This is a list of notable solo cello pieces. It includes arrangements and transcriptions.
A
B
- Johann Sebastian Bach
- Cello Suites, BWV 1007âÂÂ1012 (c. 1720)
- Nicolas Bacri
- Suite, Op. 31
- Suite, Op. 50, No. 4 (1994âÂÂ96; written for Emmanuelle Bertrand)
- Henk Badings
- Sonata No. 2
- David N. Baker
- Sonata (1990)
- Don Banks
- Sequence (1967)
- Gennady Banshchikov
- Concerto for cello No. 3 for solo cello (1965)
- Granville Bantock
- Sonata in G minor (1924)
- Rami Bar-Niv
- Improvisation
- Arnold Bax
- Rhapsodic Ballad (1939)
- Sally Beamish
- Gala Water for solo cello (1988)
- The Wise Maid
- Conrad Beck
- Epigrams (for Paul Sacher)
- Grant Beglarian
- Elegy for Cellist for solo cello (1979)
- Paul Ben-Haim
- Music (1974)
- Richard Rodney Bennett
- Scena II (1973)
- Niels Viggo Bentzon
- Sonata, Op. 110 (1956)
- Variations on "The Volga Boatmen", Op. 354 (1974)
- 16 Etudes, Op. 464 (1984)
- Sonata, Op. 110
- Esteban Benzecry
- Suite "Prisme du Sud" (1970)
- Gunnar Berg
- Suite pour violoncelle seul (1950)
- Michael Berkeley
- Iberian Notebook Suite (1980)
- Luciano Berio
- Les mots sont allés (1978; for Paul Sacher)
- Sequenza VIb (1981)
- Chanson pour Pierre Boulez (Song for Pierre Boulez) (2000)
- Sequenza XIV (2002)
- Christoph Otto Beyer
- Sonate für Violoncello solo (2006)
- Passacaglia e Fuga
- Gunther Bialas
- Romanze (for Hoelscher) (1987)
- Jörg Birkenkötter
- Solo für Violoncello (1986)
- Ernest Bloch
- Suite No. 1 (1956) (written for Zara Nelsova)
- Suite No. 2 (1956) (written for Zara Nelsova)
- Suite No. 3 (1957)
- William Bolcom
- Suite in C minor (1994)
- Ennio Bolognini
- Adagio and Allegro
- Fiesta Baska - Lamada Montanesa
- Seranata de Bolonini
- Seranata del Eco
- Serenata Del Gaucho
- Prelude and Fugue on a theme of Purcell
- Cello's Prayer
- Nimrod Borenstein
- "Soliloquy, Op. 59"
- Sergei Bortkiewicz
- Suite, Op. 41
- Hans Bottermund - Janos Starker
- Variations on a Theme by Paganini
- Hendrik Bouman
- Suite in D major (2003)
- Reiner Bredemeyer (1929âÂÂ1995)
- Solo 1 (1973)
- Solo 6 (1980; written for H.J. Scheitzbach)
- Allen Brings
- Sonata da chiesa for solo cello (1980, dedicated to Alexander Kouguell)
- Benjamin Britten
- Cello Suites (Suite No. 1, Op. 72 (1964), Suite No. 2, Op. 80 (1967), Suite No. 3, Op. 87 (1972))
- Tema "Sacher" (for Paul Sacher)
- Stephen Brown
- Cello suites
: Takkakaw Falls (2003, 2004)
: Fire (2005, revised 2012)
: There Was a Lady in the East (2007)
: Lilies and the Roses (2011, revised 2013)
: Magneto (2012)
: Flowers of the Forest (2013)
C
D
E
- David Eby
- Celtic Passage
- Gerald Eckert
- Nôema (1992/93)
- Søren Nils Eichberg
- Variations on a theme by Niccolo Paganini (2005)
- Jose Elizondo
- Unter dem Sternenhimmel des Rheins (Under the starry sky of the Rhine) (2020)
- Cantabrigian Reflections (2020)
- Danzas Latinoamericanas (Latin American Dances) (1997)
- Otoño en Buenos Aires (Autumn in Buenos Aires) (1997)
- Pan de Azúcar (Sugar Loaf mountain) (1997)
- Atardecer TapatÃÂo (Sunset in Guadalajara) (1997)
