Media
LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEOS OF ARRANGEMENTS
Dvorak – “Songs My Mother Taught Me”
A recent arrangement of this beautiful piece as an encore for my teacher, Brinton Smith, after a performance of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto. Accompanied by the wonderful cello section of the Houston Symphony. Based on the violin version popularized by Fritz Kreisler.
Dvorak – Cello Concerto (for Six Cellos)
This arrangement, performed by Brinton Smith and his studio at the Shepherd School of Music, is the first and only version of the complete Dvorak Cello Concerto in which the solo cello part switches between players. This gives the piece a new feeling of collaboration and allows the performers to better understand the genius orchestration Dvorak writes.
Paganini – Variations on Rossini (Cello & Bass)
This arrangement was largely inspired by the Demenga and Schmidt/Mainz version but the bass plays most of the accompaniment (and has an occasional solo when appropriate…). Also included is the Piatigorsky cadenza from Schumann cello concerto. Buy the sheet music here.
Tchaikovsky – Valse Sentimentale (Cello & Bass)
Composed in 1882, Valse Sentimentale is the final piece in Tchaikovsky’s Six Morceaux, Op. 51 – a collection of short piano works written during one of the quieter periods in his career. While originally composed for solo piano, this work has since become a favorite for arrangements, in this case cello & bass, thanks to its lyrical charm and emotional nuance.
Mark Summer – “Julie-O”
Composed in 1993, Julie-O is a solo cello piece that pushes the boundaries of traditional cello playing. Mark Summer wrote this work to showcase the cello’s versatility and rhythmic energy by incorporating a wide array of extended techniques. Not an arrangement of mine, but a fun piece (plus an impromptu cadenza).
Sykes – Variations on a Prokofiev Theme
An original composition dedicated to my former teacher Dr. Melissa Kraut at the Cleveland Institute of Music. It contains many references to famous works from the cello repertoire including concertos, etudes, Bach suites, and other humorous ideas. Recording is from a live recital performance at CIM.