Kreisler: Liebesleid (For Cello)

Perfectly playable in the same key as the original violin version, no notes have needed to be changed for the cello performance versions. Written in the same year (1905) as Schön Rosmarin and Liebesfreud these three little miniatures were published together as “Three Old Viennese Dances” and have quite a lot in common, starting with their charming, light, elegant Viennese style. “Liebesleid” translates into english as “love’s suffering”, not to be confused with “Liebeslied” which would translate as “love’s song”.

This piece is an interesting example of the difference between double dotting and normal dotting (see Dotted Rhythms). In the opening theme, Kreisler doubledots all the dotted rhythms (bars 2, 6, 10, 13 and 14) but in the immediate repeat of this theme he uses only single dots and likewise for the next 22 bars until the “meno mosso” section where once again he returns to the double dotting. As an experiment, we could also play the entire piece with either single dotting or double dotting.

This piece is also interesting in its use of the dot as an articulation instruction. Kreisler obviously intends the staccato dot to mean a separation before the dotted note (and definitely not after it).

Clean Performance Version   Edited Performance Version   Easier Version      Literal Transcription

Here is an audio “play-along” file of the piano accompaniment: