Two Pieces for Cello and Piano
- Instrumentation
- Cello, Piano
- Composed
- 2007
- Duration
- 9'
- Publisher
- Canadian Music Centre (unpublished, printed by CMC), RSN 58804
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About this piece
Jean Anderson-Wuensch wrote these two pieces in London, Ontario, in 2007 and 2008 on a commission from Brenda Muller, and dedicated them to Muller and Catherine Maguire. 'Vignettes of Country Life' (about six minutes) strings together short scenes: an Andante in G major in which the cello alternates plucked and bowed phrases, a Giocoso in 6/8, and a 'Stately' episode of quiet low half notes, before the opening music returns. 'Dialogues' (about three minutes) is an Allegro con fuoco built on hammered, accented eighth notes, broken up by unaccompanied ad libitum passages for the cello and a short cantabile Andante. She later added two companion pieces, The Gentle Sea and My Cat, Portia.
Technical overview
Vignettes moves through keys of up to four sharps and three flats, between 4/4, 6/8 and 3/4, and uses tenor clef; the cellist switches quickly between pizzicato and arco and needs a quiet, even tone on the low C string. Dialogues asks for driving accented eighth notes at ff in changing metres, wide leaps in its free ad libitum passages, and a glissando up into treble clef.
Technical focus
- Accidentals
- Collaboration with Piano
- Dynamics
- Glissando
- Marcato
- Meter Changes
- Pizzicato
- Rubato
- Shifting
- Tempo Changes
- Tenor Clef
- Treble Clef