Cello excerpt
Vaughan Williams, Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
Largo sostenuto (opening cello/bass pizz)
Mysterious pizzicato chords that open one of the great English string works.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Cello
- Composer
- Ralph Vaughan Williams
- Work
- Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
- Movement
- Largo sostenuto (opening cello/bass pizz)
- Era
- Modern (c. 1910–1950)
- Composed
- 1910
- Key
- C
- Metre
- 4/4
- Tempo
- Largo sostenuto · ♩ ≈ 50
- Clef
- Bass clef
- Level
- Comfortable, community and youth orchestra
- 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.
Bowing
Pizz, let each note ring fully before the next.
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.