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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Composition for Cello

by Ursula Mamlok

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
1962
Duration
14'
Publisher
Bote & Bock (Boosey & Hawkes)
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About this piece

A four-movement work for unaccompanied cello (Broadly, Capricious, With tenderness, With energy), also playable on viola, written in 1962 and premiered that year in New York by Joel Krosnick. It is one of the first pieces in which Ursula Mamlok fully adopted twelve-tone technique. Jakob Spahn recorded it on The Music of Ursula Mamlok, Vol. 4 (Bridge Records, 2013).

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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