- Baroque Dances (1997)
- La alborada de la esperanza (The Dawn of Hope) (2018)
- Limoncello (2018)
- Crepúsculos (Twilights) (2018)
- Princesa de hadas (Fairy Tale Princess) (1995)
- Excursión a la montaña (Excursion to the Mountain) (1995)
- Hans Ulrich Engelmann
- Mini-music to Siegfried Palm, Op. 38 (1970)
- Sven Einar Englund
- Suite (1986)
- Gottfried von Einem
- Music, Op. 108 (1996)
- Iván ErÃ
Âd
- Hommage àBeethoven, Op. 24 (Rhapsodie für Violoncello solo über Themen der Sonate, Op. 102/1 von Ludwig van Beethoven) (1977)
- Rudolf George Escher
- Sonata for solo Violoncello (1945âÂÂ48)
- Pozzi Escot
- Sonata (2002)
F
G
H
- Alois Haba
- Fantasy in quarter-tones (1924)
- Daron Hagen
- Suite (1985)
- Higher, Louder, Faster, an editorial etude (1987)
- Cristobal Halffter
- Variations on the theme eSACHERe (for Paul Sacher)
- Hermann Haller
- Trois pieces pour violoncelle seul (3 pieces )
- George Frideric Handel
- Air and Variations "The Harmonious Blacksmith" from Suite for Harpsichord in E major, HWV 430 arr. Cassadó
- Passacaglia - Theme and Variations (arr. Zinoviy Dynov based on the Halvorsen version)
- John Harbison
- Suite (1994)
- Jonathan Harvey
- Curve with Plateaux for Helen Verney (1983)
- Teppo Hauta-aho
- Improvatio (1971)
- David Philip Hefti
- Ritus - 4 Dance Collages (2007)
- Bernhard Heiden
- Variations on "Lilliburlero"
- Paavo Heininen
- Cantilena I, Op. 24c (1970)
- Cantilena II, Op. 26 (1970)
- Poesie des pensées, Op. 23 (1970)
- Hans Werner Henze
- Serenade (1949)
- Capriccio (for Paul Sacher) (1976/1981)
- Philippe Hersant
- "Sarabande pour violoncelle" (2020) (written for Jennifer Kloetzel)
- Michael Hersch
- Sonata No. 1 (1994)
- Sonata No. 2 (2001)
- Kenneth Hesketh
- Die hängende Figur ist Judas (Drei Perspektiven) (1998)
- IMMH (2014)
- Jacques Hétu
- Variations, Op. 11b (1967)
- Gilad Hochman
- Rhapsody (2003)
- Ponderings on a Memory (2005)
- Jennifer Higdon
- Suite (2002)
- Paul Hindemith
- Sonata, Op. 25, No. 3 (1923)
- Joel Hoffman
- Concert-Study (Fantasie) (1977)
- unaccompanied minor (2007)
- Schleifers Methoden für Violoncello solo (2005)
- York Höller
- Sonata (1968)
- Heinz Holliger
- Chaconne (for Paul Sacher) (1975)
- Trema (1981)
- Vagn Holmboe
- Solo Cello Sonata, M. 241 (1968âÂÂ69)
- Imogen Holst
- Fall of the Leaf
- Joaquim Homs
- Arbres al vent (1992)
- Soliloqui num. 4 (1994)
- Capvespre vora el mar (1994)
- Arthur Honegger
- Paduana in G major, H.181 (1945)
- Michael Hoppé and
- Solo Cello Characteristics
- Alan Hovhaness
- Yakamochi, Op. 193 (1965)
- Edgar Hovhanessian (Oganesyan)
- Sonata for solo cello (1970)
- Klaus Huber
- Transpositio ad Infinitum für ein virtuoses Solocello (for Paul Sacher)
- Nicolaus A. Huber
- Der Ausrufer steigt ins Innere (1984)
- Tobias Hume
- Kleine Stücke für Cello solo (Small pieces ) Book 1 (originally for Gamba) (arranged by Sabina Lehrmann)
- (Cello solo pieces) Book 2
- Bertold Hummel
- Fantasia I in G, Op. 77d1 (1952)
- Fantasia II in memoriam Pablo Casals, Op. 97a (1993)
- Farewell (2002)
