Popper - Widmung, Humoreske, and Mazurka No. 1, Op. 11 (Urtext Edition)

David Popper often published his works in sets, and Drei Stücke, Op. 11, was issued by Bartholf Senff in Leipzig in 1874. Unlike some of his later collections, such as the Spanish Dances or his various suites, which were united under a single descriptive title, Op. 11 appeared simply as Drei Stücke, with the individual titles listed on the title page. The set includes three contrasting works: Widmung, Humoreske, and Mazurka, each dedicated to a major musical figure in Popper’s circle.

Widmung, dedicated to Popper’s wife Sophie Menter, pays homage to Schumann, whose own Widmung was written for Clara. This expansive Adagio unfolds in two contrasting sections: the first evokes the lyrical intimacy of Schumann’s songs, while the second features expressive tempo fluctuations and harmonic gestures reminiscent of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Near the end, a brief passage recalls the transition between the first and second movements of Schumann’s Cello Concerto. Humoreske, dedicated to Karl Davydov, continues in a Schumann-Wagner vein, with possible echoes of the Scherzo from Schumann’s Second Symphony and Wagner’s Liebestod. The final Mazurka, dedicated to Bernhard Cossmann, is the most innovative of the three. Earthy and rhythmic, it anticipates a style often associated with Edvard Grieg and has become one of Popper’s most beloved shorter works.

This edition is based on the first edition published by Bartholf Senff, plate numbers 1256.1257, 1256.1258, and 1256.1259. All editorial changes and deviations from the original text are indicated in the score. The first edition omits many accidentals, especially in the piano part, as well as some dynamics in the cello part. Where the cello part lacks dynamics but the piano part provides detailed markings, bracketed dynamics have been added for clarity.

Well suited for lessons, recitals, studio classes, and Romantic character-piece study, these three pieces offer cellists a rich range of expressive and technical material. Widmung develops sustained lyricism and dramatic pacing, Humoreske offers lightness and characterful phrasing, and Mazurka provides rhythmic vitality, dance character, and brilliant salon-style charm.

ASTA level: 3