Last year, I compiled a comprehensive edition guide to the standard cello repertoire. I would like to offer a smaller guide on where to start with a basic cello music library. If I were to narrow down the options, where would I recommend you begin? This is a "desert island" list for standard cello repertoire.
While this task is difficult, I hope to keep the options down to just one edition per piece. The list may look different from other cellists/teachers. Some of my choices may surprise you.
Etudes
Duport - 21 Studies (Henle)
Franchomme - 12 Caprices, Op. 7 (YL Edition)
Lee - 40 Etudes (YL Edition)
Piatti - 12 Caprices, Op. 25 (Simrock/IMSLP)
Popper - High School of Cello Playing, Op. 73 (Paladino)
Servais - 6 Caprices, Op. 11 (YL Edition)
Ševčík - 40 Variations, Op. 3 (Bosworth/IMSLP arr. Feuillard)
Unaccompanied Cello
Bach, J.S. - 6 Suites, BWV 1007-1012 (YL Edition)
Britten - 3 Suites (Faber)
Cassadó - Suite (Universal/IMSLP)
Hindemith - Sonata, Op. 25, No. 3 (Schott/IMSLP)
Kodaly -Sonata, Op. 8 (Universal/IMSLP)
Sonatas
Bach, J.S. - 3 Gamba Sonatas, BWV 1027-1029 (Henle)
Barber - Sonata, Op. 6 (Schirmer)
Beethoven - 5 Sonatas (Henle, preferably ed. Navarra)
Brahms - Sonata No. 1, Op. 38 (Henle)
Brahms - Sonata No. 2, Op. 99 (Wiener Urtext)
Bréval - Sonatas Opp. 12, 28, 40 (Artistic Score Engraving)
Britten - Sonata, Op. 65 (Boosey)
Chopin - Sonata, Op. 65 (Breitkopf/IMSLP)
Debussy - Sonata (Durand/IMSLP)
Fauré - Sonata No. 1, Op. 109 (Durand/IMSLP)
Fauré - Sonata No. 2, Op. 117 (Durand/IMSLP)
Franck - Sonata (International Music Company)
Grieg - Sonata, Op. 36 (Peters/IMSLP, plate no. 10482)
Kabalevsky - Sonata, Op. 71 (International Music Company)
Mendelssohn - Sonata No. 1, Op. 45 (Breitkopf/IMSLP, ed. Rietz)
Mendelssohn - Sonata No. 2, Op. 58 (Pohle/IMSLP)
Prokofiev - Sonata, Op. 119 (International Music Company)
Rachmaninov - Sonata, Op. 19 (YL Edition with Gutheil/IMSLP piano part)
Romberg - 3 Sonatas, Op. 43 (YL Edition)
Romberg - 3 Trios (Sonatas) Op. 38 (YL Edition)
Saint-Saëns - Sonata No. 1, Op. 32 (Durand/IMSLP)
Saint-Saëns - Sonata No. 2, Op. 123 (Durand/IMSLP)
Schubert - Sonata "Arpeggione" (YL Edition with Bärenreiter piano part)
Shostakovich - Sonata, Op. 40 (International Music Company with my critical commentary)
Strauss - Sonata, Op. 6 (Aibl/IMSLP)
Vivaldi - 9 Sonatas (Artistic Music Engraving)
Concertos (with piano reduction)
Barber - Concerto, Op. 22 (Schirmer with my critical commentary)
Bloch - Schelomo (YL Edition with Schirmer/IMSLP piano part)
Dvořák - Concerto, Op. 104 (Bärenreiter with my comparative score)
Elgar - Concerto, Op. 85 (Novello/IMSLP)
Goltermann - Concerto No. 4 (Artistic Music Engraving)
Haydn - Concerto in C (unedited - YL Edition, edited - Henle)
Haydn - Concerto in D (unedited - YL Edition, edited - Peters, ed. Storck)
Kabalevsky - Concerto No. 1, Op. 49 (International Music Company)
Klengel - Concertino No. 1 (YL Edition with Breitkopf/IMSLP piano part)
Lalo - Concerto (Schirmer/IMSLP, ed. Willeke)
Prokofiev - Sinfonia Concertante, Op. 125 (Boosey with my critical commentary)
Saint-Saëns - Concerto No. 1, Op. 33 (Durand/IMSLP)
Saint-Saëns - Concerto No. 2, Op. 119 (YL Edition)
Schumann - Concerto, Op. 129 (YL Edition with Breitkopf/IMSLP piano part)
Shostakovich - Concerto No. 1, Op. 107 (International Music Company)
Shostakovich - Concerto No. 2, Op. 126 (International Music Company)
Tchaikovsky - Rococo Variations, Op. 33 (YL Edition)
Short pieces
Beethoven - Variations (Henle)
Bloch - From Jewish Life (YL Edition)
Bruch - Kol Nidrei (Schirmer/IMSLP)
Cassadó - Toccata, formerly attributed to Frescobaldi (YL Edition)
Davydov - At the Fountain (YL Edition)
Dvořák - Silent Woods and Rondo (Wiener Urtext)
Falla - Suite Populaire Espagnole (Eschig/IMSLP, arr. Maréchal)
Fauré - Elegie, Sicilienne, Papillon, Romance (Peters anthology)
Glazunov - Chant du ménestrel (YL Edition)
Janáček - Pohádka (Supraphon/IMSLP)
Popper - Elfentanz, Op. 39 (YL Edition)
Popper - Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68 (YL Edition)
Popper - Im Walde, Op. 50 (YL Edition)
Popper - Tarantella, Op. 33 (YL Edition)
Saint-Saëns - Allegro Appassionato (YL Edition)
Saint-Saëns - The Swan (YL Edition)
Schumann - Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 (Pohle/IMSLP, ed. Davydov)
Schumann - Fünf Stücke im Volkston (International Music Company/Pohle, ed. Davydov)
Stravinsky - Suite Italienne (Boosey with my critical commentary)
Tchaikovsky - Pezzo Capriccioso (YL Edition)