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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Lyric Piece No. 1

by Patricia Blomfield Holt

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
1937
Duration
2'
Publisher
Canadian Music Centre (unpublished, printed by CMC)
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About this piece

Lyric Piece No. 1 is a two-minute cantabile piece for cello and piano written in 1937 by Patricia Blomfield Holt (copyright 1972), a Toronto composer who taught theory and composition at the Royal Conservatory until 1985. It is the shorter, higher-lying companion to Lyric Piece No. 2. It is set at Grade 9 in the RCM cello syllabus, which makes it a good short recital piece for students working in the upper register.

Technical overview

A Moderato in 4/4 (minim = about 69) whose cello line sits high from the first entry, in tenor clef and soon treble clef. It has long slurred phrases over chromatic, chorale-like piano chords, with dynamics from mp to f and frequent hairpins. The main demands are secure upper-register intonation and sustained bow control rather than speed.

Technical focus

  • Legato
  • Shifting
  • Dynamics
  • Hairpin Dynamics

Level rubric

Early Advanced

Left Hand

  • Fully integrated thumb position; scales/arpeggios on A & D strings.
  • Smooth shifts into/out of thumb position for sustained high notes.
  • Frequent advanced double stops with rapid, coordinated shifts.
  • Accurate ornamentation (trills, turns, grace notes), even in double stops.
  • Expressively adjust intonation for chord balance.
  • Handle fast runs and large leaps precisely.
  • Introduction to false harmonics.

Right Hand

  • Virtuoso bow strokes: controlled up/down‑bow staccato, deliberate ricochet & well‑shaped sautillé.
  • Wide tone palette via precise bow adjustments.
  • Explore advanced effects (col legno, sul ponticello) as needed.
  • Capable of both powerful fortissimo and delicate soft notes.
  • Rapid switching among strokes in cadenzas/virtuosic passages.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Apply rhythmic freedom & rubato to shape movements and cadenzas.
  • Personal interpretation with nuanced phrasing & subtle dynamics.
  • Mature tone and phrasing for solo and ensemble settings.
  • Demonstrate advanced ensemble leadership with visual cues.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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