Glazunov - Chant du ménestrel, Op. 71 (Urtext Edition)

Alexander Glazunov composed five original works for cello, in addition to the two famous arrangements of Chopin's etudes. The five pieces are Elegy (in memory of Franz Liszt), Mélodie and Sérénade espagnole, Chant du ménestrel, as well as Concerto-ballata, which was dedicated to Pablo Casals but premiered by his student Maurice Eisenberg.

Glazunov's Chant du ménestrel has become a favorite from the Russian romantic-era cello repertoire. The work is in the key of F# minor but is very idiomatic for the soloist. It was dedicated to cellist Alexander Wierzbilowicz, who was also the dedicatee of Glazunov's Op. 20 pieces, as well as the first two Spanish Dances by David Popper.

Chant du ménestrel is also called the Song of the Troubadour, as translated from the original Russian title Песнь трубадура, harkens back to the Middle Ages with its open harmonies and gentle strumming. The work was originally penned for cello and piano. The manuscript of the early version of the piece (score and separate cello part) is located at the Russian National Library in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. This version is note-for-note identical to the first printed piano version. However, there are fewer details in the dynamics, the tempo for the middle section is "Animato poco" instead of the revised "Poco piu mosso," and the separate cello part is in 2/2 time, instead of 4/4, as in all other sources. The manuscripts of the final piano and the orchestrated versions are also located at the Russian National Library. The primary source of our new edition was the manuscript of the final piano version, although other manuscripts and the first editions (with piano and with orchestra) published by Belaieff were also consulted.

Our edition comes with an unmarked cello solo part as well as a part with bowings and fingerings by the editor.

We would like to thank the Russian National Library for furnishing the sources for our new edition.