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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Anecdote: Soliloquy for Solo Cello and Orchestra

by Hilary Tann

Instrumentation
Cello, Orchestra
Composed
2000
Duration
14'
Publisher
Oxford University Press (full score ISBN 9780193863781)
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About this piece

A slow, one-movement 'soliloquy' for cello and orchestra of about 14 minutes, premiered in December 2000 by Ovidiu Marinescu with the Newark (Delaware) Symphony; Marinescu later recorded it with the Târgu Mureș State Philharmonic for Navona's Tomorrow's Air (2017). In Tann's program note the starting point was Wallace Stevens's poem 'Anecdote of the Jar': the cello soloist 'has dominion' over orchestral textures centred on a string quartet, and the arch-shaped form tells, elaborates and retells a personal story. The orchestra is double woodwind with piccolo, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.

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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