Discover MusicWhat is the most beautiful cello piece ever written?
What is the most beautiful cello piece ever written?
September 9, 2024 | Author: Dominic Nicholas | Category:Cello
A cellist
More than any instrument the cello is known for its expressive singing qualities, making it a popular choice as a solo instrument for composers over the last two centuries. It's no coincidence, therefore, that some of the absolute best works in the repertoire are written for it. Here are our ten favourites....
Bach was a master at writing for cello, producing 6 sublime solo cello suites. All of these contain the same sequence of six movements, an opening prelude followed by a series of dances. The most famous of the set is undoubtedly the first, most especially loved for its ravishing opening movement.
Composed some time in the early 1760s, Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 was lost for two centuries, eventually being unearthed in 1961 at the Prague National Library. It has three attractive movements—a lively and elegant Moderato, a lyrical and expressive Adagio and a playful, energetic finale—and is now amongst the composer’s most beloved works.
Saint Saëns celebrated 14 movement suite depicts all manner of animals in musical form. Several of these movements concern birds, the most graceful of which is the lovely thirteenth movement depiction of a swan, written for a solo cello.
If one had to choose just one cello concerto for this list, it would have to be Elgar’s Cello Concerto of 1919. Surprisingly technically simple when placed alongside other concertos both before and since, it is nevertheless devastating in its emotional impact. The first movement main theme, heard after a short introduction, is particularly lovely.
Kol Nidrei, written by Bruch in 1880, is a theme and variations on two themes of Jewish origin. The first, lending the piece its title is ’Kol Nidre’ is an Aramaic declaration which begins Yom Kippur services in a synagogue.
Fauré’s darkly expressive Elegie, also written in 1880, is the only movement he composed of what would have been a full cello sonata. Having given up on the sonata, the single movement was published alone. It was an immediately success, Fauré himself acknowledging this in his own lifetime by producing a version of it for cello and orchestra.
Extraodinarily Schumann wrote this cello concerto in just two weeks in 1850. It is a work that prioritises introspection and lyricism over virtuosity. Its three movements are, unusually for the time played without a break between them. The first movement is gentle and expressive, the second movement is tender and intimate, featuring a beautiful dialogue between the cello and the orchestra, and the final movement is lively yet reflective, ending the concerto on a subdued note.
Saint Saens wrote two cello concertos, but is best known for his first, written in 1872 when he was 37. It is written as one continuous movement that nevertheless has three distinct sections: Allegro non troppo, Allegretto con moto and Tempo primo. The work is technically challenging and is especially popular amongst advanced players looking to demonstrate their mastery of the instrument.
Since its first performance in 1896 Dvořák’s Cello Concerto has been a cornerstone of the repertoire. The last major solo work by the composer, it represents the full flowering of his mature style. Also like other of his late works, notably his New World Symphony, it is chock-full of great tunes, including a cyclical melody that first appears in the first movement, a marvellously lyrical slow movement and a darkly dramatic finale.
Rachmaninov, that great high watermark of late romanticism, certainly knew how to write a good tune—in fact a single one can be eked out page after glorious page. His Cello Sonata of 1901 is written over four movements, taking around half an hour to perform and is full of such sumptuous material. It is also notable for treating both piano and cello rather equally, with the pianist often introducing thematic material.
