Abstract
The purpose of this essay is to examine Leon Kirchner’s "For Cello Solo" for the preparation of a performance. The score, manuscripts, and recordings were analyzed to better inform the author’s interpretation of the work. Backgrounds for both the piece and the composer are included to illuminate the origins of the work. Additional information was accumulated through interviews with Carter Brey and Maria Kitsopoulos, performers of the work who collaborated with the composer. This essay aims to aid a performer’s preparation and interpretation of the composition by describing the piece’s historical and biographical context, analyzing its compositional design, and addressing specific sound and musicality issues related to the work.