Detto II

"‘Detto II’ for cello and chamber ensemble was written in 1972 for the Russian cellist Natalia Shakhovskaya. The Italian word ‘Detto’ (‘What is said’) in the title of the one-movement work refers to the narrative character of the music. The special expressiveness of the work is essentially determined by the quarter-tone glissandi of the solo instrument. In the course of the composition, there is a development from initially meditative static to a dramatic-impulsive middle section. Finally, the work ends in contemplative calm. This concept corresponds to the idea of a gradual expansion of the melodic steps in the solo violoncello from quarter tones to several octaves and back to quarter tones. Such a compositional arrangement lends the work an undulating dynamic. ‘Detto II’ is also characterised by a colourful use of the richly equipped percussion apparatus. The tonal solution of the coda is particularly interesting, in which the cello theme gradually fades away almost inaudibly to ppp interjections from the flute, celesta, glockenspiel, crotali and high strings.

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