Release Date: 01 February 2005
Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 747313270828
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: THE ART OF THE CELLO
Description
Chamber Works for CelloHummel Haydn ChopinA Short History of the CelloThe violoncello, meaning, in Italian, a small violone, isgenerally known by the shorter name of 'cello', and is astring instrument an octave lower than the viola, its fourstrings tuned C-G-d-a. Its structure and form correspondto those of the violin, but the neck is relatively shorterand the sides deeper. The bow is somewhat shorter, butstronger than that used for the violin.As the violin may correspond to the discant, and theviola to the tenor, so the cello was originally identicalwith the bass of the old viola da braccio family. It had alonger struggle than its two sisters to free itself from thegamba family. In 1740 there appeared in Amsterdam atreatise by Hubert Leblanc, a lawyer and music-loverfrom France, that throws a characteristic light on theimportance of the violoncello in that time. The work is avigorous defence of the viola da gamba against thevioloncello that was slowly encroaching on the former'sterritory. This was in fact a completely unintelligiblepolemic, since at the time there was little literature onthe younger instrument that was worth talking about.This was first changed by the Duport brothers, whoranked as the most important champions of the newschool of cello-playing both in duo sonatas, such asthose of Beethoven, and in chamber music, as, forexample, the classical string quartet and quintet.It was about 1710 that the violoncello acquired itsclassical dimensions through the Italian violin-makerAntonio Stradivari (1644 or 1648/9-1737), with a bodylength of 75-76 and a depth of 11.5 centimetres. Afterthat there were many other cellos built, as well asgambas, and until about 1800 instruments of a mixedform from both types, among other things with thechange of a straight neck into a neck at an angle. Theuse of the spike first became customary in about 1860.The greatest masters of violin-making, such asAmati, Guarneri and Stradivari, also started to makecellos. Montagnana, Grancino, Testore and Tecchlerspecialised almost exclusively in the instrument.My instrument, on which I play in the presentrecording, was made by David Tecchler (1666-after1743) in Rome in 1727. A master-craftsman fromSalzburg, he first went to Venice, where he experiencedsome hostility, moving in 1705 to Rome where hereached the height of his profession, considered themost important maker there. His splendidly madeinstruments are marked by their great fullness of tone.He generally preferred very large models, using specialwood and a yellow-red varnish. A characteristic is thelengthening of the corners and the particularly wide Fholes.While the gamba remained the instrument ofsoloists, the cello, then generally with five or six strings,was reduced to strengthening the continuo in theorchestra and in chamber music.From the end of the seventeenth century Italy tookthe lead in compositions for the cello. In 1689Domenico Gabrielli wrote a Ricercar for the cello andlaid the foundation for th
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Yaqi Yang; Margarita Parsamyan; Robynne Redmon; Minghao Liu; Frank Ragsdale; Kim Josephson; Kevin S
Vilmos Csikos; Olivier Lechardeur; Manon Lamaison
Tomas Cotik; Martingale Ensemble; Ken Selden
