Cello ,Atmosphere of the Orchestra
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Description
CellistThe name cello is an abbreviation of the Italian violoncello, which means "little violone". The violone is an obsolete instrument, a large viol, similar to a modern double bass.
The cello is most closely associated with European classical music. It is part of the standard orchestra and is the bass voice of the string quartet, as well as being part of many other chamber groups. A large number of concertos and sonatas have been written for it. It is less common in popular music, but is sometimes featured in pop and rock recordings.
Among the most famous Baroque works for the cello are J. S. Bach's Unaccompanied Suites for Cello, commonly known as the Bach Cello Suites). An example of a Classical era piece is Haydn's Cello Concerto #1 in C major. Standard Romantic era repertoire includes Dvoøák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, and two sonatas by Brahms. Modern compositions from the early 20th century include unaccompanied cello sonatas by Paul Hindemith (opus 25) and Zoltán Kodály (opus
. Recordings within the Avant Garde (cutting edge) genre have revitalized the instrument's perceived versatility. One example is Night of the Four Moons by George Crumb.
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Construction
The construction of a celloThe cello is larger than the violin or the viola but smaller than the double bass. Like the other members of the violin family, the cello has four strings. Its strings are normally tuned to the pitches (from high to low) A, D, G, and C (A3, D3, G2, and C2 in scientific pitch notation). This is like the viola but one octave lower, and is one octave plus one fifth lower than the violin (see #Tuning and range). It is played in an upright position between the legs of a seated musician, resting on a metal spike called the endpin. The player draws the bow horizontally across the strings. The cello is a complex instrument consisting of many different parts. Although the majority of it is composed of wood, some parts can be made of steel or other metals and/or composite material. Today, the strings are most often metal but can be made of gut or nylon.
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Body
The main frame of the cello is typically made from wood, although some modern cellos are constructed from carbon fibre. A traditional cello normally has a spruce top, with maple for the back, sides, and neck. Other woods, such as poplar or willow, are sometimes used for the back and sides. Less expensive cellos frequently have a top and back made of a laminate.
The top and back are traditionally hand-carved, though less expensive cellos are often machine-produced. The sides, or ribs, are made by heating the wood and bending it around forms. The cello body has a wide top bout, narrow middle formed by two C-bouts, and wide bottom bout, with the bridge and f-holes just below the middle. -
Solo
There are numerous cello concertos, notably by Vivaldi, Haydn, Schumann, Saint-Saëns, Dvoøák, Elgar, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Britten and Dutilleux, where the cello is accompanied by an orchestra. There are also many sonatas for cello and piano. Those written by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Britten are considered among the finest. Finally, there are also several unaccompanied pieces for cello, most notably J.S. Bach's Unaccompanied Suites for Cello, Zoltán Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello and Britten's Unaccompanied Suites for Cello.
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Quartet/Ensembles
The cello is a member of the traditional string quartet. In addition, cellos are also usually part of string quintets, sextet or trios. There have been several pieces written for a cello ensemble of up to twenty or more cellists. This type of ensemble is often called a 'cello choir'. The Twelve Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (or "the Twelve" as they are called) are a prime example of a cello choir. They play and record pieces written especially for twelve cellos including adaptations of well-known Beatles songs.
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Pop Music
Though the cello is less common in popular music than in "classical" music, it is sometimes featured in pop and rock recordings. The cello is rarely part of a group's standard lineup (though like its cousin the violin, it is becoming more common in mainstream pop).
The Beatles pioneered the use of a cello in popular music, in songs such as "Eleanor Rigby" and "Strawberry Fields Forever". In the 1970s, the Electric Light Orchestra enjoyed great commercial success taking inspiration from so-called "Beatlesque" arrangements, adding the cello (and violin) to the standard rock combo line-up.
Established non-traditional cello groups include: Apocalyptica, a group of Finnish cellists best known for their versions of heavy metal songs, and Rasputina, a group of two female cellists committed to an intricate cello style intermingled with Gothic music, and Break of Reality. These groups are examples of a style that has become known as cello rock. The crossover strings quartet bond also includes a cellist.
The well known Seattle grunge band Nirvana was known to have used cellos. The Nebraskan band Cursive also used a cello to make their guitar/cello harmonies in their album, "The Ugly Organ". So-called "chamber pop" artists like Kronos Quartet and Margot and the Nuclear So and So's have also recently made cello common in modern alternative rock. -
The Famous World-Acclaimed Cellist
Yo yo Ma
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Mischa Maisky was born in Riga, Latvia on January 10, 1948. After studying music for a short time in Riga, he entered the Leningrad (currently St.Petersburg) Conservatory. He won a prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966 and studied with Mstislav Rostropovich at the Moscow Conservatory. He then started his career as a cellist in the former Soviet Union.
In 1973, Maisky moved to Israel. In the same year, he won first place in the Gaspar Cassado International Cello Competition. He made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under conductor William Steinberg. After this concert, an anonymous fan gave him a Montagnana, a cello made in 1720, which he still uses in his concerts. In 1974, Maisky studied with the legendary cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, giving him the distinction of being the only cellist in the world to have studied with both cello masters, Rostropovich and Piatigorsky. Maisky currently lives in Belgium.
Mischa Maisky has established his reputation as a cellist by performing with first-rate orchestras and reputable chamber musicians in the United States and Europe for over thirty years. Since 1975, he has been actively giving concerts all over the United States, Europe, Australia and far eastern countries, especially Japan.
http://www.argerich-mf.jp/2005/2005en/artists/Maisky.html