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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Solitude

by Rebecca Saunders

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2013
Duration
17'
Publisher
Edition Peters (Henry Litolff's Verlag)
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About this piece

Solitude is a 17-minute work for unaccompanied cello, written in 2013 for Séverine Ballon, who premiered it at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on 19 November 2013 and recorded it on her album Solitude (Aeon, 2015). It was commissioned by the festival with funds from the Franco-British Diaphonique fund, Südwestrundfunk and the Fundación BBVA. Rather than describing the music, Saunders' program note is a short collage of definitions and synonyms for being alone: withdrawal, isolation, wasteland, silence.

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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