Teaching Cello - Duets for Late-Intermediate Cello Students

Fun Duets that Use Intermediate Positions!

These duets use 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions and are great for lessons, gigs, and having fun with the cello! Can also be played with the violin or viola books if siblings or friends want to play these too. 

Sample pages

Sassmannshaus Method Book has Duets!

This is an incredible book! While it is a method book, it contains enough duets to be used as a duet book.

​It starts out with early-intermediate duets in the lower positions, and then adds tenor clef and presents increasingly difficult duets. A wonderful supplement to late-intermediate sonatas, a tenor clef method, and Serial Shifting.
Fruher Anfang auf dem Cello, Band 4 Fruher Anfang auf dem Cello, Band 4 (Duospiel in allen Lagen). By Egon Sassmannshaus / Kurt Sassmannshaus / Michael Corssen. For 2 cellos. Barenreiter's Sassmannshaus. Seit 2008 komplett neu gestaltete Ausgabe - ersetzt BA 6648. Violoncello-Schule (Cello Methods). Performance score, Teaching material. 72 pages. Published by Baerenreiter Verlag (BA.BA9694)

...more info

Charming Boccherini

Fun (if short) duet that I keep on hand to lend to students. 
Cover tiny file look inside Sonata in C major Composed by Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805). Edited by Bazelaire. Published by International Music Company (IM.1448).

Beautiful Barriere

The Boccherini Sonata is not technically difficult, but the rhythms can be demanding. The Barriere Sonata is delightful and well-liked by my students.
Cover tiny file look inside Sonata in G major Composed by Jean Barriere (1705-1747). Edited by Nathan Stutch. Published by International Music Company (IM.2209).

Haydn Minuets

Pretty minuets! These duets are precise and musical.
Cover tiny file look inside Six Minuets for Two Cellos Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Edited by Frances J. Steiner. Arranged by Steiner. Boosey & Hawkes Chamber Music. Collection, Classical. 16 pages. Boosey & Hawkes #M051370085. Published by Boosey & Hawkes (HL.48003045).

Telemann's Rhythmic Conundrums

These amazing canons are a testament to the genius of Telemann. Largely self-taught, he wrote an incredible amount of music, including these six sonatas. The first four are late-intermediate, while the last two contain a bit of thumb position and would qualify for early-advanced.

Not for the rhythmically faint-of-heart!
Cover tiny file look inside Six Canonic Sonatas Composed by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767). Edited by Janos Starker. Published by International Music Company (IM.3180).

More Kummer!

Even more of the wonderful Kummer Duets! There is a small amount (two measures) of thumb position in one of the later duets in this book, but the rest of the music is not difficult enough for advanced students.
Six Duets, Op. 156: Volume II look inside Six Duets, Op. 156: Volume II By Friedrich August Kummer (1797-1879). Edited by Schulz. For 2 cellos. Published by International Music Company (IM.2858)

...more info

Duets by Schetky

The first several duets in this set by Schetky are early-intermediate, while the last few incorporate tenor clef and more shifting.
6 Easy Duets, Op. 7 6 Easy Duets, Op. 7 (2 Violoncellos). By Johann Georg Christoph Schetky. Edited by Rainer Mohrs. Cello-Bibliothek (Cello Library). 24 pages. Schott Music #CB163. Published by Schott Music (HL.49026152)

Smp_stars50 (1) ...more info

Ruyssen Gives us Boismortier

This Boismortier Sonate could be early-intermediate except for the several lines of tenor clef in the first movement. I do love Edition Delrieu for all of the wonderful teaching material (including this Sonate) that Pierre Ruyssen put together.
Sonate, No. 2 en re min. Sonate, No. 2 en re min. By Joseph-Bodin De boismortier (1689-1755). For 2 cellos. Classical. Score. 7 pages. Published by Edition Delrieu (LM.GD766)

...more info

Substantial Haydn Duets

Somewhat complicated duets by Haydn that are nonetheless quite pretty. The book works well with older students.
4 Duets for 2 Cellos 4 Duets for 2 Cellos By Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Cello-Bibliothek (Cello Library). Playing score. 31 pages. Schott Music #CB139. Published by Schott Music (HL.49001507)

...more info

Hook Gets Harder

These are more difficult than the easier duets by Hook but are pleasant to play.
James Hook - Six Sonatas for Violoncello and Piano look inside James Hook - Six Sonatas for Violoncello and Piano (for Violoncello and Piano or Two Violoncellos). By James Hook (1746-1827). EMB. 59 pages. Editio Musica Budapest #Z14405. Published by Editio Musica Budapest (HL.50485573)

...more info

Two Cellos and Piano

Vivaldi Double Cello Concerto

The Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor is a truly wonderful piece to use with students. Perfect for middle school students and older, this piece can also be played with a teacher playing the second cello part (without the piano accompaniment) during the lesson.
Cover tiny file look inside Concerto in G minor, RV 531 - for Two Cellos and Piano Composed by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741). Edited by Janos Starker. Baroque. 21 pages. Published by International Music Company (IM.1782).

Next: Repertoire for Late-Intermediate Cello Students