Regenbogen-Cellotrios

About this piece

Seven short trios for three young cellists ("Rainbow Cello Trios"), composed in May 2009, dedicated to the cellist Wolfgang Boettcher and published by Musikverlag Hauke Hack in 2010 (17-page score plus parts). The movements are character pieces with picture titles: a march of three bear cubs, a fairy-tale forest, a ladybird minuet, a fanfare, a siciliano, the Frog King's sarabande and a setting-sail finale, all in C major, G major or A minor. The three parts are graded: the first goes into upper neck positions and tenor clef, the second stays within fourth position, and the third mostly stays in first position. The publisher notes that dynamics and articulation are marked in detail, while bowings and fingerings are left for teachers to add.

Technical overview

Ensemble pieces with graded parts: Cello 1 shifts up to fifth and sixth position and reads tenor clef, Cello 2 stays within the first four positions, and Cello 3 is mostly in first position. The pages seen ask for crisp tenuto and staccato articulation, slurred dotted figures, string-crossing eighth notes, quick pizzicato-to-arco changes and dynamics coordinated across three players.

Technical focus

• Ensemble Skills
• Articulation
• Dotted Rhythms
• 2 Note Slurs
• String Crossings
• Shifting
• Pizzicato
• Hairpin Dynamics
• Tempo Changes