DOWNLOAD

WEBER – Melody from Turandot (short Overture) – FOUR CELLOS

Other Identification:
This short overture is based on a Chinese tune first noted by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his Dictionnaire de Musique in 1768. Described as an “Air Chinois,” the tune was brought to France from China in the 18th century by a French missionary. The Turandot story itself was derived from Central Asian/Persian sources; it involves a prince who travels to China, falls in love with the Emperor’s daughter, solves deadly riddles to win her, and (after much travail) weds her in the end. The story has been used by (among others) Carlo Gozzi, an Italian 18th-century playwright, and most famously, Puccini in his 20th century opera.
In 1804 the noted German author Schiller translated Gozzi’s text into German. For the 1809 premiere, Weber wrote an overture and six related pieces as incidental music, with a unifying theme based on the “Air Chinois.” The overture develops the basic theme by exploring different harmonic and orchestral combinations, and features all sections of the orchestra.

Movements or sections:
marked ‘Allegro moderato’

Instrumentation:
QUARTET OF FOUR CELLOS
Also possible with cello orchestra
….
2 PDFs
PDF 1 – General Score
PDF 2 – All individual cello parts

Approximate difficulty:
MEDIUM (just one high passage in Cello 1, letter ‘A’ to ‘B’ – if played by a cello orchestra then maybe these bars be played by a solo player each part).

Go back to this section and continue searching for more music

Go to COLLECTION POINT to receive all selected items

Poster of Johnstone-Music

Who plays Johnstone-Music?

Johnstone Music has been performed by orchestras and conservatories worldwide, earning international recognition in cello repertoire.

Free sheet music

Instantly download a wide variety of scores – from cello solos and chamber works to orchestral parts and educational material

How do free downloads work?

Please enjoy looking around the very large selection of music offered, and the information given for each piece or work. When you find music you want, simply click “Yes, I wish to download this music”.

You can then either continue searching or go to the Collection Point to receive the music. You can order up to ten PDFs in each session (once per day).

The very first time you receive music, you will need to register on this site with the briefest details, of course at no cost at all. Then, on subsequent visits, you simply ‘log in’.

It is hoped to launch a special viewer subscription for unlimited access in the near future.

Practising good intentions

This site includes a wealth of historical and modern documents, photos, and music — some obviously of unknown or untraceable origin. Johnstone-Music makes no intent of financial gain from sharing the material; any royalties happily belonging to the original owners.

We believe that virtually anyone would appreciate the educational and academic value of sharing, and we’re happy to credit (and thank) any name. However, please be assured that if any copyright holder were to firmly object to the inclusion of something in their domain we would promptly remove said item upon request.

Personal

David Johnstone lives near Pamplona (Navarre, Spain) with his wife Rosa and their two “Spanglish” children, close to the Atlantic Pyrenees. The nearest international airport is Bilbao.

He is interested in world affairs, politics, animal rights, and most sports (including being a lifelong suffering Reading FC fan!). Also passionate about Celtic culture and genealogy, he has traced his ‘English’ family back to 1280, although Scotland and Ireland have also shaped his background. And yes — he is half-ashamed to admit it, he loves silly jokes!

Social Work

David Johnstone supports animal rights, he is against any form of abuse towards them, and says a loud “NO” to bullfighting, foxhunting and any other animal cruelty.

TORTURE IS NOT CULTURE !