Servais - Fantaisie pour Violoncelle (sur La Muette de Portici) (Urtext Edition)

Servais’s Fantaisie pour Violoncelle was likely composed for his young student Henri Possoz, whose first known performance of the work took place on 4 September 1837. It is arguably the easiest surviving work by Servais, roughly comparable in level to the repertoire found in Suzuki Cello School, Books 4 and 5.

Although Servais does not identify the themes, the fantasy is based on material from Auber’s opera La Muette de Portici. Much of the work draws from the opening sequence of Act I: the opening tutti uses material from the Act I introduction, while the cello entrance is based on Elvire’s aria “A celui que j’aimais.” The theme and variation come from the following section of the aria, “O moment enchanteur.” The slow section is based on Masaniello’s Act IV cavatina “Du pauvre seul ami fidèle,” and the finale returns to Act I with music from the Air de Ballet.

This edition is based on the manuscript in the hand of Ulysse Claes, Brussels Conservatory Library MS 45.114.

ASTA Level: 4