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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Ondine

by Zoë Martlew

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
2022
Duration
11'
Publisher
Schott Music (ED 14208)
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About this piece

An 11-minute work for cello and piano commissioned by cellist Timothy Gill and pianist David Gompper for the University of Iowa and Albany Records, with support from the Vaughan Williams Foundation. Gill and Gompper premiered it at the Edinburgh Fringe on 19 August 2022, with a US premiere at the University of Iowa that September, and recorded it on the album Exchanges (Albany, 2023). In her note Zoë Martlew describes the music as following water from spring to waterfall, rapids and great river before it evaporates into light, after the water spirit of the title.

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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