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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Mischief

by Ailbhe McDonagh

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
2019
Duration
0'30''
Publisher
Boosey & Hawkes (in It's a Cello Thing, Book 1)
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About this piece

Mischief is a short piece for cello and piano (30 seconds) by the Irish cellist and composer Ailbhe McDonagh, written in 2019 and published in It's a Cello Thing, Book 1 (Boosey & Hawkes, 2021). McDonagh suggests it for teaching opposite bowing in the same theme. The composer puts it at around Grade 3.

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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