Sonata for Cello Alone

This sonata has been a long time coming. Some 20 years ago I started playing cello and my first two teachers were Michael Duggan and Greg Hamilton. It is through their encouragement and guidance that I have become the cellist that I am today. There are techniques that all teachers have taught their students, and certain pieces that we have all introduced our students to. The repertoire for solo cello is gigantic compared to other instruments, and these pieces all leave their mark upon the performer. In my case, these pieces not only influence how I play the instrument but they also influence how I write for the instrument. Sonata for Cello Alone is a piece that includes many things that I love to play on the instrument and many things that I think most cellists like to play.

You will notice on the first page that this piece also has the indication ‘after Ng Yu Hng and Egon Wellesz.’ Sometimes when I am composing there are other pieces resonating in my mind while I am writing. While composing this sonata I was also performing Ng Yu Hng’s Sonata for Violoncello and Egon Wellesz’s Sonata. I don’t think a listener will hear much in the way of similarities between my piece and the others, but the influence was great.

composerbiography: Brian PatrickBromberg

Brian Patrick Bromberg is a composer and active freelance cellist whose music has been performed in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand. He is currently living in Hong Kong where he performs with various chamber groups, teaches music, and writes the column 'Why you should learn this piece,' for The Hong Kong Cellist Society. Brian runs ShanGORIL La Records, a music label that releases new music from around the world.

The composer grew up in Chicago, Illinois and attended Illinois State University where he studied with David Feurzeig, David Maslanka, and Sarah Hwang. Upon graduating, he was given the opportunity to study composition with Anthony Ritchie in Dunedin, New Zealand where he completed his master’s degree at the University of Otago.

Brian's compositional and listening interests run the full gamut of sound: from harsh noise music to top 40 pop hits to Javanese Gamelan. His music has been described as “...chill as a twilight joyride in your Cadillac.” Drawing from this wide variety of musical influences, Brian has written extensively for soloists, chamber groups, orchestra, and jazz groups.