into the upper positions (around D5). It also calls for natural harmonics, short pizzicato passages and frequent changes of tempo and key.

Technical focus

  • Shifting
  • Harmonics
  • Pizzicato
  • Hairpin Dynamics
  • Tempo Changes
  • Accidentals

Level rubric

Early Advanced

Left Hand

  • Fully integrated thumb position; scales/arpeggios on A & D strings.
  • Smooth shifts into/out of thumb position for sustained high notes.
  • Frequent advanced double stops with rapid, coordinated shifts.
  • Accurate ornamentation (trills, turns, grace notes), even in double stops.
  • Expressively adjust intonation for chord balance.
  • Handle fast runs and large leaps precisely.
  • Introduction to false harmonics.

Right Hand

  • Virtuoso bow strokes: controlled up/down‑bow staccato, deliberate ricochet & well‑shaped sautillé.
  • Wide tone palette via precise bow adjustments.
  • Explore advanced effects (col legno, sul ponticello) as needed.
  • Capable of both powerful fortissimo and delicate soft notes.
  • Rapid switching among strokes in cadenzas/virtuosic passages.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Apply rhythmic freedom & rubato to shape movements and cadenzas.
  • Personal interpretation with nuanced phrasing & subtle dynamics.
  • Mature tone and phrasing for solo and ensemble settings.
  • Demonstrate advanced ensemble leadership with visual cues.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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