Cello Concerto No. 1 (Saint-Saëns)

Camille Saint-Saëns composed his Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 in 1872, when the composer was 37 years old. He wrote this work for the Belgian cellist, viola de gamba player and instrument maker Auguste Tolbecque. Tolbecque was part of a distinguished family of musicians closely associated with the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, France’s leading concert society. The concerto was first performed on January 19, 1873 at the Paris conservatoire concert with Tolbecque as soloist. This was considered a mark of Saint-Saëns' growing acceptance by the French musical establishment.

Sir Donald Francis Tovey later wrote "Here, for once, is a violoncello concerto in which the solo instrument displays every register without the slightest difficulty in penetrating the orchestra." Many composers, including Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff, considered this concerto to be the greatest of all cello concertos.

Structure and Overview

Saint-Saëns broke with convention in writing the concerto. Instead of using the normal three-movement concerto form, he structured the piece in one continuous movement. This single movement contains three distinct sections. Those sections, tightly-structured, share interrelated ideas. Saint-Saëns' contact with Franz Liszt while serving as organist at the Église de la Madeleine may have led him to use cyclic form in his orchestral works.[1]

The work can be split into three different sections as follows:

  1. Allegro non troppo
    The concerto begins unusually. Instead of the traditional orchestral introduction, the piece begins with one short chord from the orchestra. The cello follows, stating the main motif. Soon, countermelodies flow from both the orchestra and soloist, at times the two playfully "calling and answering" each other.
  2. Allegretto con moto
    This turbulent opening movement leads into a brief but highly original minuet, in which the strings are muted, and which contains a cello cadenza.
  3. Tempo primo
    A restatement of the opening material from the first movement opens the finale. While Saint-Saëns uses the finale mainly as a recapitulation of earlier material, he concludes it with the introduction of an entirely new idea for the cello.

Saint-Saëns very often uses the solo cello here as a declamatory instrument. This keeps the soloist in the dramatic and musical foreground, the orchestra offering a shimmering backdrop. The music is tremendously demanding for soloists, especially in the fast third section. This difficulty has not stopped the concerto from becoming a favourite of the great virtuoso cellists.

1st movement, 1st theme (A minor)

\relative c' \new Staff {
  \key a \minor \clef bass
  \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Allegro non troppo" 2 = 80
  \time 2/2
  \set tupletSpannerDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 4)
  \set beamExceptions = #'((end . ( ((1 . 8) . (2 2 2 2)) )))

  r4 e4\mf-> ~ \times 2/3 { e8( d c b c d) | c( b a gis a b } a e) f4->( ~ | f e) r8 e,( f4-> ~ | f e)
}

1st movement, 2nd theme

\relative c, \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } {
  \key a \minor \clef bass
  \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 76
  \time 2/2
  \set Score.currentBarNumber = #16 \bar ""
  \set tupletSpannerDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 4)
  \set beamExceptions = #'((end . ( ((1 . 8) . (2 2 2 2)) )))
  \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 5)

  \times 2/3 { e8(\<_\markup \italic "poco animato" gis) gis gis( b) b b( e) e e( f) f | f->(\! e dis) dis dis dis f->( e dis) dis dis dis |
  e(\< gis) gis gis( b) b \clef tenor b( e) e e( f) f | f->(\! e dis) dis dis dis f->( e dis) dis dis dis } |
  \set beamExceptions = #'()
  e r e,-- f-- f( e) e-- a-- | a( gis) gis-- c-- c( b) b-- f'-- |
  f( e) e-- a-- a( gis) gis-- c-- | 
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 66
  c(_\markup \italic "rallent." b) b( e) e4.(\> e,8)\!
}

1st movement, 3rd theme

\relative c' \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } {
  \key a \minor \clef bass
  \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 72
  \time 2/2
  \set Score.currentBarNumber = #59 \bar ""
  \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)

  d2(\p g,) | a( bes) | a4( bes c d) | c( d e f) | ges2(\sf c,) | d( es) | \clef tenor d4( es f g) | f( g a bes) |
  bes2(\(\dim e,) | f( g)\) | bes(\( e,) | f( g)\) | a1(\pp | \clef treble a'\flageolet) ~ | a( | a,) |
}

1st movement, 4th theme (piano reduction, F major)

\new PianoStaff <<
  \new Staff = "up" \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } { \relative c'' {
    \key f \major \clef treble
    \set Score.currentBarNumber = #111 \bar ""
    \set Staff.midiInstrument = "string ensemble 1"
    \accidentalStyle "modern"
    \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Allegro molto" 2 = 108
    \override Score.SpacingSpanner #'common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1 4)
    \time 2/2

    <a c f>2.^\marcato <c g' c>4 | <c f a> <bes f' bes> <b e gis> <a e' a> | <a d fis> <g d' g> <g c e> <f c' f> | <d f g>4. <f g>8 <e g c>4. q8 |
    \set beamExceptions = #'((end . ( ((1 . 8) . (2 2 2 2)) )))
    <f a>4 <f a c f>2-> <g' c>8 c, | <f a> c <f bes> bes, <e gis> b <e a> a, | <d fis> a <d g> g, <c e> g <c f> f, | <d f g>4. <f g>8 <e g c>4. q8 |
    \set beamExceptions = #'()
    a bes c d c d e g | f g a bes bes g e bes |     a bes c d c d e g | f g a bes bes g e bes |
  }}
  \new Dynamics { s4\f }
  \new Staff = "down" \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } { \relative c {
    \key f \major \clef bass
    \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
    \accidentalStyle "modern"

