Cello excerpt
Debussy, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Très modéré (cello entrance)
Languid, mysterious accompaniment to the famous flute solo. The dawn of musical Impressionism.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Cello
- Composer
- Claude Debussy
- Work
- Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
- Movement
- Très modéré (cello entrance)
- Era
- Modern (c. 1910–1950)
- Composed
- 1894
- Key
- E
- Metre
- 9/8
- Tempo
- Très modéré · ♩ ≈ 44
- Clef
- Bass clef
- Level
- Intermediate, university level
- Audition list
- Not a standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Style
Floating, sensual. Vibrato shimmers but doesn't pulse.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's cello curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded cello playback throughout.