The cello is bowed string instrument, an obligatory member of the symphony orchestra and string ensemble, possessing a rich performance technique. Due to its rich and melodious sound, it is often used as a solo instrument. The cello is widely used when it is necessary to express sadness, despair or deep lyrics in music, and in this it has no equal.
Unlike violins And viola, to which it looks very similar, the cello is not held in the hands, but placed vertically. Interestingly, at one time it was played standing up, placed on a special chair, only then they came up with a spire that rests on the floor, thereby supporting the instrument.
It's amazing that before creativity L.V. Beethoven composers did not give special significance melodiousness of this instrument. However, having received recognition in his works, the cello took important place in the works of romantics and other composers.
Sound
Having a thick, rich, melodious, penetrating sound, the cello often resembles a timbre human voice. Sometimes it seems to solo performances that she is talking and in a singsong voice to you. About a person, we would say that he has a chest voice, that is, coming from the depths chest and perhaps the soul itself. It is this mesmerizing deep sound that surprises the cello.
- Count Villegorsky owned two fine Stradivarius cellos. One of them was later owned by K.Yu. Davydov, then Jacqueline du Pré, now it is played by the famous cellist and composer Yo-Yo Ma.
- Once upon a time in Paris was arranged original competition. The great cellist Casals took part in it. The sound of ancient instruments made by the masters Guarneri and Stradivari was studied, as well as the sound of modern cellos made at the factory. A total of 12 instruments took part in the experiment. The light was turned off for the purity of the experiment. What was the surprise of the jury and Casals himself when, after listening to the sound, the judges gave 2 times more points to modern models for the beauty of sound than to the old ones. Then Casals said: “I prefer to play old instruments. Let them lose in the beauty of sound, but they have a soul, and the current ones have beauty without a soul.
- The cellist Pablo Casals loved and spoiled his instruments. In the bow of one of the cellos, he inserted a sapphire, which was presented to him by the Queen of Spain.
- The Finnish band Apocalyptika has gained great popularity. In her repertoire hard Rock. What is surprising is that the musicians play 4 cellos and drums at the same time. This use of this bowed instrument, which has always been considered soulful, soft, soulful, lyrical, brought the group worldwide fame. In the name of the group, the performers combined 2 words Apocalypse and Metallica.
- The famous abstract artist Julia Borden paints her amazing pictures not on canvas or paper, but on violins and cellos. To do this, she removes the strings, cleans the surface, primes it and then paints the drawing. Why she chose such an unusual placement for the paintings, Julia cannot even explain to herself. She said that these instruments seem to pull her towards them, inspiring her to complete the next masterpiece.
- The musician Roldugin bought a Stuart cello, made by the master Stradivarius in 1732, for $12 million. Its first owner was King Frederick the Great of Prussia.
- The cost of Antonio Stradivari instruments is the highest. In total, the master made 80 cellos. To date, according to experts, 60 tools have been preserved.
- The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has 12 cellists. They became famous for introducing many arrangements of popular contemporary songs into their repertoire.
- The classic look of the instrument is made of wood. However, some modern masters decided to break the stereotypes. For example, Louis and Clark have been making carbon fiber cellos, and Alcoa has been making aluminum cellos since the 1930s. The German master Pfretzschner was also carried away by the same.
- The ensemble of cellists from St. Petersburg under the direction of Olga Rudneva has a rather rare composition. The ensemble includes 8 cellos and a piano.
- In December 2014, South African Karel Henn set the record for the longest cello playing. He played continuously for 26 hours and got into the Guinness Book of Records.
- Mstislav Rostropovich, a cello virtuoso of the 20th century, made a significant contribution to the development and promotion of the cello repertoire. He performed for the first time more than a hundred new works for cello.
- One of the most famous cellos is the "King" which was made by Andre Amati between 1538 and 1560. This is one of the oldest cellos and is in the South Dakota National Music Museum.
- 4 strings on the instrument were not always used, in the 17th and 18th centuries there were five-stringed cellos in Germany and the Netherlands.
- Initially, the strings were made from sheep offal, later they were replaced by metal ones.
Repertoire
The cello has a very rich repertoire of concertos, sonatas and other works. Perhaps the most famous of them are the six suites I.S. Bach for cello solo, variations on a rococo theme P.I. Tchaikovsky and "Swan" by Saint-Saens. J. S. Bach - Suite No. 1 in G major (listen)
P.I. Tchaikovsky. - Variations on a Rococo theme for cello and orchestra (listen)
A. Dvorak - Concerto for cello and orchestra (listen)
C. Saint-Saens - "Swan" (listen)
I. Brahms - Double concerto for violin and cello (listen)
Modern stringed bowed instruments—the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, of course—had numerous predecessors. These are vertical string bows that came to Europe in the 8th century from the countries of the East. The Arabs had an instrument called “rabab” - they played it by moving the bow along the strings, and not touching them. European pear-shaped rebecs, vielles and spade-like fidels originate from the rabab. These instruments were played by medieval minstrels. Why vertical? Because they played them, holding them in a vertical position, resting the instrument on their knees.
At the end of the 14th century, viols appeared - a family of stringed bowed musical instruments, the forerunners of the modern violin. Due to their gentle sound, they have become indispensable in orchestras. Violas are descended from the old Spanish vihuela, similar to a guitar. Like the guitar, the viola had six strings and frets, unlike the violin, which has no frets. The viols were distinguished by their size and by the position of the instrument when playing: hand-held violas were held horizontally, like a violin; foot - held vertically, like a cello. Violas in the Middle Ages sounded in the richest houses, so very expensive materials were used to create them: ivory and tortoiseshell, ebony and rare stones. One of the main decorations of the viola was the carved heads of people and animals.
