Cello Concerto, Opus 33: Viola Book

Name: Cello Concerto, Opus 33: Viola Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-K04319
Price: 11.95 USD
Availability: InStock

By Camille Saint-Saëns / transcribed for the Viola

Item: 00-K04319

$11.95

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A solo, for Viola with Piano Accompaniment, composed by Camille Saint-Saëns and transcribed for the Viola.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Cello Concerto, Opus 33: Viola Book comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Kalmus Edition

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 40

ISBN10: 0-7579-0397-5

ISBN13: 978-0-7579-0397-7

UPC: 654979996576

SKU: 00-K04319

More about this title

About the Composer: Camille Saint-Saëns

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was a French composer, organist, and pianist whose technical mastery and prolific output shaped the Romantic era. He composed across every major genre—symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber works—and remained active as a performer and conductor throughout his life. His music balances the structural clarity of earlier traditions with the harmonic and orchestral innovations of his time, making his works enduring staples of concert life.

Saint-Saëns was particularly skilled at writing for solo instruments, understanding their strengths and limitations from his own performance experience. His concertos showcase both virtuosity and lyrical melody, qualities that continue to attract soloists and audiences alike.

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Why we love this

This transcription opens a genuine masterwork to violists who might otherwise be limited to the standard concerto repertoire. Saint-Saëns wrote for the cello with complete command of the instrument's voice, and adapting those lines to viola preserves the elegance and technical brilliance while sitting beautifully in the viola's range. The Kalmus edition provides a practical, affordable path to contest and recital programming that's substantial enough to impress judges and audiences.

What to expect

The concerto unfolds with Romantic grandeur and melodic warmth. Saint-Saëns balances moments of intimate lyricism with passages that test technical command, creating a performance experience that feels both rewarding and substantive. The viola voice emerges with nobility, claiming territory that feels natural to the instrument rather than borrowed from another.

Who it's for

This edition serves advanced high school and college violists preparing for auditions, competitions, and recitals. Pianists accompanying this concerto will appreciate working with a standard Romantic-era masterwork that demands genuine musical partnership rather than passive support.

How to get the most out of it

Approach the opening theme with a singing tone that honors the lyrical character Saint-Saëns built into every phrase; resist the urge to race the accompaniment.
Balance technical passages with deliberate articulation rather than speed alone; this concerto rewards clarity and control over flash.
Coordinate closely with your pianist on tempo and rubato, particularly in the transitions between sections where the solo line drives the harmonic movement.
Mark dynamic shifts carefully, as this orchestral reduction may not always make the accompaniment's role obvious; test both full sound and more restrained playing to find where each fits.

How to use it

This work anchors a recital devoted to solo string literature or fills a solo concerto slot in a chamber concert. It pairs naturally with other Romantic-era works and makes an excellent choice for Young Artist auditions, All-State competitions, and festival performances where adjudicators expect musical maturity and genuine technical engagement.