Summer Listening: Cello Concertos

Our summer listening series continues with orchestral repertoire that features solo cello. Selections range from concertos by Samuel Barber and Arnold Schoenberg to recent pieces by Thea Musgrave and Betsy Jolas, who are actively creating new work into their nineties.

Works by David Diamond, Aaron Jay Kernis, and Yehudi Wyner – respectively premiered by celebrated cellists Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Roman, and Ralph Kirshbaum – forgo the traditional structure of the concerto and emblemize the mastery of their authors. Yo-Yo Ma also inspired concertos from the immortal voices of Stephen Albert, Leon Kirchner, and Peter Lieberson, and more recently from Richard Danielpour and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

We remember Sir André Previn with his brilliant Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, which perfectly captures his immaculate, lush, and lyrical style.

Please enjoy a Spotify playlist of available recordings of the concertos listed below.
 
Stephen Albert
Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra (1990), 30 minutes
3(pic).2.2.2+cbn/4200/timp.2perc/hp.pf/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Malcolm Arnold
Cello Concerto (1988), 21 minutes
2(pic)2(ca)22/2.2.2+btbn.1/timp.perc/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Samuel Barber
Concerto for Violoncello (1945), 28 minutes
2.1+ca.2.2/2.3.0.0/timp.perc/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Richard Danielpour
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1994), 31 minutes
3(pic).2+ca.3(bcl).3(cbn)/4331/timp.4perc/hp.pf(cel)/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
David Diamond
Kaddish (1990), 12 minutes
2+pic.2+ca.2+bcl.2+cbn/4431/timp.3perc/hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
John Harbison
Cello Concerto (1993), 23 minutes
3(pic).2.3(bcl).3/4.2.3.0/timp.4perc/hp.cel(pf)/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Cheryl Frances-Hoad
Katharsis (2013), 25 minutes
1111/1000/str(1.1.1.1.1)
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Juliana Hodkinson
Machine à eau (1998), 15 minutes
string orchestra
View the score
 
Betsy Jolas
Side Roads (2017), 17 minutes
string orchestra
View the score
 
Aaron Jay Kernis
Colored Field (1994), 40 minutes
3(pic).2.3(Ebcl,bcl).2(cbn)/4331/timp.3perc/hp.pf(cel)/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Dreamsongs (2013), 22 minutes
1(pic).2(ca).2(Ebcl:bcl).1/2.1.1.0/timp(perc)+perc/hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Leon Kirchner
Music for Cello and Orchestra (1992), 18 minutes
3(pic).3+ca.2+bcl.2+cbn/4.3.3.1/timp.3perc/pf(cel)/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Peter Lieberson
The Six Realms (2000), 25 minutes
3(3pic).2+ca.2+bcl(cbcl).2+cbn/4331/timp.5perc/pf(cel).hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Nico Muhly
Cello Concerto (2012), 20 minutes
1.1.1.1/1.1.1.1/perc/pn(cel).hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Thea Musgrave
From Darkness into the Light (2017), 21 minutes
2(pic)2(ca)11/2000/perc/str(54321)
View the score
 
André Previn
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (2010), 17 minutes
3(pic).2+ca.2+bcl.2/4.3.3.1/timp.2perc/hp.cel/str
View the score
 
Robert Xavier Rodríguez
Máscaras (1993), 18 minutes
2(pic)2(ca)2(Ebcl,bcl)2/2210/timp.2perc/hp.pf/str
Listen to the piano reduction on Spotify | View the score
 
Kaija Saariaho
Notes on Light (2006), 30 minutes
4(3&4=pic&afl).2.2+bcl.2(2=cbn)/4.0.0.0/timp.4perc/hp.cel.pf/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Aulis Sallinen
Cello Concerto (1976), 23 minutes
2(pic)22(bcl)2/4220/timp.2perc/hp.cel/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Cello Concerto (2016), 38 minutes
2(afl)+pic.2+ca.2(Ebcl)+bcl(cbcl).2+cbn/4.2.1+btbn.0/timp+3perc/hp.pf(cel)/str, electronics
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Arnold Schoenberg
Concerto for Cello (after G. M. Monn) (1933), 20 minutes
2.2.2.2/2.2.1.0/timp.perc.xyl/cel.hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Bright Sheng
The Blazing Mirage (2012), 20 minutes
string orchestra
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Tan Dun
Intercourse of Fire and Water (Yi1) (1994), 23 minutes
2(2pic).2.1+bcl.1+cbn/2.2.2.0/4perc(timp)/hp.pf/str
View the score
 
John Tavener
The Protecting Veil (1988), 43 minutes
str(min 8.8.6.6.3)
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Augusta Read Thomas
Ritual Incantations (1999), 13 minutes
1.1.2.0/2.1+pictpt.1.0/2perc/hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Joan Tower
Music for Cello and Orchestra (1984), 19 minutes
2(pic).2.2.2/2.2.0+btbn.0/timp.2perc/hp/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score
 
Rolf Wallin
Ground for Cello and 15 solo strings (1996), 20 minutes
str(9.0.3.2.1) (NB parts may be doubled or tripled in performance)
Listen on YouTube | View the score
 
Yehudi Wyner
Prologue and Narrative (1994), 28 minutes
2+pic.2+ca.2+bcl.2/432+btbn.1/str
Listen on Spotify | View the score

For more information on the music and potential guest soloists, please contact Andrew Stein-Zeller.