Yehudi Wyner: De Novo - Digital (Not Printable)

PDFs for cello with flute, bass clarinet, 2 violas, double bass

Duration: 9 minutes

Composer note
De Novo for cello and small ensemble was written early in 1970 in response to a request from my colleague at Yale, the wonderful cellist and teacher, Aldo Parisot. He was preparing to give a recital at Tully Hall and sought to present something new. There was always a sympathetic bond between us. I admired his playing, its refinement, its feral animation, from the very first time I heard him play in 1946, my freshman year at Yale. This impression never waned in all our continuing collaborations as players and teachers. And so, when he honored me with a request for a piece to be performed at a particularly auspicious occasion, I eagerly seized the opportunity.

The composition is a rather curious one: it’s a kind of poetic meditation, dark, elusive and shadowy. A short, aggressive middle section provides contrast and context for the contemplative endgame and its dissolution. Lurking beneath the surface of the piece is Valse Triste by Sibelius, a melancholy waltz of infinite nostalgia that I’ve always loved.

At the premiere, Parisot finished playing the piece and, pleased with the audience response, announced that he would play it again, noting that De Novo means “of the new,” but also "again." De Novo was published in 1971.

— Yehudi Wyner