An examination of compositional style and cello technique in 12 hommages á Paul Sacher

To celebrate the 70th birthday of Swiss conductor Paul Sacher, Mstislav Rostropovich commissioned twelve composers to write a works for solo cello based on Sachers last name. Rostropovich invited Conrad Beck, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Benjamin Britten, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber, and Witold Lutoslawski to each write a variation for solo cello. All agreed and, with the exception of Berio and Henze, completed works in time for the premiere. Ten of the twelve compositions were performed by Rostropovich himself and were premiered on May 2nd, 1976 in Zrich, Switzerland. This document divides these works into three categories based on extended cello technique and compositional innovation and clarifies any notational and technical issues.