Cello Sheet Music

November 17, 2006 11:20 AM

Looking for interesting cello sheet music

I would like to get my sister-in-law, a cellist, some sheet music as a Christmas gift. I'm a musician as well and know the difficulty in buying for a different specialty. I would like to avoid staple repertoire pieces, but rather some intriguing pieces. Looking at the previous thread about interestin cello music to listen to, the music to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon might be just the thing - except that I was unable to find it for solo cello. Closest I found was junior band (brrrr).

If your google-fu is better than mine or you could offer another suggestion, I welcome the help.

posted by plinth to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

Have you tried sheetmusicplus.com? I've found a lot of obscure imports there in the past.

Use the power search to narrow down to solo cello (it will likely be cello/piano -- "cello unaccompanied" returns mostly the Bach suites) music. I didn't find CTHD specifically, though. But you may find some other appealing choices.

I'm not sure what your genre is, but as a classical musician, I'm more than happy for people to buy me "standard" classical music blind -- I just ask that it isn't any of the major repertoire stuff (i.e., skip the pieces that show up on searches multiple times); I prefer obscure baroque composers, transcriptions, 20th century stuff, etc.

As a cellist, I'm sure your SIL, for example, has tons of Bach stuff -- I'm sure other folks can chime in with composers to avoid, at least.

I also tend to like duets and other arrangements I play in for fun, but seldom for pay (so it's hard justifying the cost of buying the sheetmusic). Does your SIL have a gigging group, students, or anything like that?
posted by Sangre Azul at 11:52 AM on November 17, 2006

I don't know if they have sheet music available, but the Kronos Quartet has some interesting music often centered on the cello, but I don't think they compose it. Some of the stuff they recorded that was written by Philip Glass is here.

Also, Jocelyn Pook writes very interesting cello music, some sheet music of which can be found here.

Let us know what you come up with!
posted by Pastabagel at 11:53 AM on November 17, 2006

I doubt you'll find much in re Crouching Tiger, but for something in the same vein, Chinary Ung's (Cambodian composer) 1980 piece Khse Buon is a FANTASTIC work for cello. Very rewarding to play and hear, and not monumentally difficult.

You can buy it here or here (first link is probably preferable).

There are some some audio samples of it on Amazon too.

If you do get it, beware, many places only seel the version for viola, and not cello.
posted by stewiethegreat at 12:35 PM on November 17, 2006

"seel" = "sell" ... sorry.
posted by stewiethegreat at 12:36 PM on November 17, 2006

This is an excellent piece of music: Beethoven Duo for viola & cello ("With Two Eyeglasses Obligato") WoO 32.

I play the viola, and it's one of my favorite duets. Ever.
posted by eleyna at 3:27 PM on November 17, 2006

Is she good? The Britten Cello suites are gorgeous, difficult, and really interesting. But they can be quite hard.

Alternately, I'd get her duet music in whatever instrument you play.
posted by metaculpa at 4:04 PM on November 17, 2006

Check out Abby Newton (Irish cello music)
Also, you could look/ask for antying here:
http://www.cello.org/
posted by allelopath at 4:08 PM on November 17, 2006

"antying" = "anything" ... sorry.
posted by allelopath at 4:19 PM on November 17, 2006

Response by poster: Unfortunately, she is in Hong Kong and I'm stateside and play trumpet. The distance and instrumentation are far from compatible.

I'll check out the suggestions and while poking around saw some Piazzola tangos that looked slick.
posted by plinth at 6:20 PM on November 17, 2006

trumpet & cello...I think even Mozart couldn't make that combination sound good ;)
posted by allelopath at 9:26 AM on November 18, 2006