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All the Pretty Little Horses

by Laura Elise Schwendinger

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2009
Duration
6'20''
Publisher
Lauren Keiser Music Publishing (LKM Music), HL 00279902
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About this piece

A six-minute piece for unaccompanied cello built on the American folk lullaby 'All the Pretty Little Horses', which returns several times as a point of rest amid freely flowing, rhapsodic writing. Hal Leonard notes it was commissioned by the Music Institute of Chicago for a concert devoted entirely to Schwendinger's music. Cellist Trace Johnson's doctoral document reports that the composer heard the tune as a lullaby from her father, and that she meant the sul ponticello passages to depict a child drifting off to sleep while afraid of the dark. The notation uses a very slow eighth-note pulse, frequent changes of meter, irregular tuplets, pizzicato and sul ponticello.

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.