The cellist Sebastian Lee from Hamburg was not just the celebrated solo cellist of the Paris Opera, but also wrote numerous compositions for his instrument. In addition to today forgotten salon pieces and divertissements on then popular opera melodies, he also wrote many pedagogical works, some of which accompany every cellist to the present day. These include the 40 melodic and progressive etudes published in Paris in 1843 as op. 31. They live up to their title in that they indeed systematically present various technical aspects of cello playing, while at the same time being wonderfully melodious pieces - this makes learning fun!

As with all the editions of etudes in the catalogue of G. Henle Publishers, this Urtext edition offers not only the composer’s original bowings and fingerings, but also alternatives, as well as further suggestions for study from today’s perspective - in this case from the well-known cellist and pedagogue Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.