Small Concertinos for Cello and Piano, Lukaszewski

Pawel Lukaszewski's Small Concertinos for cello and piano were written with younger cellists in mind and are composed from sound material matched to the technical demands at a beginner level. Personally I have not come across pieces in the form of a concerto or concertino suitable for beginner cellists apart from the first movement of Oskar Riedings D minor concerto, which at this level of learning is the most popular piece in Poland, and in reality is a transcription of the A minor violin concerto. As teacher to Wojtek, son of the renowned Polish composer, and also a cellist, I thought to create pieces that could be used by first and second year pupils. These Small Concertinos have come into being thanks to the kindness and engagement of Pawel Lukaszewski, and he has dedicated them to his son. Small concertino no. 1 is based on sound material which makes it possible to perform the piece in first position and includes only a small spread of the fingers, whereas Small concertino no. 2 is slightly more difficult, includes a wider spread of the fingers in first position, half position and more complicated rhythmical patterns than in Conertino no. 1. Concertino no. 2 may be used as an alternative to the first movement of Riedings D minor concerto. Pawel Lukaszewski's Small Concertinos lead young cellists into the world of contemporary music, and at the same time are interesting didactic material at the beginner level and may have a significant influence on the development of the skill of youngest cellists.