Rhapsody
Peter W. Knell
About this work:
Rhapsody was composed during the winter of 1997, while I was a Fulbright Fellow in Finland. It was written for, and in consultation with, cellist Audrey Mei who first performed it in a Finnish radio broadcast in May, 1997.
It is cast in a single movement and is a study of the progression of ideas, a concern with which I was obsessed at the time. At the same time, it explores the virtuosic and idiomatic possibilities of the violoncello. In fact, the very materials were derived from the instrument. I also took advantage of the special colors at which the violoncello excells, especially pizziccato, harmonics, multiple stops, and extreme registers.
Year composed: 1997
Duration: 00:07:30
Ensemble type: Solo instrument, non-keyboard:Cello
Instrumentation: 1 Cello
Instrumentation notes: vcl