Orchestral Strings Teacher
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SAINT-SAENS
Allegro Appassionato, Op.43
This music was written for cello and orchestra in 1873, following the cello concerto in 1872 and cello sonata soon after. All three pieces were dedicated to the cellist Jules Lasserre (1838-1906) Saint-Saens friend. Allegro Appassionato has been a popular performance piece for cellists ever since, often played in recitals, competitions, and as a concert or encore piece. In the digital age, there are many YouTube videos of it and even some older 1960s-1970s TV programs showing it have been uploaded:
Piatigorsky video (orchestral) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-qqMPgXwM4
Jacqueline du Pre (piano) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdLn8zNB53g
There are many other videos available to watch and reference on YouTube, but here is a select few
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Slow/fast tempos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itpvk6R3RvY
Corinne Morris – bowing and finger patterns at 0.55-1.05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYJ6502c_Lc
Young performer re-composing last 2 bars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6-twx19R2k
Ivan Andrews/Eric Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkSlhYFBIxo
These videos show that there is no one definitive way to play this piece. However, as a professional cellist, I think more emotive phrasing could be incorporated into the general interpretation of this work. I base this observation upon observing many YouTube performances and the fact that this music is written by a French Romantic composer in the late 19th century.
At this point I will categorically state that I am not criticising any of the particular artists identified by links to their YouTube performance of this piece. In fact, I praise them for their efforts and musicianship in performing this music (as do the comments feeds below their videos). Any other cellist who wishes to ‘copy’ how these performers play this piece are welcome to, and I am certain that their performance will be just as well received by their audiences as the YouTube ones are received with positive comments.
Comments feeds are used by many YouTube artists for feedback, and this general information can be used by the artist for many things, including reflecting on their performance. Overall, the feedback is 97-99% encouraging in nature: Listeners like this piece, even if some of them do not fully understand the music itself (late 19th century French Romanticism). The few negative comments should be considered a statistical aberration and ignored.
Allegro Appassionato was written by Saint-Saens (1835-1921), a French late-19th century Romantic-era composer. As such, any interpretation of the musical ideas in this work needs to be initially based on this type of creative cultural disposition. However, unlike interpreting some of the lengthy orchestral and operatic works of the day, this short 4½ minute piece is quite straightforward.
Analysis (form and structure)
Allegro Appassionato is in ‘Sonata form’ but with no development section. It has two themes, one each in B minor and its relative D major. The second theme is also heard in C major in the recapitulation. The piece also starts with a short introduction from the piano (or orchestra) and ends with a coda.
After a short introduction by the piano (or orchestra), the lively first theme is played.
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Example 1
Example 1
This leads into other musical ideas (phrases) which run on until the second theme appears:
Example 2
Example 2
This second theme has more lyrical ideas, after opening with a big D major broken chord that covers all four strings of the instrument (first bar/measure shown above). This second theme follows on with other musical ideas and eventually leads back to the first theme again. The big difference is that when played for the second time, the first theme is marked as quiet, not loud. In fact, Saint-Saens keeps this entire section quiet, except for a few quick swells in the dynamics.  Most cellists don’t play this entire section quietly, and I see every reason to put some more ‘passion’ into this music which includes playing louder if need be. I do not believe that the 33 bars following the start of the first theme (for the second time) should all be quiet. The largest change in dynamics is when Saint-Saens writes in a crescendo and diminuendo for the final 8 bars of this section, leading to the second theme broken chords – this time in C major (shown below).r what you do. distinguishing qualities. Consider adding an image for extra engagement.
Example 3
This time around, following some more lyrical phrasing, the end of the second theme ends in a dramatic cadenza-like passage before stating the first theme again (now for the third time):
Example 4
The first theme is shortened – missing out on the material found in bars 21-36 and interrupted with a modified and shortened version of the second theme – a 3-note chord instead of the 4-note broken chord:
Example 5
A lively coda closes the piece with rapid triplets, semi-quavers, and chords.
PERFORMING
How should each theme and associated melodies therein, be played? The performer needs to realise what some characteristics of late 19th century French Romanticism is. Also, (generally) following Saint-Saens directives with dynamics and tempo changes, should be enough to give an exciting performance.
Some characteristics of Romantic Music are (a) freedom of form and (b) song-like melodies. Allegro Appassionato is a modified sonata form with no development section. Both main themes are followed by a series of melodies, each sounding one after the other. This certainly makes the piece feel ‘free’ and ‘lyrical’ in nature. Romantic music also has (c) dramatic contrasts of dynamics and pitch and (d) technical virtuosity, which this piece also has. Allegro Appassionato is virtuosic sounding, and although it requires some advanced techniques, it is not in the same league as other romantic pieces like the Cesar Franck violin sonata (Delsart created the cello part in 1888), Saint-Saens own cello concerto op.33 (1872), let alone the Dvorak cello concerto (1895). However, Allegro Appassionato sounds as though it is technically advanced, rather than requiring extreme levels of technical prowess from the performer; hence its popularity.
