Lalo - Cello Sonata (Urtext Edition)

Édouard Lalo (1823–1892) was a French composer best known for his Symphonie espagnole for violin and orchestra and his Cello Concerto. His chamber music, including sonatas for cello and violin, piano trios, and string quartets, is often overlooked. In the Cello Sonata of 1856, one can hear the influence of German Romantic composers such as Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Wagner, as well as Chopin, but also Lalo’s distinctly French sense of phrase, color, and harmony.

This edition is based on the first edition, published by Georges Hartmann in 1875. Differences in slurring, dynamics, and articulation between the score and cello part have been resolved. When the slurring differs between the cello part and the score, the score slurring is placed below and the part slurring above. Editorial markings are placed in brackets or shown with dashed slurs and hairpins. Missing clef changes have been inserted without comment. The lowest note in bar 118 of the first movement has been changed from G to F to match the octave passage. In the finale, bar 120, right hand, the seventh note has been changed from F-sharp to G to match the pattern two bars later. Lalo’s original piano pedaling, including the “con sord.” una corda markings, has been retained, unlike in some other contemporary editions.

The Cello Sonata is suitable for intermediate cellists and offers an attractive alternative to the more familiar nineteenth-century sonata repertoire. It works well for lessons, recitals, and programs exploring French Romantic chamber music.

ASTA level: 5