Paganini: Cantabile: Transcribed For Cello
Listening to this piece without knowing who wrote it, it is quite difficult to identify the composer. Its sublime melodic lyricism and deep expressivity are easier to associate with the ultra-romantic Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) than with the sparkling, virtuosic Paganini (1782-1840) who was born 60 years earlier and actually died in the same year that Tchaikovsky was born. In fact, the piece is in the “bel canto” “endless melody” operatic style of which Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) was perhaps the most famous exponent.
Two transcriptions for cello are offered here: a high one in the original violin key, and another lower one, transposed down by a fifth into G major. Easier Versions, in which the “easier” refers almost exclusively to the transposition down of the high passages, are offered in both keys. In the Easier Version of the original, high-key version, the high passages are transposed down an octave which means that, surprisingly, this version is often lower (and hence easier) than the lower-key Easier Version.
The piano (or guitar) accompaniment parts are taken from imslp.org. The lower-key version uses the piano accompaniment for the viola transcription (which is also transposed down by a fifth). These accompaniments can also be played by guitar or harp. The audio “play-along” downloadable accompaniments are taken from a YouTube video and slightly edited but still lack a lot of the rubato that this piece so greatly needs to achieve its bel canto magic.
- Original Key: EDITED VERSION
- Original Key: CLEAN VERSION
- Original Key: EASIER VERSION
- Original Key: LITERAL TRANSCRIPTION
Here is a downloadable play-along audio of the piano accompaniment for the high (original-key) version. Additional piano notes (chords) have been added to this play-along accompaniment so that we can stay with the piano even during the ad-lib cadenza passages for the cello. For this reason, to play with this audio accompaniment it will be necessary to use the cello part that is specially edited for that purpose. In this part, the additional piano chords are indicated with arrows or with “x” noteheads:
And here below is the lower-key version, transposed down by a fifth into G major:
- Down Fifth: EDITED VERSION
- Down Fifth: CLEAN VERSION
- Down Fifth: EASIER VERSION
- Down Fifth: LITERAL TRANSCRIPTION
- Down Fifth: PIANO SCORE
Here is a downloadable play-along audio of the piano accompaniment for this lower-key version. Additional piano notes (chords) have been added to this play-along accompaniment so that we can stay with the piano even during the ad-lib cadenza passages for the cello. For this reason, to play with this audio accompaniment it will be necessary to use the cello part that is specially edited for that purpose. In this part, the additional piano chords are indicated with arrows or with “x” noteheads: