Skip to content

A Sojourn of the Spirit

by Liana Alexandra

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
2007
Duration
26'
Publisher
Liana Alexandra Estate (free on IMSLP)
More by this composer

Purchase or download

About this piece

A large-scale work of about 26 minutes for cello and prepared piano, written in 2007 and dedicated to the cellist Serban Nichifor, the composer's husband and duo partner in Duo Intermedia. IMSLP pairs it with Nichifor's Anamorphosis as a companion piece, and the two composers also presented the music as a 'video opera' with poems by John Gracen Brown and images by Dan Reisinger. Several live performances are on the composer's YouTube channel, including Duo Intermedia at the Romanian Athenaeum in 2008 and a 2012 tribute concert with Nichifor and pianist Alexandra Cont. The score is a manuscript scan, free on IMSLP from her estate.

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.