Caccini Ave Maria Cello and String Orchestra

Vavilov: Ave Maria (attr. Caccini) (Arr. Solo Cello and String Orchestra)

The Ave Maria widely known as "Caccini's" was actually written in the 20th century by Vladimir Vavilov, who published it under the Renaissance composer's name. The attribution has long since been untangled, but the piece's popularity hasn't diminished: its long, serene melody and quiet harmonic movement have made it a fixture of concerts, services, and special occasions worldwide. This arrangement sets it for solo cello and string orchestra, where the cello's natural warmth and depth of tone suit the music well.

The solo part sits at around Grade 6–7. Most of the technical interest lies in the upper register: the melody climbs high on the A string and stays there, demanding a consistently beautiful, resonant tone well up the fingerboard. Position changes run throughout, and much of the skill is in hiding those shifts within slurs so the melodic line flows without interruption. Cellists will also need to be comfortable reading tenor clef. The string orchestra provides a warm, sustained accompaniment that supports the solo line without drawing attention away from it.

At around four minutes, it fits neatly as a moment of contrast or reflection within a concert programme, and works equally well as a standalone piece in a service or ceremony.

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Solo Cello + String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
• Composer: Vladimir Vavilov (commonly attributed to Giulio Caccini)
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 6–7 (solo cello)
• Duration: approximately 4 minutes
• Style focus: upper register tone production on the A string, position changing within slurs, tenor clef
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

This works well as a solo feature in school and youth orchestra concerts where a reflective, atmospheric piece is wanted. It's also a practical choice for church services, weddings, and special occasions where the cello can carry a well-known melody with a full string backing. Teachers will find it a useful study in upper register tone production and smooth position changing for cellists at Grade 6–7.