My daughter is working on Debussy Cello Sonata and will not see her teacher for a while. I had a question about some harmonics in the second movement as my knowledge of notation of harmonics is poor.

There is a "normally" written note on E (middle of stave bass clef) with a diamond harmonic symbol above it on A on the top line. Could somebody help with what the player should play here?

Also the E is a dotted minim followed by 4 semi-quavers marked pizz. The harmonic symbol is hollow (not meaning much) but has no stem so I read it as a semibreve. Does this mean the semis are played together with a harmonic over them (perhaps left hand pizz?) Added complication is the first semi-quaver is also an E and is tied to the dotted minim despite being after the pizz instruction.

Any input would be appreciated. Hope my description makes sense.

I'm probably just missing this, but where in the Serenade et Finale? What bar number?

I should think it means thumb on E, harmonic on A - a stopped harmonic that would come out at E. But if you give me the bar number I can check, and answer your other question too - not sure I understand from your question.

bars 8 & 9 - first arco in the movement after all the pizz

I am working from the Durand edition, copyright 1915.

There is more than one notation for harmonics, but this is the clearest, IMO. The normal note indicates a stopped position (I would use first finger, but that's because my thumb is untrained and I have a largish stretch between fingers), the diamond the damped position. The normal note indicates the length of the harmonic, the open diamond being only a position indicator, so that is a dotted minim tied to a semiquaver, all of it being harmonic E, two octaves higher. IMO, if Debussy had meant the E semiquaver to be pizz., he would not have tied it to the dotted minim, and he would have put a staccato dot on it. I like the idea of a left hand (first or middle finger) pizzicato for the open D, but since the other two notes must be stopped, the pizz. would have to be done by a weak finger, so I suggest right hand for those two. Ideally one would play both long notes on up-bows,* so as to have the r. hand near the strings for the pizz., but with two bars in succession, that may not be possible.

* I find it easier to find the right pressure to start a harmonic at the point than at the heel.

Thanks Cellocase and Kenm, very helpful. We have the Durand edition too.

I only suggested left hand pizz as I thought the harmonic might be supposed to be held for the semibreve requiring bowing - but I guess damping a harmonic, stopping down the pizz. notes and actually doing the pizz all with the left hand would be verging on the impossible.