History of the Cello Essay - 942 Words

Cello The Cello, a very unique mid size instrument of the 16th century, was very interesting. Originally called the violoncello, the cello received its name from violone meaning a larger and cello in Italian means shoulder. The meaning suggests a big violin that can be played between ones legs and held in place by a strap. The cello was also influenced by a number of people that made this instrument a success. There is a little history about this instrument that I think you will enjoy. The first known account of this instrument was in Agricola’s, Wittenberg 1528, were it was part of a bass consort. The first known maker of a cello was Andrea Amati and his descendants in Cremona and Gasparo da Salo in Brescia during the 1500’s. The†¦show more content†¦The dimensions of the cello are measured at around 75-6cm long and 44.5cm wide. The dimensions of the cello can be accredited to Antonio Stradivari back in 1707 with his smaller model they called â€Å"forma B†. The larger models of Stradivari times were the â€Å"Servais† cello of 1701 which is 79cm long and 47cm wide. The makers of cellos quickly realized that there was a need for more than one kind of cello. They needed the larger ones with thick strings for orchestra playing and also the smaller ones with thin strings for solo pieces. The measurements of the neck and fingerboard of cello that has been documented , is those of James Talbot in 1695 with the size of 10 inches lon g on the neck and 13 inches from the nut to the end of the fingerboard. The fingerboard would gain length as the range of the hand positions increased by the players. The instrument is played with a bow. Although Monteverdi was one of the first to use the violoncello in his piece â€Å"Orfeo† in 1607, many cellists used the instrument. In the 17th century around Bologna, Petronio Franceschini, Domenico Garielli, and Maria Jacchini were all well known solo performers. There are sonatas written by famous composers such as Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Brahms. There has been a number of cello concertos written were the solo is accompanied by an orchestra. To name a few of those memorably pieces are: 25 by Vivaldi, 12 by Boccherini, A few pieces by Hayden,Show MoreRelatedThe Piano : A Instrument Of The Instrument1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe cello is truly a spectacular instrument to have survived for hundreds of years and to be steadily gaining popularity in the 21st cent ury. The cello is an exceptionally remarkable and charming instrument, and it possesses a long history, as do its players and composers. The cello is a crucial component of orchestras, string ensembles, and various other performing groups, while still maintaining its position as a powerful solo instrument. Its grand, majestic, commanding tones make the cello oneRead MoreThe Physics and Science of the Violoncello Essay1382 Words   |  6 Pages The violoncello, or more commonly known as the cello, is often referred to as the tenor of the string family. The name ‘violoncello’ literally means â€Å"little violone†- where ‘one’ means big and ‘cello’ means little. The violone was the lowest-pitched instrument of the Viol family. By the end of the 19th century, the term â€Å"violincello† has been more or less replaced with â€Å"cello†. The cello has four strings, tuned in relations of perfect 5ths. This fact is derived from the phenomenon of the overtoneRead MoreThe History of Chamber Music895 Words   |  4 PagesThe History of Chamber Music What is chamber music? It is ensemble instrumental music for up to about ten performers with typically one performer to a part. Since circa 1450, there has been instrumental music designed for private playing. These pieces used many instruments and (in Germany) it was common that the folk songs would contain 2-3 countermelodies to expand and elaborate the whole, and to arrange the outcome for groups of instruments. Although theRead MoreReflection and Analysis of Chaconne from Partita in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach, Performed by The Eroica Trio1466 Words   |  6 Pagesmusic, it is important to overview Bach’s life and the affect he had on the musical realm. Music was the obvious career for Johann Sebastian Bach as he was born to a family of musicians, extending back several generations. According to the book, A History of Baroque Music, by George Beulow, â€Å"No other composer had as unique a family lineage, which extended from the sixteenth into the early nineteenth century, with more than fifty Bachs who were actively engaged in the music profession† (Beulow, 503)Read MoreBedÃ…â„¢ich Smetana’s Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 151332 Words   |  6 Pagesmovement that gives eventual closure to Smetana’s loss. The style of the trio involves stylistic elements of both Schumann and Liszt, as is characteristic of several of Smetana’s musical pieces (Clapham 65) and is composed of three voices: the violin, cello, and piano. In the first movement, there is a great similarity to Clara Schumann’s Trio in G Minor. This brings to mind the idea that Smetana may have used the theme similarity to show what kind of musician his daughter might have been had she survivedRead MoreAnalysis of Mozarts K. 515 Mvt. 11279 Words   |  6 Pagesrelation between the key of the g minor and the passing (Christiansen). This dual viola is different for the time, even given that Mozart preferred viola, was seen as odd. The number of his six viola quintets is seen as rare in comparison to the 66 cello quintets written by Boccherini. Even though these quintets maybe rare in amount, many consider them the finest of the string quintet repertoire (Christiansen). The finer of our finest quintets begins in C major. The longest part of the first movementRead MoreDidos Lament781 Words   |  4 Pagesaria (Didos Lament) is a ground bass aria with a distinguishing repeated bassline which is all throughout the work. The ground bass line is designed to represent the Didos death which is shown by a slow chromatic descent. The instrumental parts are a cello/bass, dido (soprano/mezzo), viola, violin 1 and violin 2. Handel- Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted: Is an aria for tenor, strings and basso continuo andante from an Oratorio, that opens and closes with a string ritornello. This large scale piece of workRead MoreThe Performance Practice Techniques That Dominated Musical Performance1808 Words   |  8 PagesBach’s unaccompanied Cello Suites, composed in the early eighteenth century, are amongst the most commonly performed and acclaimed solo string compositions, having been adapted for many instruments throughout history. This investigation will explore a number of key performance practice issues related to the â€Å"Gigue† from J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 2 and discuss the most effective methods to create a historically informed performance of the piece. The performance of the Cello Suites on marimba willRead MoreEssay on Pablo Casals: Internationally Renowned Cellist568 Words   |  3 Pagesgreatest cellists in history. Casals is easily recognized as one of the master soloists of classical music and he has many accomplishments in his many years as a public figure that have made him internationally renowned. Casals was born in Vendrell, Spain on December 29, 1876. He received his very first music lessons from his father (a music teacher), on the violin. A four years after that, at the age of twelve, Casals realized he would much rather play the cello instead, and beginRead MoreHistory of the Violas Role in Part-Writing for Chamber Music975 Words   |  4 PagesCarolyn Hunter Music 700 November 1, 2009 Mini-Research Paper #2 History of the Viola’s Role in Part-Writing for Chamber Music There is considerable debate amongst scholars as to whether the birth of the viola preceded or succeeded that of the violin. However, iconographic and documentary evidence indicate that the violin, viola, and cello most likely evolved together as a family of instruments very early in the sixteenth century and almost certainly in northern Italy. Part-writing