The Canticle of the Sun

The Canticle of the Sun (Sonnengesang) is a composition by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina written in 1997 and published by Hans Sikorski, it is based on the "Canticle of the Sun" by Saint Francis of Assisi and is dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich for his seventieth birthday.

Though the piece features a soloist and an ensemble, Gubaidulina does not consider it a cello concerto.

The cellist's 'abandonment' of their instrument actually divides the piece in two.

The piece is written for cello solo, chamber choir and percussion. An overtone row played on the C string is used, after which the cellist tunes the string down to the lowest note possible on the instrument, bows near the bridge, on the bridge with a snare drum stick, behind the bridge, and then on the tailpiece. The cellist then puts down the instrument, playing on a bass drum, and then on a flexatone with a bass bow before returning to the cello.