Dotzauer, J. J. F. — Six Pieces for Three Cellos, Op. 104

String Trios are among the most delicate chamber music formations because of their transparency and vulnerability. Now, substitute the violin and viola with two more cellos and you have, on one side, a warmer and deeper sonority, but on the other side, a potential recipe for disaster due to how most frequencies will overlap. That could list among the reasons for cello ensembles being so late to appear on concert stages and as a compositional target. 

While Dotzauer had already written almost one hundred pieces for two cellos by 1828, he had never dared to venture forth. The Six Pieces for three cellos, Op. 104, published by C. F. Peters in Leipzig in 1828, are both his first and only collection for more than two cellos. They are among his few pieces to already have a top-level recording (by Anner Bylsma), but until now, a critical edition which compared the two main sources (Peters 1828 and Richault 1835) had not been realised. 

Following the highly successful Dotzauer Abend (13 June 2026) where the three principal cellists of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (Norbert Anger, Sebastian Fritsch, and Friedrich Thiele) gave birth to an unforgettable evening, this edition aims to bring the editorial offering of these pieces to the next level. 

Besides pristine engraving quality, this edition contains a detailed analysis of each piece, alongside a reflection on why cello ensembles may have struggled so much to emerge at the time. Following the full score, Critical and Performance Notes allow comparison of the two main sources and explain the process behind the creation of this edition. 

Finally, the separate cello parts come each in two copies: one with only the original markings by Dotzauer and one with the performance suggestions by the three cellists who gave the première.