Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/05/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Congratulations Sonny, he looks like a fine lad and you should obviously be even obnoxiously proud of him if you wish. Maybe I'll be hearing him here in Boston someday. Barney - Your write up was fascinating to this long-time opera and symphony subscriber. I had no idea the modern cello had such a scurrilous background. You never know what you're gonna' learn on this list. Your comment on the use of the cello in marching bands made me remember a recent production of Sondheim's "Company" in which the performers not only acted and sang but also were the band and provided all the music. I saw it on PBS a few months ago. One of the leads played a bass - on wheels. Or. maybe more accurately, on wheel, since the bass had one on the end of it's pin. How he managed to play that big beast, sing, and march around the stage pushing it along, all at the same time, is beyond me, but manage it he did. I suppose he might have added a few tap steps, but maybe that's asking just too much... :-) Do you suppose marching cellists did formation steps? I can see it now on TV during the next Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade - the NY Philharmonic string sections pushing and playing their basses, strumming their cellos, and bowing their violins while spelling out, Oh, I don't know, say, "Contribute Now" as they maneuver and march. Regards, Dick On May 07, 2008, at 10:12 PM, Bernard Quinn wrote: > > Sonny, > > Nice shot! He's a handsome lad, indeed. I'm sure he'll break some > hearts before all is said and done, if you don't mind my saying so. > To comment on some of the other posts in this thread..... > > Cellos were larger in Bach's day. Most of them have had the musical > equivalent of breast reduction surgery. My cello is three hundred > years old. It proudly bears the scars from when it was cut down to a > more manageable size. Today the length of the strings is > standardized, but the size of the body isn't. When people think of a > standard cello the mental picture they usually have in is of the > Stradaveri Model B. Even the master himself experimented with > various cello sizes until he hit on dimensions he really liked. > Guarneri models are a quarter of an inch bigger across than a Strad, > and Montagnana models are much wider across the bottom than Strads, > giving them marvelous bass tones. > > Up until the nineteenth century cellos were indeed played by holding > them between the calf's of your legs. Cello folk lore has it that > the end pin was invented by a famous cellist who, to but it > delicately, was too portly to hold a cello in the traditional > manner. What fascinates me is the fact that when my cello was made > cellos were used in marching bands. I have trouble imagining doing > this. If you look at the back of a cello if this vintage you will > usually see a the remains of a small hole located on the center > seam. A strap was attached to a wooden peg, and then it was then put > through the hole in the back of the cello. This was how they > attached a strap so that you could march around with it. Almost all > antique string instruments have been modified in one way or another. > Cellos, Violas, and Violins have also had the angle the fingerboard > makes with the body increased and the curve of the bridge increased. > This was done to increase the volume of the instruments as musicians > moved from making their livings playing in small chambers to playing > the concert halls. > > Cellists owe Bach a major debt of gratitude. Before his day the > upper and refined classes played Viols of various sizes. To this day > Double Basses still have a family resembelance to their anscestors > the Viols. They have concave shoulders, unlike the shoulders of > Violins, Violas, and Cellos which are rounded. Before Bach members > of the Violin family were held in low repute and tended to be > associated with unsavory things like the country dancing master, > sex, and alcohol! :-) In those days we ranked right up there with > the court jester! It was Bach's Suites for Solo cello which really > helped the Cello gain respectability. > > People still play on gut strings. I often use them. This is a > subject of great controversy among cellists. Many people think that > their sound is superior to metal core strings. I certainly do. In > olden times cello strings were just plain raw uncovered gut gut. The > C string, the lowest in pitch on the cello, could run a quarter of > an inch in diameter. I can't imagine what that sounded like, but it > must have been pretty tubby. In Baroque days they started to wind > the gut strings with round silver wire to cover them. Today they are > would with flat wire. An unwrapped gut A string is a holy horror to > play on. Other than that gut strings are lots of fun, although they > don't stay in tune at all well. > > This is probably more than anyone wants to know about the subject. > > Barney > > On May 7, 2008, at 4:32 PM, Sonny Carter wrote: > >> Last night, Eric played his Senior solo at the Fall Concert of the >> Natchitoches Central High School Orchestra. >> >> He played the 1st movement of Eccles Sonata in g minor, and it was >> moving >> to hear and see how he has developed as a bassist. His Mom wept, >> it was so >> beautiful. Here's a shot of him just as he finished, and just >> before the >> standing ovation. >> >> http://www.sonc.com/sonata.htm >> >> Now, he'll probably kill me for this, and many of you remember >> these shots, >> so I thought it appropriate to share them at this time. >> >> http://www.sonc.com/same_guy.htm >> >> -- >> Regards, >> >> Sonny >> http://www.sonc.com >> Natchitoches, Louisiana >> USA >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information