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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Moroccan Elegy

by Colette Mourey

Instrumentation
Cello, Guitar, Piano
Composed
2023
Duration
4'
Publisher
Bergmann Edition (cello and guitar); Colette Mourey via IMSLP (cello and piano)
More by this composer

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About this piece

A short elegy, subtitled 'In Memoriam', that Mourey dedicated to the victims of the September 2023 earthquake in Morocco, where she was born. Bergmann Edition publishes it for violin, viola or cello with guitar; the composer has also posted a free cello-and-piano version on IMSLP, one of many arrangements of the piece. It opens with a lyrical Moderato over gently arpeggiated accompaniment and moves into a livelier, rhythmic Più mosso, all in about four minutes.

Technical overview

The melody line alternates long held notes with triplet-eighth figures at a moderate tempo, using accents, staccato and tenuto marks, a trill and dynamics from mp to ff with sfz accents, before a faster Più mosso section in a new key.

Technical focus

  • Dynamics
  • Rhythm
  • Tempo Changes
  • Articulation
  • Accidentals
  • Ensemble Skills

Level rubric

Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Fluent in positions 1–4 with confident shifts & reliable intonation.
  • Introduce 5th position via scales/études.
  • Learn tenor clef for higher passages.
  • Early exposure to thumb position basics.
  • Refine combined shifting & extensions.
  • Advance double stops (two‑note chords).
  • Refine vibrato for expressive shaping.

Right Hand

  • High control over multiple bow strokes.
  • Advanced spiccato for fast passages; reliable sautillé.
  • Apply martelé at frog and mid‑bow.
  • Execute rapid string crossings with minimal arm movement.
  • Adjust contact point to modulate tone.
  • Introduce complex bow patterns & chord rolling.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Faster tempos & varied meter challenges.
  • Tackle compound meters, intricate ornaments & syncopation.
  • Deepen expressive phrasing; analyze piece structure.
  • Clear dynamic contrasts; introduce slight rubato.
  • Enhance ensemble sensitivity.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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