Ševcík, Otakar: Forty Variations op. 3 (Violoncello)

• Popular work by Ševcík now available in a well thought through arrangement for violoncello


• Foreword and commentaries on individual variations by Tomáš Jamník (Cz/Eng/Ger)


• Medium to high level of technical difficulty


• Suitable for pedagogical purposes, but also as small virtuosic concert pieces

Ševcík's opus 3 which concentrates mainly on the use of the bouncing bow in violin playing, builds on the systematic development of bowing technique which the composer had already focused on in his previous opus 2 – School of Bowing Technique. In a compact and highly effective form, the “Forty Variations” cover a wide sequence of movements for the right arm ranging from elementary to virtuosic.

In his arrangement for violoncello, Tomáš Jamník stays true to Ševcík’s methodical intention by not mechanically transposing the original violin version, but rather ensuring an adequate adaptation to the positions of the violoncello. Thus, these short variations now become a valuable pedagogical work for cellists while also serving as virtuosic compositions for concert performances.