Skip to content
Cello Repertoire Initiative

Suite pour violoncelle et orchestre

by Claude Debussy · arranged by Sally Beamish

Instrumentation
Cello, Orchestra
Composed
2006
Duration
20'
Publisher
Norsk Musikforlag
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

A suite for cello and chamber orchestra of about 20 minutes (2006) that Steven Isserlis commissioned from Sally Beamish as a replacement for the suite for cello and orchestra Debussy wrote at 19, most of which is lost. Beamish orchestrated Debussy's two surviving cello pieces from 1882, the Intermezzo (moved to open the suite as a Prélude) and a Scherzo, and added orchestrations of other early Debussy works: the piano Rêverie, the 1880 song Nuit d'étoiles (as a Nocturne) and the Danse bohémienne, to which she added an introduction, interludes and a coda. Isserlis premiered it with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra under Douglas Boyd on 2 March 2007 and recorded it with the Tapiola Sinfonietta for BIS (reVisions, 2010).

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.

Music

Recently AddedThe newest additions

About

Our MissionResource CatalogContributeContact Us