Product Description
Arioso is a movement from J.S. Bach Cantata No. 156 Ich Steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe.
Originally, Bach composed it in F major with the oboe being the solo instrument, accompanied by strings. In the early 20th century, it was arranged for cello and piano in G major. This is a beautiful arrangement but is much too difficult for many students who desire to play great music earlier in their journey of cello learning. There is a distinct lack of great music specifically arranged for cello students who are just getting their bearings in the lower positions (up to fourth).
After playing this Arioso in C major, transposing directly from the printed G major cello arrangement, I made the decision right then and there to make my own arrangement for this wonderfully sublime piece of music. Transposing it down to C major takes away all the higher positions and reduces the number of accidentals that need to be attended to, thus giving the student a slight advantage in reading the music and eventually performing it, at a higher level of competence.
I have opted, in this version, to leave in all of the ornamentation and intricate rhythms found in the orignal.
This version has already been tested out on several of my own students who found it compelling and exciting to be able to participate in music making of the great music composed by the master of all Western Tonal music, Johann Sebestian Bach.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.