Swansong for Cello and Piano

Keane Southard

Swansong for

Cello and Piano

(2012) (Duration: c. 5 mins.)

Program notes: Swansong for Cello and Piano was commissioned by the Cellist Christine Thomas Tsen. This work began life as a song from a musical/opera that I wrote in high school that has never been produced or performed. Trying to salvage some of what I believe is some good music in that young attempt at something grand, in 2012 I hit upon the idea of making one of the final numbers, in which the main character says goodbye to the world, into a work for a stringed instrument and piano called “Swansong.” When Christine asked me later that year for a piece for cello and piano for her next CD called “Cello Ornithology,” I suggested doing this arrangement, especially because my title already referred to a bird! The piano acts as a kind of heartbeat constantly tolling chords in steady time, sometimes swelling, while the cello plays its mournful melody throughout. While this piece was not inspired by it, in retrospect, there are definitely similarities to Olivier Messiaen’s “ Louange à l'Eternité de Jésus” from the Quartet for the End of Time, both musically and spiritually.

Keane Southard 2012

Keane Southard/Spindrift Pages Email: keane.southard@hotmail.com Website: keanesouthard.instantencore.com

Commissioned by Cellist Christine Thomas Tsen

Swansong Violoncello

   

q = 50

Keane Southard





     pp

    Piano

   

 

6

Vc.

espress.





q = 50

                       

pp

 



   







simile



   

pp



 





 



      

 f

p

                          Pno.

f

 

 

pp

                

ff pp



        

  

12

Vc.

3







   

f



                ff pp          



 ©2012



    

p

  Pno.





   ff

                      



2



 

18

Vc.



      Pno.

            

          

 

  

f

simile

            

Pno.







      



p



28





   

pp

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



   

 

     

                 

 

  

  

  

  

   

 

 







 

 



         



              



Vc.

     

f

          

ff



  

pp

pp

pp

ff



23

Pno.

      



                                pp ff ff                                    



Vc.

      



    

    ff

   

            

3

   

32

Vc.

Pno.





                   p        fff fff                       

37

Vc.

Pno.



  

   



  

 

 

       

    

   

 

 

 



            

dim. poco a poco

          

                Pno.

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

       



   



 



rit.

42

Vc.

       p            

   

rit.

    

         

   p



3



3





          dim. poco a poco

             

 

 

 

una corda al fine

molto rit.

  





  

molto rit.

         

                  

 

 

    

              

4

   

47

Vc.

 Pno.



A tempo

rit.

(q = 42)





ppp

A tempo (q = 42)

 

 

ppp

  

 

   



rit.

    

dim. poco a poco



   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

          

   

     



  

51

Vc.

 





 



n

         

   

as soft as possible

Pno.

    





            