I
J
K
- Dmitry Kabalevsky
- ÃÂtudes in Major and Minor, Op. 68 (1961)
- Mauricio Kagel
- Siegfriedpâ (1971)
- Giya Kancheli
- Having Wept for solo cello (1994)
- Nikolai Kapustin
- Introduction and Scherzino for solo cello, Op. 93 (1999)
- Suite for cello solo, Op. 124 (2004)
- Faradzh Karayev (aka Faraj Garayev)
- Terminus for solo cello (1985)
- Hugo Kauder
- Suite (1925)
- Second Suite (1924)
- Frederick Kaufman
- Inner Sanctum (1999)
- TÃÂlivaldis öeniÃ
ÂÃ
¡
- Sonata for Cello Solo (1981)
- Jin Hi Kim
- Kee Maek #4 (1995)
- Natalie Klouda
- Suite for Solo Cello (2017, revised 2019)
- Volker David Kirchner
- Und Salomo sprach (âÂÂâÂÂAnd Salomo spokeâÂÂ) (1987)
- Aus dem Buch der Konige 3 meditations (2000)
- Threnos (written for the Feuermann Competition 2006)
- Aram Khachaturian
- Sonata-Fantasy in C major, Op. 104 (1974)
- Adam Khudoyan
- Sonata No. 1 (1961)
- Sonata No. 2 Elegiac (1984)
- Sonata No. 3 Pathetic (1993)
- Mark Kilstofte
- You [unfolding] for solo cello (1996)
- Julius Klengel
- Suite in D-minor, Op. 56
- Caprice in the Form of a Chaconne (with free use of a Theme by Robert Schumann), Op. 43
- Alexander Knaifel
- Lamento for solo cello (1967)
- Capriccio for solo cello (1994)
- Zoltán Kodály
- Solo Cello Sonata, Op. 8 (1915)
- Capriccio (1915)
- Nikolai Korndorf
- Passacaglia (1997)
- Irena KosÃÂková
- Stopy (2004)
- Ernst Krenek
- Suite, Op. 84 (1942)
- Hanna Kulenty
- Sinequan: for violoncello (amplified and delay) (1993)
- Still Life with a Cello (1998)
- György Kurtág
- Pilinszky János: Gérard de Nerval (1986, for Zoltán Kocsis) for solo cello
- 19 Jelek, játékok és üzenetek (Signs, Games and Messages) (1987âÂÂ2008)àfor solo cello
- Schatten (Shadows) (1999, for Miklós Perényi)
- Az hit (Faith)
- Hommage àJohn Cage, Elakadó szavak (Faltering Words) for solo cello
- György Kroó in memoriam (1997) for solo cello
- For Steven: In Memoriam Pauline Mara (2010), for solo cello
- The Hilary Jig (to Hilary Behrens 90) (2017, fellow-composer Márta Kurtag)
- Khristofer Kushnaryov )
- Sonata for solo cello (1932)
- Mati Kuulberg ()
- Concerto-Sonata for solo cello (1973)
L
M
N
O
P
:Praeludium - Vivace e con fuoco
:ÃÂlégie (Adagio con affetto)
:Rondo vivacissimo
- Carlo Alfredo Piatti
- Capriccio on the cavatina "I tuoi frequenti palpiti" from âÂÂâÂÂNiobeâÂÂâ by Giovanni Pacini, Op. 22
- 12 Caprices, Op. 25 1 in G minor: Allegro quasi presto 2 in E-flat major: Andante Religioso 3 in B-flat major: Moderato 4 in D minor: Allegretto 5 in F major: Allegro comodo 6 in A-flat major: Adagio Largamente 7 in C major: Maestoso 8 in A minor: Moderato ma energico 9 in D major: Allegro 10 in B minor: Allegro deciso
: 11 in G major: Adagio. Allegro
: 12 in E minor: Allegretto
R
- Nikolai Rakov
- Waltz for solo cello
- Shulamit Ran
- Fantasy Variations (2003)
- Alexander Raskatov
- Dramatic Games for solo cello (1979)
- Kyrie Eleison (1992)
- Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Sonata, Op. 46 (1969)
- Max Reger
- 3 Suites, Op. 131c (1914)
- Suite No. 1 in G major
