Preface Note on the Edition

David Popper (1843–1913) achieved international The aim of paladino music is to produce practical renown as a solo cellist, a status which brought his own modern editions that also provide historical insight. compositions to a wide and appreciative audience. He The part is based on Popper’s own, as printed in the became a student of Julius Goltermann (1825–1876) in frst edition by Peters, Leipzig. at the age of 12, auditioning on the violin but In the interests of clarity, superfuous fngerings and switching instruments due to a shortage of cello students bowings have been removed. Popper’s use of letters at the conservatory. His studies were succeeded by a (e.g. ‘sul A’) to designate strings have been replaced number of prestigious orchestral posts, and in 1868 he was with the modern convention of Roman numerals. appointed principal cellist at the Hofoper and in the Inaccuracies in pitch and rhythm have been tacitly Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, remaining to this day the youngest player ever to have held that post. He eventually amended on the basis of analogous passages. Modern notational conventions have been employed, resulting in resigned from his orchestral position in 1873 in order to pursue an accelerating solo career throughout Europe. the omission of unnecessary accidentals and redundant Popper was held in high esteem by his fellow musicians and slurs. Some dynamics and articulation markings have maintained close personal and artistic associations with been rendered consistent with parallel readings or with composers such as Bruckner, Brahms and Liszt, as well as the other instrument. Consecutive dynamic markings, with the leading performers of the day. often the result of printing limitations, have been combined where appropriate. The notation of natural Most of his compositions were for his own instrument and harmonics follows modern conventions in the cello part, testify to an intimate knowledge of how to marry virtuoso while the audible pitch is given in the score. technique with the rich sonorities and expressive capacities of the cello. Popper’s compositional output became highly regarded, and many of his works would come to have pride Auckland, January 2017 of place among the concert repertoire of all cellists during his lifetime. They continue to do so to the present day.

Popper took his niece Caroline Brandeis under his wings when she showed potential as a concert pianist. He put on a concert in Budapest on 21 November 1897 to present her to the public and at that occasion premiered the Suite Op. 69 with her. The piece is dedicated to Ferdinand von Liliencron (born in 1852), son of Rochus von Liliencron. Other than about his famous father, not much is known about him, other than that he published a song cycle as his Opus 1 and, in 1887 with Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, a selection of four random movements from the Bach Solo Suites with his own piano accompaniment. Popper’s Suite in A Major, Op. 69, however, is not only the longest of his suites for cello and piano, but also the musically deepest of them all, maybe refecting his longstanding musical and personal friendship with .