Traffic

Traffic, Spooky pieces, Hotel Suite and Ballroom dances are written for the young player - or the player young at heart. There is an enormous amount of material available today for the young cellist, but to me very little goes beyond what is considered pedagogically correct. Simplicity seems the common cause. Why not push further? Some kids won’t take up the challenge, but others will. The main idea with these pieces is to offer something which would fit in a professional recital. For this reason, I have written piano parts that are not necessarily sight-readable, but that provide a real wall of sound.The idea is that with one’s accompanist blasting away behind, it will inspire to dig into the string in order to produce a tone which is sonorous, passionate and powerful. Another, for me important, aspect is presenting the kids with a piece of a respectable length, one that demands stamina and intellectual endurance.The latter is emphasisied by introducing swift changes in expression and techniques, such as the use of harmonics, tremolo, glissando, ponticello and the mute I often include these pieces in my own recitals. The printed fingerings are for my own use, and I would expect the teacher to make changes wherever he or she feels they do not comply with the ABRSM guide lines. Traffic is the most technically demanding set of the four. They do not move beyond the tonal range of what a young player is used to, but rhythmically they require some sorting out. The piano part of the middle movement is at times thunderous and - hopefully - one may find traces of Erich Korngold. Find pieces 1 and 3 on youtube.com