Concerto for Cello No. 87 in A, GT 1.A28 (Leyden): String Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts

This is Tartini's only known cello concerto, making it a genuine rarity rather than another transcription or repackaging of violin material. The Van Leyden edition places it in a string orchestra context that lets young string players experience the full texture of an eighteenth-century concerto while the solo cellist navigates the intimate, introspective character Tartini crafted specifically for the instrument. Programming this work signals to your ensemble and audience that you're willing to venture beyond the familiar Baroque repertoire.

The energy of a typical Baroque concerto moves through the ensemble, but the solo cello's part unfolds with restraint and quiet dignity, almost as if speaking in a lower register of the voice. There is an understated elegance to the writing; the soloist is present but never showy, creating a work that feels intimate even within an ensemble context.

String orchestras with a developing or strong cello soloist who can handle Baroque style and intonation demands across the full ensemble. This work suits youth orchestras, preparatory string ensembles, or community orchestras looking to program a concerto that showcases the cello without requiring virtuosic acrobatics from the soloist.

• Balance the solo cello's middle-range writing against the ensemble; the part won't project effortlessly, so the surrounding strings must listen and shape dynamics around the soloist's line.
• Approach the opening tutti with rhythmic precision and clean articulation so the ensemble foundation is solid when the cello enters with its more lyrical material.
• Work the soloist separately on phrasing within the instrument's middle register, where Tartini avoids dramatic high passages in favor of measured, almost understated lyricism.
• Use the harpsichord sparingly in rehearsal until the ensemble's internal balance is secure; then layer it in to provide harmonic continuity without masking string texture.

Feature this concerto on a Baroque or eighteenth-century strings concert alongside other period works for full ensemble. It works particularly well as a feature for an advancing cello student and gives the rest of the orchestra a meaningful role as accompanists rather than mere support; the ensemble parts are essential to the work's character.

• Baroque articulation and phrasing conventions in string writing
• Balancing solo and ensemble roles within a concerto structure
• Playing with rhythmic unity across divided sections (4.4.4.4.2 instrumentation)
• Intonation accuracy in pure harmonic contexts without modern vibrato conventions
• Listening and dynamic response as an ensemble accompanist to a solo line