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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Sit and Dance

by Molly Joyce

Instrumentation
Cello, Electronics
Composed
2012
Duration
6'40''
Publisher
Molly Joyce
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About this piece

Molly Joyce wrote Sit and Dance in the summer of 2012 for the cellist Paul Dwyer, who premiered it at the Juilliard School that December. Dwyer asked for a 17th-century ground bass in the piece, so Joyce built it for live baroque cello with several pre-recorded cello tracks, processed electronically, that keep returning to the ground bass while taking it in unexpected directions. It can also be played on a modern cello. Over sustained and repeating figures in the track, the live part plays accented low pizzicato, then arco double stops and a sul ponticello climax. Nicholas Photinos recorded it on his album Petits Artéfacts. The score and electronics are sold as a PDF download from Joyce's website, where a score preview and programme note are free.

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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