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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Lyric Piece No. 2

by Patricia Blomfield Holt

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
1937
Duration
4'
Publisher
Mayfair Music Publications (per CMC); also Canadian Music Centre
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About this piece

Lyric Piece No. 2 is a short song-like piece for cello and piano written in 1937 by the Canadian composer and Royal Conservatory teacher Patricia Blomfield Holt (copyright 1972). It moves from a quiet unaccompanied opening to an impassioned high climax and back. It is set at Grade 8 in the RCM cello syllabus. Printed copies are listed with Mayfair Music Publications, and the CMC lends and sells it.

Technical overview

An Andante in 3/4 in E flat that begins with a five-bar unaccompanied cello phrase marked pp, with frequent rit. and a tempo. A 'poco più mosso, quasi appassionata' middle section climbs higher. The third page moves into treble clef, forte appassionato, over rippling piano figuration, before the opening material returns. The writing is sustained and chromatic rather than fast, so tone, shifting and phrasing are the main demands.

Technical focus

  • Legato
  • Shifting
  • Rubato
  • Dynamics
  • Hairpin Dynamics

Level rubric

Late Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Master positions up to 7th.
  • Use 5th–7th positions for high notes; early thumb position basics.
  • Learn treble clef for 4th, 5th, 6th positions.
  • Practice complex shifting with guide‑finger techniques.
  • Manage upper extensions; play double stops (thirds, fourths, sixths) with consistency.
  • Use continuous, selectively applied vibrato.

Right Hand

  • Develop advanced bow strokes: deliberate ricochet & controlled up‑bow staccato.
  • Execute quick string crossings & precise chord articulations.
  • Achieve wide dynamic range while maintaining tone.
  • Seamless transitions between spiccato and legato.
  • Execute multiple stops/chord rolls rapidly.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Increased complexity: fast passages, intricate syncopation.
  • Detailed phrasing & structure; shape long phrases with rubato.
  • Combine expressive dynamics, vibrato & precise bowing techniques.
  • Further refine ensemble sensitivity & leadership.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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