Description

TCHAIKOVSKY – Rococo Variations, complete for VIRTUOSO CELLO TRIO

arranged and prepared by David Johnstone

PDF 1 – Cello Soloist – First Half

PDF 2 – Cello Soloist – Second Half

PDF 3 – Accompanying Cello 2 – First Half

PDF 4 – Accompanying Cello 2 – Second Half

PDF 5 – Accompanying Cello 3 – First Half

PDF 6 – Accompanying Cello 3 – Second Half

Notes:

The Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, for cello and orchestra was the closest Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ever came to writing a full concerto for cello and orchestra; at the very end of his life he was indeed seriously considering writing one! Tchaikovsky wrote this piece for and with the help of Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, a German cellist and fellow-professor at the Moscow Conservatory. The dedicatee gave the premiere in Moscow on November 30, 1877, with Nikolai Rubinstein conducting. The ‘original’ version was first heard in 1941.

In the style of classical lightness Tchaikovsky was inspired by Mozart although it should be clear that we are talking about an original theme by Tchaikovsky in the Rococo style. I use the ‘standard’ Fitzenhagen version for his cello ensemble version. I always felt that a small cello ensemble version with soloist would make a most interesting option for almost everyone of advanced levels, and we are talking of difficulty in all three parts here and not only the soloist! These are not accompanying roles in the ordinary sense, they are fully developed and complex parts; indeed there are moments where the difficulty of these extra two cellos approaches that of the soloist. So maybe if you have two high-level cello friends, or section colleagues in an orchestra, try playing it with them three times – using different soloists in turn. This not only for gaining the soloist feeling in ‘your’ turn but also because in learning the other two parts everyone is sure to pick up a lot more on the wonderful harmonic sequences of this great work!

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As generally is the case in my concerto re-orchestrations, my idea is for the cello soloist to feel what it is like to be a real soloist by fully hearing the sustaining harmonies in a way in which a piano alone does not offer you. Therefore this is much closer to a “concerto invitation”!  I am happy to have made such a version possible: with an accompanying cello duet as a chamber symphonic work, or alternatively it might be tried by a larger backing ensemble of ensembles (in which case please always play divisi when opportunities arise!). What I have basically done is to go half-way between using the piano reduction and the general orchestral score, literally checking every phrase. But this way it is most useful to see which type of scoring works best for cello duo/ensemble. The work is transcribed in full without any cuts, and I feel that in both formal and informal performances this music will work perfectly for the public too.

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So here is the result!   Enjoy the music! If you ever play it, even if very informally please tell me!!

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