Skip to content
Cello Repertoire Initiative

Then Again

by Rain Worthington

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2016
Duration
4'35''
Publisher
Composer (self-published)
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

A piece of about four and a half minutes for unaccompanied cello, written for cellist Susanne Friedrich, who premiered it at a faculty recital of the Rivers School Conservatory's 2016 Seminar on Contemporary Music in Weston, Massachusetts. The composer's one-line note calls it "Points of thought restated": short motives of dotted and staccato figures return in varied forms over sustained double stops. Mira Frisch recorded it on the Albany Records album Dancing on Glass.

Technical overview

Chromatic melodic lines move into the upper neck positions (to about A-flat on the A string) and alternate with sustained double stops, dotted staccato motives and frequent changes of meter.

Technical focus

  • Double Stops
  • Meter Changes
  • Dotted Rhythms
  • Articulation
  • Shifting
  • Accidentals
  • Hairpin Dynamics
  • Slurs

Level rubric

Late Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Master positions up to 7th.
  • Use 5th–7th positions for high notes; early thumb position basics.
  • Learn treble clef for 4th, 5th, 6th positions.
  • Practice complex shifting with guide‑finger techniques.
  • Manage upper extensions; play double stops (thirds, fourths, sixths) with consistency.
  • Use continuous, selectively applied vibrato.

Right Hand

  • Develop advanced bow strokes: deliberate ricochet & controlled up‑bow staccato.
  • Execute quick string crossings & precise chord articulations.
  • Achieve wide dynamic range while maintaining tone.
  • Seamless transitions between spiccato and legato.
  • Execute multiple stops/chord rolls rapidly.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Increased complexity: fast passages, intricate syncopation.
  • Detailed phrasing & structure; shape long phrases with rubato.
  • Combine expressive dynamics, vibrato & precise bowing techniques.
  • Further refine ensemble sensitivity & leadership.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

Music

Recently AddedThe newest additions

About

Our MissionResource CatalogContributeContact Us