    <f f'>2.^\marcato <e e'>4 | <es es'> <d d'> q <cis cis'> | <c c'> <b b'> <bes bes'> <a a'> | <bes bes'>4. q8 <c c'>4. q8 |
    <f, f'>4 q2-> <e e'>4 | <es es'> <d d'> <d' d'> <cis cis'> | <c c'> <b b'> <bes bes'><a a'> | <bes bes'>4. <bes, bes'>8 <c c'>4. q8 |
    <f f'>4 r <e' g c> r | <d f bes d> r <c g' bes e>\arpeggio r | <f a c> r <e g c> r | <d f bes d> r <c g' bes e>\arpeggio r |
  }}
>>

2nd movement theme (B major)

\new StaffGroup <<  
  \new Staff { \relative c'' {
    \key bes \major \clef treble
    \mark \markup \sans F
    \set Staff.midiInstrument = "pizzicato strings"
    \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Allegretto con moto" 4 = 108
   \set Score.currentBarNumber = #208 \bar ""
    \time 3/4
  
    r4 r f-.\pp | es8-. f-. g-. es-. g4-. | g-. f-. d-. | es-. \acciaccatura { f8 } es8-. d-. es4-. | es2
    f4-. | es8-. f-. g-. es-. g4-. | g-. f-. d-. | es-. \acciaccatura { f8 } es8-. d-.  es4-. | d2
  }}
  \new Staff { \relative c'' {
    \key bes \major \clef treble
    \set Staff.midiInstrument = "pizzicato strings"
  
    r4 r\pp
    << {
      bes-. | bes8-. bes-. bes-. bes-. bes4-. | bes-. bes-. bes-. | bes-. bes8-. bes-. bes4-. | bes2
      bes4-. | bes8-. bes-. bes-. bes-. bes4-. | bes-. bes-. bes-. | bes-. g-. a-. | bes2
    } \\ {
      f4-. | f8-. f-. f-. f-. f4-. | f-. f-. f-. | f-. f8-. f-. f4-. | f2
      f4-. | f8-. f-. f-. f-. f4-. | f-. f-. f-. | f-. r f-. | f2
    } >>
  }}
  \new Staff { \relative c' {
    \key bes \major \clef alto
    \set Staff.midiInstrument = "pizzicato strings"
  
    r4 r d-.\pp | c8-. d-. es-. c-. es4-. | es-. d-. bes-. | c-. \acciaccatura { d8 } c8-. bes-. c4-. | c2
    d4-. | c8-. d-. es-. c-. es4-. | es-. d-. bes-. | c-. r f,-. | bes2
  }}
>>

3rd movement, 1st theme (A minor)

\relative c' \new Staff {
  \key a \minor \clef tenor
  \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Un peu moins vite" 2 = 50
  \mark \markup \sans K % H = 372
  \time 2/2
  \set Score.currentBarNumber = #412 \bar ""

  r2 e8\p( a4 g8) | c,( f4 e8) a,( d4 c8) | \times 2/3 { c( b a } b4 ~ b8) b( c d) | \times 2/3 { f( e dis } e4 ~ e8) fis( gis a) | b4(-> e,)
  e8( a4 g8) | c,( f4 e8) a,( d4 c8) | \times 2/3 { c( b a } b4 ~ b8) b( cis dis) | \times 2/3 { fis( e dis } e4 ~ e8)\< fis( g a) |
  b2(\> ~ b8\! a e fis) | g-- fis-- e2( dis4) | e1 ~ | e ~ | e2
}

3rd movement, 2nd theme (F major)

\relative c, \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } {
  \key f \major \clef bass
  \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2 = 64
  \mark \markup \sans O
  \time 2/2
  \set Score.currentBarNumber = #505 \bar ""

  c4\((\mf f a c) | des( g f e) | f->( a, c des) | c2 ~ c8\) r r4 |
  c,( f a c | des g f e) | f( a, c \acciaccatura { es8 } des4->) | c2 ~ c8\) r r4 | \break
  \set tupletSpannerDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1 2)
  \override TupletBracket #'stencil = ##f
  es,2(-> d) ~ | \times 2/3 { d4 fis(-. a-. d-. fis-. a-.) } | c2( bes ~ | bes4) r r2 |
  f,2(-> e) ~ | \times 2/3 { e4 gis-.( b-. } e8-. gis-. b-. d-.) | d2( c) |
}

3rd movement, 3rd theme (A major)

\relative c' \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } {
  \key a \major \clef tenor
  \set Staff.midiInstrument = "cello"
  \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "(Molto allegro)" 2 = 108
  \mark \markup \sans R
  \time 2/2
  \set Score.currentBarNumber = #621 \bar ""

  r2 cis4\mf( d) | dis( e a gis) | g( d b cis) | d( e8 d cis4 b) | fis'2( e4 dis) |
  fis( e d! cis) | e( d a b) | cis2( e4. d8 | cis4)
}

Media

This recording is by the Skidmore College Orchestra and is courtesy of Musopen.

I. Allegro non Troppo

II. Allegretto con Moto

III. (Tempo Primo)

Problems playing these files? See media help.

References

  1. "Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33". musopen.org. Retrieved 6 April 2015.

External links

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