Bracha (Blessing)

About this piece

A lyrical piece of about five and a half minutes, first written for violin and piano for Daniel Heifetz (1993) and transcribed for cello by Suzanne Mueller, with edits by cellist Ina Esther Joost Ben-Sasson (cello version 2011). In her note the composer describes it as an interpretation of the Jewish idea of blessing: she links the word to the Hebrew for a pool or flowing stream, the opening falling melody represents blessing flowing down into the world, and near the end the melody turns upward. The cello has a short unaccompanied cadenza before a warm 'Largo' close, and the melody later became the theme of the magic violin in Warshauer's family opera Elijah's Violin.

Technical overview

The cello line sits mostly in tenor clef, with treble-clef passages in thumb position (and an optional octave-higher opening), passages of double stops, including a fortissimo double-stop climax after a free cadenza, and a trill and grace notes. Frequent tempo, meter (4/4, 6/4, 5/4, 12/8) and rubato changes need close coordination with the piano.

Technical focus

• Thumb Position
• Double Stops
• Shifting
• Rubato
• Tempo Changes
• Meter Changes
• Legato
• Collaboration with Piano
• Hairpin Dynamics
• Accidentals