- Suite No. 2 in D minor
- Suite No. 3 in A minor
- Aribert Reimann
- Solo II (1981)
- Phillip Rhodes
- Three Pieces
- Alan Ridout
- Partita (1959)
- Wolfgang Rihm
- Great (1972)
- Joaquin Rodrigo
- Como una fantasÃÂa (1979)
- Scott Roller
- Mutamusic (1983)
- Bernhard Romberg
- Sonata in E minor Op. 38 No. 1
- Sonata in G major Op. 38 No. 2
- Lucia Ronchetti
- Forward and downward, turning neither to the left nor to the right (2017)
- Ned Rorem
- After Reading Shakespeare Nine movements alone (written for Sharon Robinson; 1980)
- Hilding Rosenberg
- Intermezzo (1974)
- Miklos Rozsa
- Toccata capricciosa, Op. 36 (1979; in memory of Piatigorsky)
- Edmund Rubbra
- Improvisation, Op. 124 (pub. 1967)
- Elena Ruehr
- Lift (2013) for solo cello, premiered at MIT (written for Jennifer Kloetzel)
- Cricket the Fiddler (2020), commissioned by Jennifer Kloetzel, solo cello, premiered online October 2020, ca 8âÂÂ
- Cloud Forest (2015) solo cello, 8 minutes, commissioned by Rhonda Rider
S
- Kaija Saariaho
- Petals (1988)
- Près (1992)
- Spins & Spells (1997)
- Sept Papillons (2000)
- Aulis Sallinen
- Elegy for Sebastian Knight, Op. 10 (1964)
- Sonata, Op. 26 (1971)
- Vadim Salmanov
- Monologue for solo cello (1970)
- Esa-Pekka Salonen
- Yta III (1987)
- Timothy Salter
- Scintilla for solo cello (2003)
- David Sampson
- Three Arguments for unaccompanied cello (1993)
- Ruben Sarkisjan
- Cercio Ceclamando (Cycle of Declamations) for solo cello (2001)
- Ahmed Adnan Saygun
- Partita, Op. 31 (1954)
- Robert Saxton
- Sonata on a Theme of Sir William Walton (1999)
- Giacinto Scelsi
- Triphon (1956)
- Trilogie (1957/65)
- Voyages (1985)
- Maknongan (1976)
- Gerhard Schedl
- Aus Zwei Stücke aus der Schatz-Truhe
- Peter Schickele (P. D. Q. Bach)
- Vermillion Suite (1987)
- Suite No. 1 All By Its Lonesome
- Suite No. 2 All By Its Lonesome
- Josef Schillinger
- Dance Suite for solo cello, Op.20 (1928)
- Thomas Daniel Schlee
- Three Signs, Op. 53 (2002)
- Friedemann Schmidt-Mechau
- Aposiopesis Music for violoncello (1990)
- Morgenlachen (Morning Laughter) Music for violoncello (1997)
- Fehlversteck (Flawed Hide-Out) Five musical sketches for a cellist (2007)
- Ent-Gegnung (Re-Tort) music for cello (2020)
- Artur Schnabel (1882âÂÂ1951)
- Sonata (in four movements) (1931)
- Alfred Schnittke
- Klingende Buchstaben (Sounding Letters) (1988)
- Madrigal in Memoriam Oleg Kagan (1990)
- Improvisation (1993)
- Franz Schubert
- Erlkönig - Le Roi des Aulnes (The Erlking or Elf King; adapted in 1890 by Bernhard Cossmann
- Gunther Schuller
- Fantasy, Op. 19 (1960)
- Laura Schwendinger
- All the Pretty Horses (2009)
- Primavera Trasformata(2020)
- Salvatore Sciarrino
- Due Studi (1947)
- Ai Limiti Della Notte (1984)
- Peter Sculthorpe
- Requiem (1979)
- Threnody (In memory of Stuart Challender) (1991)
- Into the Dreaming (1993)
- Tailitnama Song (1997)
- Roger Sessions
- Six Pieces (1966)
- Rodion Shchedrin
- Russian Tunes (Russkie Naigryshi), Op. 79 (1990)
- Alexander Shchetynsky
- Sonata (2001)
- Bright Sheng
