Sonata for Solo Violoncello by George Crumb
Published by C.F. Peters.
George Crumb (1929-2022) was one of America's foremost composers of avant-garde music, developing a vivid, surreal style set apart from the rigor of modernism and serialism. His music is highly theatrical and sonorous, with special attention to detail in both timbre and notation.
He wrote his "Sonata for Solo Violoncello" (1955) during a stay in Berlin on scholarship and later characterized it as a student work. However, it shows numerous indications of the individuality and skill in instrumental writing for which he would be renowned years later. The work is neoclassical and shows influences from the freely tonal works of Hindemith and Bartok. It is cast in three Baroque-inspired movements, with a structure built on contrasts of texture, articulation, and character. It is an ideal work for an advanced, adventurous cellist looking to expand their repertory. Advanced level, Grade 5.
MOVEMENTS:
I. Fantasia