Brief History of Cellos or Celli
February 26th, 2010 | Acoustic Musical Instruments, Cellos, Instrument History
The cello (short for "violoncello") is a bowed string instrument, similar to a larger violin that is held upright instead of on the chin. It originated from the three-stringed bass violin created by Jambe de Fer in 1556. The first composer to use the bass violin is thought to be Gabrieli in 1597. Monteverdi has referred to the instrument as "basso de viola da braccio" in 1607's Orfeo. Although the first bass violin, possibly invented by Amati as early as 1538, was most likely inspired by the viol, it was created to be used in consorts with the violin. The bass violin was generally called a "violone," or "large viola," at the time, along with the popular viols being used at the same time.
The cello was made possible by the advent of wire strings in Bologna in 1660. This permitted a finer bass sound than was attainable with regular gut strings on a short bodied instrument. The cello was developed by Bolognese makers to take advantage of this technology. The result was a smaller instrument that is well-suited for solo performance because of the timbre of the instrument and the fact that the smaller size made it easier to play. There are some disadvantages to the cello as well, unfortunately. The cello's light sound was not as suitable for church and ensemble playing and usually had to be doubled by basses or violones in order to stand out and be heard.
Italian players fell in love with the cello in the 1700s, playing it all throughout in northern Europe. The bass violin was still used in France for another 20 years, despite the cello's popularity. Some existing bass violins were simply chopped down to be converted into the newer cellos. Famous violin maker Stradivari also made quite a few bass violins and cellos during this time in history. Even in 1740, the violin was still the most commonly used stringed instrument in England. The cello did not take over mainstream popularity until about 1750, when sizes and tunings became standardized for easy manufacture and sale.
The modern cello differs from its ancient ancestors in a number of ways. The most noticeable difference is in the neck angle and style of the cello. Newer cello designs have an angle that matches the string set up and bass-bar. Baroque cellos were designed to be held by the musician's calves, where modern day cellos are built with an endpin to support the instrument on the floor. This makes them much easier and more comfortable to play, especially for people with shorter legs. The current cello design creates much more tension in the strings than the older Baroque design. This leads to a louder tone that projects much better and clearer. Modern day cellos also usually come with fine tuners on the tailpiece, which makes it far more convenient to tune and adjust the instrument. Newer cellos are generally made with a metal or synthetic core, making them more solid and adding resonance to the tone.
 |
|
US $65.97 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $6.49 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $17.29 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $99.99 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $12.49 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $55.00 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $49.95 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $19.95 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $12.95 |
Sale |
 |
|
US $18.53 |
Sale |
Photo Credit: 1
Originally posted 2008-10-29 05:07:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Brief History of Guitars One of the most widely recognized musical instruments is the acoustic guitar. It is an instrument that has roots deep in history, and is played many different ways. There are many varieties, in four, six, seven, eight, ten and twelve strings, although six is standard. Guitars are used in many...... -
Some Background on the Acoustic Bass Guitar The acoustic bass guitar is an instrument which provides the heavy tones and harmonies associated with good Jazz. Somewhat of a mixed past, the acoustic bass guitar was born in the 50's but was developed in the 60s by Ernie Ball. It came after it's cousin, the electric bass guitar,...... -
Which is Best: Stand Up Bass or Regular Bass? The first thing that you need to understand when it comes to comparing a stand up bass against a regular bass is that despite the similar naming structure, these are actually two very different instruments. The term "bass" is used to refer to an entire family of musical instruments that...... -
Fiddling Instruments: A Primer pt 5 ... Continued from pt. 4 The Pontic Lira The Pontic lira is a lira that is slim and bottle shaped and that has a finger board upon which three steel strings can be stopped. All three of the steel strings are tuned into fourths. This instrument features a nut like...... -
The History of the Harpsichord The history of the Harpsichord can be traced back to the 15th century, but the instrument actually got its start from the psaltery, which was a stringed instrument that the player held upright to pluck its strings (unlike the dulcimer which rested on the player's lap so the strings could......
Related Websites -
The Legacy of Jaco Pastorius - Joe Sinaguglia For over twenty years now, the planet has been without the presence of Jaco Pastorius, the revolutionary electric bass player of the 70s. He was a member of the group Weather Report and later led his own bands. Sadly, the lifestyle caught up to him in 1987. Despite his death,...... -
Learn to Play Bass Guitar For someone starting out with a first instrument, a bass guitar is an excellent choice. The bass guitar is probably the easiest stringed instrument to learn to play, far easier than either an acoustic or electric guitar, a banjo, a mandolin, or a violin, for instance. And a stringed instrument...... -
The Drum Kit The percussionist in any musical group will have to his aide a number of percussive elements. This set of drums will have a variety of instruments including drums, cymbals, and any other instruments that the musical group will need. Different genres will require differing pieces of equipment. So what goes...... -
The History Of The Beautiful Violin by Jim Samposzi The violin, an instrument of the stringed family of instruments, has a large contribution in the history of this world. Although the historians are not exactly sure of its origins, many believe it to have been introduced towards the late 700's in Asia. But, the exact origin...... -
The History of the Bass Guitar The electric bass guitar is a staple of the music scene today. It provides the bass spectrum of sound to the likes of rock, jazz, metal, blues and numerous other musical acts. The bass may provide one part of the larger melody, or be featured as the primary instrument. Over......
Online Stores
If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.
Categories:
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment