Cello excerpt · Audition repertoire
Sibelius, Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
II. Tempo andante (cello/bass pizz)
Cellos and basses pizzicato a long mysterious walking line that opens the slow movement.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Cello
- Composer
- Jean Sibelius
- Work
- Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43
- Movement
- II. Tempo andante (cello/bass pizz)
- Era
- Late-Romantic (c. 1880–1910)
- Composed
- 1902
- Key
- D
- Metre
- 4/4
- Tempo
- Tempo andante, ma rubato · ♩ ≈ 80
- Clef
- Bass clef
- Level
- Intermediate, university level
- Audition list
- Yes, standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
Choose pluck spot for consistent tone across all four strings.
Fingering
Pizz with the flesh of the finger near the fingerboard for a dark, ringing sound.
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.