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Cello Repertoire Initiative

Tribute to Carmanah

by Jean Coulthard

Instrumentation
Cello, Piano
Composed
1998
Publisher
Canadian Music Centre (unpublished, printed by CMC), RSN 50837, call no. MI 3213 C855tri
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About this piece

Jean Coulthard wrote Tribute to Carmanah for cello and piano in 1998 and inscribed it 'for Brian and Brenda'. It opens Con forza drammatico with a loud piano introduction, and the cello answers with the first of several free, cadenza-like solos. The long middle section, marked Leggiero, sets a singing cello line over rippling piano arpeggios passed between the hands, broken up by short pizzicato episodes and a pizzicato Moderato. After a last, very free cadenza the cello holds a trill and, in Coulthard's words, should 'fade away to nothing (follow decay of piano)'.

Technical overview

Mostly in 4/4 at quarter note = 54 and 84, with brief 5/4 and 2/4 bars and several unmeasured cadenzas. The cello reads bass and treble clef, singing on the upper A string in the Leggiero, and the cadenzas need fast scalar runs, accented sixteenths, triplets and free rubato. Pizzicato and arco alternate quickly, and dynamics run from pp espressivo to ff.

Technical focus

  • Accidentals
  • Collaboration with Piano
  • Dynamics
  • Meter Changes
  • Pizzicato
  • Rubato
  • Shifting
  • Tempo Changes
  • Treble Clef
  • Trills
  • Triplets

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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