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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Cadenza

by Elżbieta Sikora

Instrumentation
Cello
Composed
2012
Duration
7'
Publisher
PWM, series Strumento (PWM 12452; ISMN 979-0-2740-2702-5), 2020
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About this piece

A seven-minute solo by Elżbieta Sikora, a Polish composer based in France and known for her electroacoustic music and her opera Madame Curie. Cadenza grew out of her Suite for cello and tape: at one performance the tape playback failed and the cellist finished alone, which gave Sikora the idea of reworking the final cello passage of the Suite's fifth movement, itself opening with a cadenza, into a separate piece. It starts from a simple ostinato figure and builds from there.

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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