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SCHUMANN – Adagio (from the Cello Concerto, Op.129) – SIX CELLOS

Other Identification:
The Cello Concerto of Robert Schumann was not performed during the composer’s lifetime and was finally premiered on June 9, 1860, five years after his death, by cello soloist Ludwig Ebert with the Leipzig Conservatory Orchestra. The concerto, and particularly its deeply expressive Adagio, gained its place in the standard repertoire in the early twentieth century by virtually all important cellists.

Movements or sections:
The “Adagio” is the deeply lyrical second movement of Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129, a work noted for its intensely personal expression, song-like melodies, and innovative use of the solo cello to create a rich, intimate dialogue with the orchestra. Composed in 1850 and premiered posthumously in 1860, the concerto’s Adagio, like a German art song or Lied, features a melancholic and nostalgic mood, with Schumann even employing a second solo cello within the orchestral texture to reinforce the solo line’s singing quality.

The base of this Robert Schumann piece is an arrangement by the formerly important German cellist Hugo Becker. For the sake of curiosity, my most influential cello teacher was the German cellist Martin Bochmann (at that point semi-retired), who was himself one of the very last students of Hugo Becker just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Becker expanded from the basic A-B-A form to now become an A-B-A-B-A, which might not be for the purists but does function very well!

Instrumentation:
SEXTET OF SIX CELLOS (SOLOIST WITH FIVE OTHER CELLOS)
Arranged by David Johnstone

2 PDFs, one for cellos 1 to 3, and the other for cellops 4 to 6.

Approximate difficulty:
MEDIUM to DIFFICULT
There is interest for every cello in this arrangement. There is no general cello ensemble score, as the normal piano reduction will serve perfectly well.
If accompanied by a larger cello orchestra, then obviously only ONE solo cellist alone plays Cello I, for the first cellist displays the cantabile lines of the Cello Concerto.…
I have tried to make this a true chamber music experience, giving melodic importance to all six cellists.

Links (Audio – Visual), and known performances given by:
Damián Martínez; Cello concert in A minor; R.Schumann; Cellocyl 2016
(from Valladolid, Castilla y Leon, Spain)

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