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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Resolves

by Rain Worthington

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2016
Duration
5'30''
Publisher
Composer (self-published)
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About this piece

A piece of about five minutes for unaccompanied cello, dedicated to cellist Carmine Miranda, who recorded it for the Navona album Passages Through Time: The Music of Rain Worthington (2022). Roger Morelló Ros gave the premiere at the Kulturkirche-Ost in Cologne on 30 October 2020. The composer's note describes it as reaching toward acceptance and inner strength; it moves from a free, searching opening through rocking passages of double stops to a quiet glissando into the high register.

Technical overview

Much of the piece is in double stops (sixths, fifths, sevenths and tritones), often alternating with low staccato notes, with free tempo, frequent meter changes and climbs into the upper neck positions.

Technical focus

  • Double Stops
  • Intonation
  • Meter Changes
  • Shifting
  • Rubato
  • Tempo Changes
  • Articulation
  • Hairpin Dynamics
  • 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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