The performer must also filter out other aspects of romantic music, like big orchestras, nationalism, and programmatic music, because these are not features found in this piece. As programmatic music, the performer (or their teacher) could form a story based on the melodies present, in order to help the performer focus during the performance. It may also be possible for the performer to create a video in which this music could subserviently accompany, but so far, no one seems to have uploaded the results of such a project to YouTube.
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Theme 1, Melody 1
There are a few performance aspects which need to be mentioned. The first theme is all about bowing articulation. If the notes are clear, then the audience is drawn in by the ‘technical’ speed of the theme.
Example 6
This generic bowing is mostly seen on YouTube performances. For the first note the performer can use a down-bow or up-bow (marked down bow in this example). It is also best to slur the last ‘B’ note to the next note (high-G, not shown) as an up-bow. The result of this generic bowing is a sound that remains crisp at a wide range of speeds. After all, some performers complete this piece in under 4 minutes, while others take longer than 4:30.
Example 7
This is the bowing in Schirmer Vol.1820 edition. It is a much more technically sophisticated bowing, requiring the performer to have good control of their up-bow staccato. The problem with this bowing is in the fourth measure, where the bow needs a quick retake and replacing the tip of the bow back onto the string in a precise manner, without bouncing it. This type of bowing may also promote a less crisp sound and/or generate a rhythmic lilt if the up-bow staccatos are rushed. It is up to the performer to make the call as to which bowing gives the best result for them.
Example 8
Sometimes the learner-performer will come up against articulation like this. This promotes a heavy feel to the theme, and is unnecessary as it can slow down the music too much – and then it’s not an Allegro appassionato! The performer needs to understand that not all editions of this piece may be suitable for what they want, or may promote a way of playing that they simply don’t like, and that they may need to work across several scores before developing their own interpretation of this music.
Theme 1, Melody 2
This is the melody that follows the first theme.
There is potential for the performer to enhance what is going on here. Below is the same melody that has been ‘enhanced’. Performers may reject this, but interpretation is all about making decisions.
Example 10
Example 10
In this passage, the (leggerio) and (rall.) are only meant to affect the notes directly below them. The author has installed a small dynamic swell from the end of bar-2 to the end of bar-4, ending the first half of this musical idea with a slightly lighter bow (although the entire phrase is played loud), and a breath mark (comma) leading to the second half of the phrase. The tenuto mark in bar-3 (A#), occurring after a quick crescendo, should help to propel the phrase along until the comma. The second part of the phrase starts with a Sforzando, stimulating this part of the phrase with more energy than the first half. The (rall.) is meant to intensify the end of the phrase before leading to the next melody. This deliberate slowing down of the tempo should be subtle, and due to the single long note in bar-8, the performer is at the mercy of the piano accompanist (or orchestra) if it happens. Too much slowing down releases too much of the inherent tension in the music, and the audience may think that the piece is about to enter a slower section, which is definitely not the case. However, not slowing down, means that the audience could be rushed into the next melody, which arguably is not necessarily what romantic music is about.
Theme 1, Melody 3
This is what melody 2 leads to, starting with a powerful first note and triplets which excite the underlying rhythmic drive of this passage. Tenuto marks at the start of each triplet section (bars 3 + 7) gives extra flow to this musical idea.
Example 11
The authors own impression is that this melody should not be played with a regular metre, but with more ‘rubato’ as shown. This creates more tension in the music in the longer ¼-notes while enhancing the flow of the triplets that is already there. The artist could play around with each 4-bar section of this melody, using some rubato in the first half, and more in the second half (or vice versa), while also manipulating dynamics slightly. The end result could be much more interesting for the audience to listen to; or, done the wrong way, will diminish the experience. There is no ‘pro’ without a ‘con’. Once again, the artist needs to judge the results, get feedback if possible, and go from there.
Example 12
Theme 1, Melody 4
As can be seen, Saint-Saens uses tenuto accents to bring certain notes out of the texture, wants the second half of the melody to start on the 3rd cello string (giving a thicker tone than the notes otherwise would have), all while starting loud, but getting softer to the last note.
Example 13
Many YouTube performances get faster towards the middle of this melody before pulling back the tempo either near the end, or more subtly slow down over the last half. The author thinks this is the right thing to do as rubato is important in romantic music, and this passage lends itself to having this occur. As always, the performer needs to judge how much rubato is employed, and also how to communicate these changes in tempo to their accompanist.
Theme 2, Melody 1
Example 14 below shows the first melody of Theme 2. It starts with a huge D major chord and the rhythm of this chord is similar to a cartoon-style ‘ta-da’, where the main cartoon character may reveal themselves by jumping out of nowhere, arms wide. Perhaps Looney Tunes discovered and liked the music, because 1873 was several generations before the 1950s mayhem of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
Example 14
Theme 2, Melody 2
Melody 2 complements Theme 2 Melody 1 by being smoother in nature, and may allow the performer to relax the tempo slightly, giving the audience time to ‘smell the roses’ and get over the phrenetic energy of Melody 1, before being interrupted with the high-energy Melody 1 yet again.
