The Dvorák Cello Conversion Kit is now available for download!

It was common practice for 19th century composers to use the treble clef for cello passages in the high register, intending them to be played an octave lower.  While these passages have been transcribed to tenor clef in Beethoven, for example, this false treble notation (dubbed "trouble clef" by a friend who is an amateur cellist) persists in much of Dvorák's chamber music.  We realize that there is some reasonable doubt about the meaning of the notation in Dvorak, but the common performance practice is to play these sections down an octave.  This kit allows you to replace the false treble clef with tenor clef,
or true treble clef where necessary.  It fixes the following:

• op. 21 piano trio (International)
• op. 23 piano quartet (International)
• op. 26 piano trio (International)
• op. 34 string quartet (Robert Lienau)
• op. 48 string sextet, cello I (International)
• op. 51 string quartet (International)
• op. 65 piano trio (International)
• op. 80 string quartet (International)
• op. 81 piano quintet (International)
• op. 96 string quartet (International)
• op. 97 viola quintet (International)

• op. 9 string quartet (Kalmus)
• op. 61 string quartet (International)
• op. 77 bass quintet (International)
• op. 87 piano quartet (International)
• op. 90 Dumky piano trio (International)
• op. 105 string quartet (International)
• op. 106 string quartet (International)

We have purposely introduced one change to op. 96.  According to the definitive Eulenburg edition of the score, the 5th note of the 17th bar of the 2nd movement has always been incorrectly printed as an E.  We have corrected it to D.  In addition, a few errors in op. 23 that are not covered by replacements are pointed out so you can correct them in your part.

In case you wish to make further copies, which you are welcome to do, please note that the originals are on "cream" colored opaque paper, except for op. 21 which is white.

Eve and Don Cohen.

Please feel free to send any comments, corrections, etc. to:

Eve or Don Cohen
2815 Haddington Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90064

The kit is presented here in seven volumes.  You can download each volume either as a Microsoft^® Word^® document or as an Adobe^® PDF file.  With a typical modem, you should be able to download each file in two to five minutes.  You may need to install Adobe Acrobat^® Reader^TM to view PDF files (this will take longer to download).