UC San Diego

Luigi Dallapiccola is a composer of the 20th century noted for a unique perspective of dodecaphonic technique. In this writing, I will investigate his early cello work “Ciaccona, Intermezzo, e Adagio” (1945) through structural and harmonic analysis. Each of the three movements features unique formal concepts and employments of a 12-tone row, somewhat dissimilar between movements and quite unique in comparison to other composers of 12-tone music. After a chronological scrutiny of major sections of each movement, interpretative and cellistic demands will be pondered in order to result in a theoretically engaged and informed successful performance.