Three Easy Sonatas, Op. 103

Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer (1783—1860) was a true man of his time, and progressively adapted to what the concert and educational market was after. This set of Three Easy Sonatas for Cello, accompanied by a second Cello, is the last one among his production and, as it already happened with other composers such as J. B. Bréval, it is the easiest one.

There is no thumb position, very few double-stops, and they never venture beyond the 4th position. The bow technique requirements are a bit higher, but this is a field in which Dotzauer always struggled to keep his demands low. Nevertheless, they are perfect for students who have already played his “Original Pieces” for two cellos, and an appropriate springboard for more challenging works. By practicing these sonatas, students can expect to learn of this fundamental musical form in a friendly environment, also gaining possible concert pieces thanks to their beauty.

This edition comes in two main versions: Standard and Collectors’ Edition. The Standard edition contains the first modern rendition of the original source published in 1827 by Hofmeister Verlag, and offers, for the first time, a full score of these sonatas. The Collectors’ Edition comes with several additions:

• the score and parts of the first revision of these works by cellist Alwin Schöder (1855—1928), originally published by C. F. Peters around 1891, 31 years after Dotzauer’s death.
• the score and parts of the original edition, revised and edited by Michele Galvagno (*1987). This adds fingering, bowing, and dynamic suggestions without altering the original text, thus providing a ready-to-play version for everyone.
• both additional versions come with an extra copy which highlights every single change, making it very easy to know what a specific editor changed from the original version.

Standard Edition: score - 52pp; parts - 24+24pp
Collectors’ Edition: 5 scores - 276pp; parts (5 couplets) - 240pp