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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Winter Fantasia

by Lisa Bielawa

Instrumentation
Cello, Organ
Composed
2012
Duration
5'
Publisher
Composer (self-published)
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About this piece

A five-minute fantasy for cello and organ, commissioned by organist Heinrich Christensen and cellist Rafael Popper-Keizer for the Fisk organ at King's Chapel, Boston, where they premiered it on 19 February 2012. Bielawa composed much of it in January on a sister Fisk instrument at the University of Michigan. Her note says the piece plays on how differently the two instruments sound, sometimes by giving them contrasting material and sometimes similar material, and she credits advice from her mother, the organist Sandra Soderlund.

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.

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