Leonovich - Le Tombeau de Dvořák (for Cello and Piano)
Antonín Dvořák has long been one of my favorite song composers. His ability to blend the German Lied tradition of Schubert and Schumann with a distinctly Slavic melodic and harmonic language is extraordinary, and his Love Songs, Op. 83, remain for me one of the pinnacles of late Romantic art song. Le tombeau de Dvořák grew out of that admiration, especially for Dvořák’s Biblical Songs, Op. 99, and from a desire to create biblical art songs in Ukrainian.
The original vocal cycle was written for baritone or alto voice, with transpositions also available for tenor or soprano and bass voice in bass clef. Each song is concise, lasting between two and three and a half minutes, while still aiming for a deeply evocative and expressive character. This suite arranges six of these songs for cello and piano, allowing the cello to take on the vocal line and bring its own singing quality to the biblical texts behind the music.
Le tombeau de Dvořák is dedicated to friends whom the composer lost in recent years: Herman Whitfield III, Oksana Vignan, Jon Toben, and Vinny DeMio. The suite is suitable for intermediate cellists and works well for recitals, sacred concerts, memorial programs, and performances exploring Slavic-inspired art song, Ukrainian biblical texts, and lyrical contemporary cello writing.
ASTA level: 2.5–3