Example 15
In the Recapitulation, Melody 2 is played for the last time, in extended form shown below. It is unknown why Saint-Saens did this, but most likely that the audience who has heard this melody 3 times previously is getting tired of hearing exactly the same rhythm (if not the same notes) as found in Example 15 above.
Example 16
Theme 2, Melody 3
This first half of this melody is melancholy in nature, then instantly transforms to a syncopated melody with drive, enhanced by the piano (or orchestral) accompaniment with its own off-beat chords. This all leads to Melody 4 which is a virtuosic passage based on the notes of D major scale (although starting on the note ‘G’).
Example 17
Example 17
Theme 2, Melody 4
This melody sounds twice in the Exposition (Example 18) and twice in modified form, in the Recapitulation. For the Exposition, this melody must be played evenly and in time with the accompaniment.
Example 18
In the Recapitulation, there is no accompaniment and most YouTube performers speed this section, in order to show off their virtuosity (Example 19). The author sees nothing wrong with this, in spite of Saint-Saens not marking anything of this nature. However, this is a short passage, and it does come to a stop on the top note (‘E’), and musically it is not good to suddenly arrive at this top note as it sounds a bit like running headlong into a wall – the results are not pretty. The performer needs to slow down before the top ‘E’, and where to do this is the question. The author tends to only slow down in the last 4 notes before the ‘E’, although YouTube examples sometimes extend this by another 4-8 notes.
Example 19
Overall, how the phrase is started often depends on how it finishes, and there are examples which gradually speed up then slow down (similar to Example 13 with Theme 1 Melody 4), and also other ways which start with an explosion of speed after the first note (i.e. chord) and then ease-off throughout or only near the end. Any of these interpretations are valid as they all work. Perhaps the best way of playing this passage, is to take into account how much energy has been built up over the preceding melodies, and make a decision about Theme 2 Melody 4 from this perspective. Whatever happens, at least the response with this melody is consistent with what has been previously played.
Theme 2, Melody 5
This is a melancholy, reflective tune, to which Saint-Saens starts slower (piu lento – more ‘leaning’) and then adds speed and intensity (cresc. e stringendo – gradually getting louder and faster). There are many YouTube examples of this phrase, but there are also some versions which stop the notes from flowing, and the author is against this, as the composer would have added text or symbols to indicate a break in the flow of the notes if he wanted this to happen. Consequently, it is the authors opinion that the notes in this passage need to keep moving along.
Example 20
This melody appears again before the coda (Example 21), this time in extended form with 21 bars/measures vs. 12. There are different tempo markings as well the second time around, with Saint-Saens writing poco meno mosso (little less motion) instead of piu lento. The author thinks that this second version needs to start slower than the first. The word dolce (sweetly) also makes an appearance, and when played softly (p)
Example 21
There is much scope for adding rubato to all of this, in order to bring out what could be termed ‘Romanticism’ and many YouTube videos do, however, not as much as the author would like. Example 22 is how the author interprets the final melody. The sound example runs for 21 bars/measures - only 16 bars are shown.
Example 22
Example 22
Example 22 is only one solution to playing this phrase, and as with all the other examples, they can all be interpreted differently to what has been described here.  As always, the performer should evaluate what they want from this music. The performer needs to think about all of these melodies; how they interact with each other, how one affects the next, how interpretation needs to be consistent, and especially how to keep this shorter concert work bubbling along (even in the melancholy sections), because that will keep the interest of the audience, and turn a good performance into a great one.
References
Lloyd-Webber, J., Menuhin, Y., Tortelier, Y. (2000). Elgar, Saint-Saens: Cello Concertos. Decca Music. Track 6, Cello Concerto Op.33. Track 7, Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43.
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Locke, A. (1920). The Background of the Romantic Movement in French Music. The Musical Quarterly, 6(2), 257-271. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/737870
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Palmer, John. Saint-Saens, Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43. Programme notes. https://www.allmusic.com/composition/allegro-appassionato-for-cello-piano-or-orchestra-in-b-minor-op-43-mc0002355299
Saint-Saens, C. (ca.1873). Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43. Bru Zane Mediabase, Digital Resources for French Romantic Music. Palazzetto Bru Zane, Centre de Musique Romantique Francaise.
Saint-Saens, C. (ca.1873). Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43. BBC TV and Film Recording, 1962. Jacqueline du Pre, Cello. Iris du Pre, Piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdLn8zNB53g
Saint-Saens, C. (ca.1873). Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43. Edited by Joseph Malkin, 1917. Carl Fischer Music, New York.
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Saint-Saens, C. (ca.1873). Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43. Edited by Lenard Rose, 1960. International Music Company, IM.1648, New York.
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Saint-Saens, C. (ca.1873). Allegro Appassionato in B minor for Cello and Piano, Op.43. Schirmer Edition Vol. 1820, 1964, New York. Distributed by Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 0-7935-5223-0