David Popper composed seven gavottes, six for cello and piano and one for two cellos. This collection brings together the six gavottes with piano accompaniment (Opp. 10, 23, 27, 67, 75, and 81). In addition, several companion works from the same opuses are included: Sarabande (Op. 10), Praeludium (Op. 27), Largo (Op. 67), and Serenade and Venetian Barcarolle (Op. 75). Through these gavottes, one can trace the evolution of Popper’s compositional style over the course of his career.

The Sarabande and Gavotte, Op. 10, are dedicated to Robert Emil Bockmühl (1812–1881), a fine cellist, composer, and transcriber. Popper paired these two movements much like those found in a Baroque suite, leaning stylistically toward J. S. Bach’s keyboard partitas and suites. The Sarabande features the piano doubling the cello in the same octave for much of the piece, giving the cello an obbligato character and making the work accessible to students. The Gavotte proper is a playful dialogue between cello and piano, with a pastoral musette in the parallel major serving as the contrasting middle section. Popper’s Sarabande and Gavotte were performed as early as 31 March 1867 in Löwenberg.

Gavotte No. 2, Op. 23 (1879), needs little introduction, being one of Popper’s most popular works and a staple of the cello repertoire (featured, for instance, in the Suzuki Method). It is dedicated to Senator and amateur cellist Andrey Nikolayevich Markovich [Markewitsch] (1830–1907) and was likely premiered on or before 23 October 1879. The piece is earthy and spirited, featuring natural harmonics and open-string double stops. Its main theme alludes to the so-called “Romanesca,” likely composed by Fétis rather than originating in the sixteenth century. Popper orchestrated this work himself, something he rarely did for his short pieces, and published it in 1900.

The Andante serioso and Gavotte No. 3, Op. 27 (1880), are dedicated to Popper’s younger brother, Wilhelm Popper (1846–1924), also a cellist and composer. The Andante serioso, also known as Praeludium, is an unaccompanied introduction to the Gavotte. Apart from this work and his Opp. 73 and 76 etudes, Popper wrote nothing else for unaccompanied cello. The Gavotte evokes an English flavor reminiscent of Handel or Purcell, while the Musette section leans more toward French elegance.

The Largo and Gavotte No. 4 “in olden style” (im alten Style), Op. 67, were first published in 1892. They are dedicated to Queen Victoria of Balmoral and Henri Eugène Dumont-Saint-Priest, respectively. The Largo is grand and stately, recalling the opening of a French overture or a Handel sonata. The Gavotte, popularized by János Starker, has affinities with the gavottes of Camille Saint-Saëns and is the most concise of Popper’s works in this genre. The Largo also appeared separately under the title Largo à l’ancienne mode, Op. 69, likely due to a publishing error, since Popper’s true Op. 69 is his four-movement Suite.

Op. 75, published around 1907, is a set of three works: Serenade, Gavotte No. 5, and Venetian Barcarolle. The Serenade has a distinctly French sound reminiscent of Fauré or Dukas, and parts of the melody recall Chanson villageoise. Gavotte No. 5 is the most stately of the series, marked Andantino and characterized by refinement and grace. Its brief middle section, however, evokes Mendelssohn’s lightness and charm. The Venetian Barcarolle reflects the Italianate lyricism of Rossini’s Soirées Musicales, though its harmonic language suggests an early twentieth-century influence akin to Richard Strauss.

The final work in the set and Popper's final published opus, Gavotte, Op. 81 (1911) is the most economical in thematic material and motivic development. Its buoyant and theatrical character could easily find a place in an early twentieth-century operetta or Broadway musical.

This edition is based on the first editions of the works: André (Op. 10), Hofmeister (Opp. 23 [plate 7812], 67 [plate 8786]), Senff (Op. 27 [plate 1507]), Hamelle (Op. 75 [plates J.5509, 5436, 5704H]), and Ries & Erler (Op. 81 [plate 8538]), graciously provided by the Czech Digital Library. Any deviations from the sources are clearly indicated with editorial markings.