- Diu Diu Dong (Seven Tunes Heard in China) (1995)
- Makoto Shinohara
- Evolution (1986âÂÂ90)
- Jean Sibelius
- Theme and Variations in D minor (written in 1887, discovered in 1995)
- Sergei Slonimsky
- 3 Pieces for solo cello (1964)
- Haskell Small
- Suite
- Dmitry Smirnov
- Monogram, Op. 58A (1990)
- Elegy in memory of Edison Denisov, Op. 97a (1997)
- Family Portrait, Op. 108 (1998)
- Postlude in memory of Alfred Schnittke, Op. 112A (2000)
- Bagatelle, Op. 128A (2001)
- Saga to S.A. Gubaidulina, Op. 130 (2001)
- Naresh Sohal
- Monody (1976)
- Shades III
- Shades IV (1983)
- Giovanni Sollima
- La luna (1986)
- 6 Caprices (1987)
- Segno (1992)
- Anno uno (1993)
- The Songlines (1993)
- Lamentatio (1998)
- Pasolini fragments (1998)
- Alone (1999)
- Halsey Stevens
- Sonata (five movements - Introduction, Ciaccona, Scherzo, Notturno, Finale) (1958)
- Peter Vukmirovic Stevens
- August Ruins (2010)
- Tempus Edax Rerum (2011)
- Etude for Raising the Dead (2011)
- Versatile Hammers (2011)
- Thunder, Perfect Mind (2012)
- Mark Summer
- Julie-O
- Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
- Kablimba (all pizzicato)
- Viktor Suslin
- Chanson contre raison Sonata (1984)
- Schatz-insel (1990)
- Randall Svane
- Suite No. 1 (1979)
- Suite No. 2 (1982)
- Suite No. 3 (1988)
- Takehiko Sueoka
- Cello Sonata Unaccompanied (1997)
T
U
V
W
- Wolfram Wagner
- Sonata, Op. 31 (1990)
- Gwyneth Walker
- In Memoriam (1980)
- William Walton
- Passacaglia (1980)
- Rodney Waschka II
- Ravel Remembers Fascism (1991)
- Graham Waterhouse
- Three Pieces for Solo Cello, Op. 28 (1992)
- Threnody (2002)
- in nomine for cello solo (2013)
- Variations for Cello Solo (2019)
- Eleven Smithereens (2021)
- Ben Weber
- Dance, Op. 28 (1948)
- Dance, Op. 31 (1949)
- MieczysÃ
Âaw Weinberg (or Vainberg)
- Solo Cello Sonata No. 1, Op. 72 (1960)
- Solo Cello Sonata No. 2, Op. 86 (1965)
- Solo Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 106 (1971)
- Solo Cello Sonata No. 4, Op. 140 (1986)
- Twenty-four Preludes, Op. 100 (1968)
- Egon Wellesz
- Cello Sonata, Op. 31 (1920)
- Suite op. 39 (1924)
- Richard Wernick
- Suite No. 1 (2003)
- Suite No. 2 (2007)
- David Wilde
- The Cellist of Sarajevo - A Lament in Rondo Form, Op. 12
- Adrian Williams
- Solo Cello Sonata (1976âÂÂ77)
- John Williams
- Three Pieces (2001)
- Richard Edward Wilson
- Lord Chesterfield to his Son (1987)
- Music (1971)
- Stefan Wolpe
- Piece Alone (1966)
- William Wordsworth
- Sonata for Violoncello (1961)
- Charles Wuorinen
- Cello Variations I to Fred Sherry (1970)
- Cello Variations II (1975)
- Cello Variations III (1997)
X
Y
Z
- Edson Zampronha
- Elegia and electroacoustics (2009)
- Two Takes (2008)
- Toccata (1989)
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann
- Sonata (1959âÂÂ60)
- Short Studies (4) (1970)
- Sergei Zhukov
- Sonata-Capriccio for solo cello (1980)
- Paraphrase on van Eyck's poem De Tuinman en de Dood for solo cello (2003)
- Vassily Zverev
- Sonata-Fantasy for solo cello
See also
References
External links