Beethoven Violin Sonata No.7 in C Minor Op 30 No.2: Transcribed for Cello

Here is the sheetmusic and accompaniment play-along audio files for Beethoven‘s Seventh Violin Sonata, Op 30 No. 2 in C Minor in a transcription for cello (and piano) in the original key. Because of this use of the original key, any standard piano accompaniment part can be used (downloadable from ismlp.org).

Many thanks to Jorge Navas and his YouTube channel for the audio play-along accompaniment files. With a program (app) like “The Amazing Slowdowner”, they can be played back at any speed.

FIRST MOVEMENT: Allegro con brio

In making a cello transcription of this movement (and, in fact, for the entire sonata), we have a big problem: the pitch range.

If we keep the original key and simply transpose the violin part down an octave, we will still have some passages that sound simply too high for the “classical period” cello. For example, in bars 84-85, 234-237, and 243-252, we have many bars that revolve around our high G, almost two octaves above the open A-string. This is so high up the string that it can look, sound, and feel a bit “freaky” in the context. If, like the violin, we had a high E-string, this register would not be a problem.

To avoid these freaky high passages, we could, in principle, consider transposing the piano part into a lower key, but the original-key piano part goes so low that this option is not practical. Therefore, our “solution” is to transpose these highest cello passages down an octave, while maintaining the original key. These register changes are indicated in the part for anybody who may prefer to play in the “original” register, one octave higher (and only one octave lower than the violin, like in the rest of the piece).

Bars 44-46, 92-98, 170-175 are also taken down an additional octave from the original violin pitch, but for a different reason. Here we do this in order to avoid unisons with the piano.

Here is a first draft of the cello part for this movement:

And here is a play-along accompaniment.

SECOND MOVEMENT: Adagio cantabile

Here is a first draft of the cello parts for this profound slow movement. The high and difficult bars 41-46 and 54-60 have been taken down an octave in the “Performance Version” because we can, without having to break the melodic lines, thanks to the existence of our C-string. We could also do the same to bars 85, 93-94, 105-106, and 110-112, but these bars are less difficult and the octave-down transposition here has therefore only been done (along with many other passages) in the “Easier Version”. In the “Literal Transcription” all of the original registers have been maintained: this is simply the violin part transposed down one octave, everywhere.

And here is a play-along accompaniment.

THIRD MOVEMENT: Scherzo and Trio

Even a very accomplished cellist may want to transpose the last ten bars of the cello part down an octave. Not necessarily because it is “hard” but simply because it can sound a little strange up in that high fingerboard register. Remember, even though we are playing one octave below the violin pitch, we are one fifth above the original violin in terms of fingerboard register, because we don’t have a high E string.

And here is a play-along accompaniment.

FOURTH MOVEMENT (Finale): Allegro

Bars 151-158, 282-287 and 298-304 have been taken down an extra octave in this transcription. These register changes are indicated in the cello part for those who may prefer to play in the “original” high octave (always one octave lower than the violin).

And here is a play-along accompaniment.