The Andante serioso and Gavotte No. 3, Op. 27 (1880), are dedicated to Popper’s younger brother, Wilhelm Popper (1846–1924), also a cellist and composer. The Andante serioso, also known as Praeludium, is an unaccompanied introduction to the Gavotte. Apart from this work and his Opp. 73 and 76 etudes, Popper wrote nothing else for unaccompanied cello. The Gavotte evokes an English flavor reminiscent of Handel or Purcell, while the Musette section leans more toward French elegance.

(Excerpted from the preface of the Urtext edition published by Yuriy Leonovich)