Violoncello/Cello

The violoncello, or cello for short, is a string string instrument from the group of stringed instruments made from various woods of the viola da braccio family. This instrument was created after 1535 in northern Italy.

The cello is a string instrument and is bowed or, more rarely, plucked with the fingers. The cellist holds the instrument upright (with the neck pointing upwards) between the legs, in contrast to the violin and viola . Today it usually stands on the floor with an extendable spike.

History

The violoncello is the bass in the viola da braccio family, a type of string instrument that developed in the 15. and 16th century developed parallel to the viola da gamba. Today’s violins and violas, all with three or four strings tuned in fifths, also belong to this family.

From the middle of the 16th century, four strings were common. Typical tunings for the bass instrument were F-c-g, B1-F-c-g and C-G-d-a. The B1 tuning was used in France and England until around 1715-1720, while the C-G-d-g tuning was common in Bologna until 1700. From around 1730, the tuning of fifths on the note C dominated throughout Europe.

The early bass violins were occasionally carried in processions, with holes in the bottom of the instruments through which a string was probably pulled. This allowed the musicians to play these violins while standing or walking.

Famous violin makers of the 16th century such as Andrea Amati, Gasparo da Salo and Giovanni Paolo Maggini made such instruments. In the In the 17th century Antonio Stradivari influenced the size of the body of sound, but Domenico Montagnana and Matteo Goffriller also contributed to its further development.

In addition to the traditional four-stringed instruments, five-stringed models also emerged around 1700. Michael Praetorius mentions a five-string bass viol de bracio as early as 1619. Today, such instruments are known as violoncello piccolo. In contrast to the viola da gamba, some violoncellos were given a spike on the underside of the body shortly after 1600. The spike was increasingly used in the orchestra from around 1820. The size of the violoncelli was not uniform in the Baroque period; there were instruments in different sizes, adapted to the bass, baritone and tenor ranges. A special form is the travel cello, a dismountable instrument that served as a transport container. Such instruments were also played by soldiers in the First World War and are known as trench cellos.

Structure

Various tonewoods are used to make a cello. Spruce for the top and inner walls, usually maple for the body back, sides, neck and pegbox (occasionally also other hardwoods such as cherry, pear, walnut or poplar). The strings run from the pegs via the top nut and the bridge to the tailpiece in the lower third of the body, with the fingerboard, pegs and tailpiece made of ebony or other hardwoods such as boxwood or rosewood. The bridge, an artistically crafted wooden plate with notches for the strings, is attached vertically to the top of the body with two feet in the middle of the body. The soundpost and bass bar are located inside the body.

The construction of the violoncello is largely similar to that of the violin, the main difference being the extendable spike that enables the instrument to stand on the floor. This spike is usually made of metal, occasionally also of wood or carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. The former name “perno” for the spike is no longer in use today.

Sound or sound generation

The sound of the cello is produced by the vibrations of the strings, which are caused by the bow or by plucking with the fingers (pizzicato). The bridge transmits the vibrations to the top of the body, the soundpost between the top and the back. The entire body amplifies the sound by causing the air to vibrate and radiating the sound outwards and inwards. The sound holes on the sides (F-holes) increase the resonance of the soundboard. The pitch is varied by pressing down on the strings and, unlike the viola da gamba, there are no frets on the fingerboard, which requires precise placement and a trained memory for posture and movement as well as a good ear.

Playing technique

Today the cello is mainly played sitting down, stabilized at four points: the spine on the back, the ribs on the inside of the knees and the upper end of the body on the breastbone. The cello is tilted slightly so that the neck with the fingerboard lies over the left shoulder and the player can sit upright. The left hand grips the strings while the right hand guides the bow. Although from the 16th to the 18th century some musicians played the cello standing up, leaning on a stool, it was not until the 20th century that the Arnold cello stand was made possible.

Instrument of the year 2018

The violoncello/cello was voted Instrument of the Year 2018 by the regional music councils. This special award recognizes the importance and versatility of the violoncello/cello as well as its outstanding role in music.