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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Vltava (The Moldau), from Má vlast

by Bedřich Smetana · arranged by William Bruce and Tim Wells

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
1874
Publisher
ABRSM (More Time Pieces for Cello, Volume 1; ISBN 9781848491625)
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About this piece

Vltava (The Moldau) is the second tone poem in Smetana's cycle Má vlast. He wrote it in 19 days, finishing on 8 December 1874, after he had gone completely deaf that October, and he never heard it performed. William Bruce and Tim Wells arranged the famous river melody for cello and piano in ABRSM's More Time Pieces for Cello, Volume 1, and ABRSM sets it for Grade 3 cello from 2024.

Technical overview

No technical overview is available yet.

Level rubric

Early Intermediate

Left Hand

  • Regular shifting among 1st–4th positions.
  • Frequent shifts with target notes & prepared approaches.
  • Introduce ornamentation (grace notes, slow trills, turns).
  • Begin basic double stops (often with one open note).
  • Combine extensions with shifting.
  • Consistent vibrato on sustained notes with speed variations.

Right Hand

  • Bow arm gains finesse and speed.
  • Introduce controlled spiccato.
  • Sautillé appears in rapid passages.
  • Expand legato into longer, sustained lines.
  • Practice advanced articulations (martelé, refined string crossings).
  • Add complex strokes for double stops/chords.

Bow Strokes

  • Use context‑appropriate strokes: legato, spiccato, martelé.
  • Subtle bow changes during string crossings.

Rhythm & Musicality

  • Increased challenges: sixteenths, dotted rhythms, syncopation, contrasting subdivisions.
  • Emphasize expression with crescendos/decrescendos & vibrato.
  • Balance technical precision with emotional delivery.

Levels are approximate guides, not strict requirements.

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