24 Preludes for Cello and Piano

For cello and piano

24 Preludes

for Cello and Piano

A cycle of twenty-four preludes for cello and piano, following the circle of fifths through the full tonal spectrum.

Year 1999
Duration 46′
Scoring Cello
Piano
Publisher Boosey & Hawkes
/ Sikorski
Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski Purchase Score Abbreviations PDF

Dedication

Dedicated to John Neumeier.

Commission

Co-commissioned by Tom and Vivian Waldeck. And The Caramoor International Music Festival.

Premiere

Concert version: 11 July 2008. Caramoor · Alisa Weilerstein, cello · Lera Auerbach, piano.

Ballet Version

22 June 2003. Hamburg · John Neumeier, choreographer · The Hamburg Ballet · Ani Aznavoorian, cello · Lera Auerbach, piano.

Structure

Twenty-four preludes conceived as one continuous composition. The cycle follows the circle of fifths and covers all major and minor tonalities.

Preludes

  • 1. C major

    Andante

  • 2. A minor

    Allegro

  • 3. G major

    Andante misterioso

  • 4. E minor

    Allegro obsessivo

  • 5. D major

    Moderato

  • 6. B minor

    Tragico

  • 7. A major

    Vivo ma non troppo

  • 8. F-sharp minor

    Grave

  • 9. E major

    Vivace

  • 10. C-sharp minor

    Adagio sognando

  • 11. B major

    Allegro

  • 12. G-sharp minor

    Adagio

  • 13. G-flat major

    Moderato

  • 14. E-flat minor

    Scherzando

  • 15. D-flat major

    Allegro con brio

  • 16. B-flat minor

    Tempo di valse

  • 17. A-flat major

    Allegro ritmico

  • 18. F minor

    Andantino

  • 19. E-flat major

    Allegro appassionato

  • 20. C minor

    Giocoso

  • 21. B-flat major

    Dialogo

  • 22. G minor

    Andante nostalgico

  • 23. F major

    Adagio sognando

  • 24. D minor

    Vivo

Work Information

Full Title
24 Preludes for Violoncello and Piano
Scoring
For cello and piano.
Year
1999
Duration
46′
Form
Cycle of 24 preludes.
Instrumentation
Violoncello and piano.
Abbreviations PDF
Dedication
Dedicated to John Neumeier.
Commission
Co-commissioned by Tom and Vivian Waldeck and The Caramoor International Music Festival.
Premiere
Concert version: 11 July 2008 · Caramoor; Alisa Weilerstein, cello / Lera Auerbach, piano.
Ballet Version
22 June 2003 · Hamburg; John Neumeier, choreographer / The Hamburg Ballet / Ani Aznavoorian, cello / Lera Auerbach, piano.
Publisher
Published by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski .
Score
SIK 8508.
Availability
Score available for sale through Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski.

The Work

24 Preludes for Cello and Piano is a chamber cycle written in 1999. The work follows the circle of fifths, moving through the complete tonal spectrum while treating the twenty-four preludes as parts of one continuous composition.

“The Twenty-Four Preludes for Violoncello and Piano follow the circle of fifths, thus covering the entire western tonal spectrum.” Lera Auerbach

The cello and piano version expands the idea of the prelude cycle beyond the traditional solo-piano model. Each movement is compact, but the full cycle creates a larger dramatic arc: a sequence of tonal, expressive, and theatrical transformations shaped through dialogue.

“Looking at something familiar yet from an unexpected perspective is one of the peculiar characteristics of these pieces.” Lera Auerbach
  • Form Cycle of 24 preludes.
  • Tonal Plan Circle of fifths.
  • Forces Cello and piano.

Context

The cycle belongs to Auerbach’s broader engagement with the twenty-four-prelude tradition. Rather than treating tonality as a historical artifact, the work returns to the full range of major and minor tonalities as expressive territories that can still be inhabited from a contemporary point of view.

The work also has a related stage history. John Neumeier used Auerbach’s cello and violin prelude cycles for the ballet Preludes C & V, first performed in Hamburg in 2003. The full concert version of the cello-and-piano cycle was first performed at Caramoor in 2008 by Alisa Weilerstein and Lera Auerbach.

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Publisher and Materials

Published by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski. The score is available for sale through the official Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski purchase page.