Servais - Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 5 (Urtext Edition, Piano Version)

Servais composed three concertos for cello and orchestra, as well as the one-movement Morceau de Concert. The Concerto in B minor, Op. 5, composed around 1836 and dedicated to King William II (Guillaume II) of the Netherlands, was the first concerto he composed. It is a substantial three-movement work that combines Classical formal design with the brilliant virtuoso writing associated with Servais’s early career.

The outer movements are cast in sonata form, though the first movement contains a shortened recapitulation following the orchestral return of the opening theme. After a grand pause, the second movement, Adagio cantabile, opens with strumming strings beneath a serenade-like melody in the solo cello. The finale is a true tour de force, with a second theme first presented in A major before returning in B major in the recapitulation. Its brilliant coda, often taken slightly slower because of the increased surface rhythm, recalls the operatic finales of Rossini and Donizetti, while the upper-string motive bears a striking resemblance to a later gesture in the coda of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.

This edition is based primarily on the first edition of the piano version and solo cello part, published by Schott in March 1848. Readings from the orchestra parts and the Richault solo part were also consulted and incorporated where appropriate. Fingerings from the Schott edition, along with additional fingerings found in the cello cue line of the piano score, have been included where appropriate. The sources were graciously provided by the Servais Society, with special thanks to Peter François for his expertise.

ASTA Level: 6