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

Few concerti reveal the restraint and elegance of Baroque writing as subtly as Tartini's sole cello concerto. Rather than exploit the instrument's full range, he positions the soloist in a more modest register, creating intimate dialogue with the ensemble and requiring the cellist to find depth and character through nuance rather than virtuosity. Programming this work signals sophistication and offers orchestras a genuine rarity that most audiences will encounter for the first time.

The concerto unfolds with the natural grace and conversational elegance characteristic of mid-18th-century Italian instrumental music. Despite its energetic character overall, the cello part carries a certain modesty, almost a hesitancy, as if the soloist is testing the waters of the ensemble's attention. Moments of harmonic richness emerge from the orchestra while the cello traces its understated melodic path, creating a chamber-music intimacy within the larger orchestral frame.

String orchestra directors seeking repertoire that balances ensemble interest with a featured solo line will find this concerto ideal for programs featuring an accomplished cellist. High school and college orchestras can tackle the work effectively; the accompaniment writing is straightforward, and the solo part rewards careful musicianship without demanding superhuman technique. This score works beautifully as a feature piece that challenges a strong soloist while remaining accessible to the full ensemble.

• Balance the solo cello against a lean string section; the concerto's charm depends on hearing the soloist's warm middle register without drowning it in ensemble sound.
• Shape the opening theme with the ensemble before the cello enters so the soloist's eventual entrance feels like a natural continuation rather than an interruption.
• Attend carefully to the cadenza revisions by Silva; these passages reveal how a great cellist of the 20th century understood Tartini's harmonic language and reimagined it for modern technique.
• Allow the cello modest rubato in lyrical passages, respecting the Baroque idiom while letting the soloist breathe within the orchestra's rhythmic framework.

Feature this work on a Baroque or early-Classical concert where string orchestras typically excel, pairing it with other concerti grossi or single-instrument concerti from the period. The Tartini can serve as an elegant centerpiece for a program celebrating Italian Baroque composition or as a touching tribute to a departing principal cellist. Consider programming it alongside more familiar Tartini violin concerti to illustrate his range and his creative engagement with instrumental color beyond the violin.

• Baroque articulation and ornamentation in string writing
• Ensemble listening and blend with a featured soloist
• Reading and interpreting 18th-century notation and conventions
• Shaping long melodic lines with period-appropriate phrasing
• Supporting a solo line without covering it