Goltermann Cello Concerto No 1 Op. 14 for Cello and String Orchestra

Goltermann: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 14 (Arr. Solo Cello and String Orchestra)

Goltermann's Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 14 occupies a specific and valuable position in the cello repertoire: it's the concerto that takes a player from the student concertino world toward the technical and musical demands of Dvořák or Saint-Saëns. It's sometimes labelled a student concerto, but that undersells it. At Grade 8/Diploma level across three movements, it demands real physical stamina and a broad range of fully formed technique. This arrangement sets it for solo cello and string orchestra, making the piece accessible without a full symphony orchestra.

The solo part asks for advanced technique across all areas. The first and third movements require secure thumb position throughout: the melodic lines and fast runs sit in the high register for extended passages, and intonation has to be reliable without the cover of a dense orchestral texture. Double stops — octaves, sixths, and thirds — appear frequently and demand precision, since the string orchestra accompaniment is transparent enough to expose any inaccuracy. Rapid position shifts are another primary challenge: several leaps take the player directly from the lower strings into high thumb position, and those shifts need to arrive cleanly without any unwanted slide. In the right hand, the slow Andante second movement requires careful bow distribution to sustain a rich, unbroken tone through the long cantabile lines. The Rondo finale asks for crisp spiccato in the fast semiquaver passages, and arpeggiated sections demand fluid string crossings across three and four strings.

At sixteen minutes across three movements, this is a full-scale concerto and a genuine test of stamina as well as technique.

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)
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 8 / Diploma (solo cello)
• Duration: approximately 16 minutes
• Style focus: thumb position, double stops, rapid position shifts, sustained cantabile, spiccato, string crossings
• Format: PDF download, full score and all parts

This suits conservatoire students and advanced players looking for a substantial bridge concerto between Grade 8 and the major Romantic repertoire. It works well in youth orchestra and chamber orchestra concerts where a full-length cello concerto is wanted without the wind and brass forces a Dvořák or Saint-Saëns performance would require. For teachers, it's a reliable vehicle for consolidating the complete technical vocabulary a student needs before tackling the big concertos.