Alto
Viola, cello and double bass are similar to the violin, but larger in size. The viola is slightly larger than the violin and is held at the shoulder. It sounds five tones below the violin scale.
The viola has more weight and longer strings than the violin. To play this instrument, the performer must have stronger and long arms than for playing the violin. The sound of the viola is deeper, one might say, more wise and veiled than the sound of a bright and open violin.
Cello.
When playing the cello, the musician sits on a chair, puts the instrument on the floor between the legs, and holds the neck so that it rests on the left shoulder. The cello is much larger than the viola. The body of the tool rests on the floor with an adjustable metal pin.
double bass
The double bass is larger than the cello, its height is about two meters! Therefore, the performer has to stand or sit on a high stool, and hold the instrument in front of him. In shape, the double bass is almost the same as a small violin, only its shoulders are not rounded, but sloping. The very first double bass was built by the famous violin maker Nicolo Amati.
A stringed musical instrument is a musical instrument in which the sound source (vibrator) is string vibrations. In the Hornbostel-Sachs system they are called chordophones. Typical representatives of string instruments are kobyz, dombyra, violin, cello, viola, double bass, harp and guitar, gusli, balalaika and domra, etc. Types of string instruments[edit | edit source]
See also full list of stringed instruments.
All stringed instruments transmit the vibrations from one or more strings to the air through their body (or through the pickup in the case of electronic instruments). Usually they are divided according to the technique of "starting" vibrations in the string. The three most common techniques are the pinch, the bow, and the strike.
bowed (string-bowed) musical instruments - a group of musical instruments with sound production, carried out mainly in the process of bowing along stretched strings. Exists a large number of folk bowed instruments. In modern academic music-making, four bowed stringed instruments are used:
The group of bowed instruments is considered the basis of the symphony orchestra and is divided into five parts:
First violins
Second violins
Cellos
Double basses.
Occasionally, a part is written out for the lowest stringed bowed instrument - the octobass
Range throughout bow group covers almost seven octaves from up to the counteroctave up to the fifth octave.
Bowed strings were formed and improved in about late XVII century, only the bow in its modern form appeared by the end of the 18th century. Despite the timbre differences between the individual instruments of the group, in the mass they sound uniform. This is due to the unity of the design and the general principle of sound production.
The source of sound for all instruments is the strings, which resonate with the body of the instrument and transmit vibrations through the air to the listener. The sound is produced by a bow ( arco) or fingers ( pizzicato)
A craftsman involved in the creation and repair of bowed stringed musical instruments is called a violin maker or Master of bowed musical instruments.
The violin is a high-pitched stringed musical instrument. It has folk origin, acquired a modern look in the 16th century, became widespread in the 17th century. Has four strings tuned in fifths: g, d 1 ,a 1 ,e 2 (salt of a small octave, re, la of the first octave, mi of the second octave), range from g(salt of a small octave) to a 4 (A fourth octave) and higher. The timbre of the violin is thick in the low register, soft in the middle and brilliant in the high. There are also five-string violins, with the addition of the lower alto string "c" or do (up to a small octave). Origin and history[edit | edit source]
Fidel. Detail of the altar of the Church of St. Zacharias, Venice, Giovanni Bellini, 1505.
Miniature "David the Psalmist" (detail). Godunov Psalter, 1594
"Family tree" of the origin of the modern violin. Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed.
The progenitors of the violin were the Arabic rebarab, the Spanish fidel, the British crotta, the merger of which formed the viola, hence the Italian name for the violin, violino, as well as the Slavic four-string instrument of the fifth order j and g a (hence the German name for the violin - geige). As a folk instrument, the violin was especially widespread in Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Istria and Dalmatia (now Yugoslavia). The struggle between the aristocratic viol and the folk violin, which lasted for several centuries, ended in victory for the latter. In the middle of the 16th century, the modern violin construction took shape in northern Italy. Gaspar Bartolometti da Salo (c. 1542-1609) - the founder of the school of masters in Bresci and Andrea Amati (1535-c. 1611) - the founder of the Cremonese school.] . Violin forms were established by the 16th century; to this age and early XVII include well-known violin makers - the Amati family. Their instruments are of excellent shape and excellent material. In general, Italy was famous for the production of violins, among which the Stradivari and Guarneri violins are currently highly valued.
The violin has been a solo instrument since the 17th century. The first works for the violin are: "Romanesca per violino solo e basso" by Biagio Marini (1620) and "Capriccio stravagante" by his contemporary Carlo Farina. Founder artistic game on the violin is considered Arcangelo Corelli; then follow Torelli, Tartini, Pietro Locatelli (1693-1764), a student of Corelli, who developed the bravura violin playing technique.
Since the 2nd half of the 19th century, it has become widespread among the Tatars. Since the 20th century, it has been found in the musical life of the Bashkirs.
Alto(English and Italian) viola, fr. alto, German Bratsche) or viola violin- string-bowed musical instrument of the same device as a spark, but somewhat larger, which makes it sound in a lower register. The viola strings are tuned a fifth below the violin and an octave above the cello - c, g, d 1 ,a 1 (do, salt of a small octave, re, la of the first octave). The most common range is from c(up to a small octave) up to e 3 (mi of the third octave), in solo works it is possible to use more high sounds. Notes are written in alto and treble clefs. The viola is considered the earliest bowed instrument in existence today. The time of its appearance is attributed to the turn of the XV-XVI centuries. Viola playing techniques are slightly different from violin playing techniques in terms of sound production and technique, however, the playing technique itself is slightly more limited due to the larger size, and as a result, the need for more stretching of the fingers of the left hand. The timbre of the viola is less bright than the violin, but thick, matte, velvety in the lower register, somewhat nasal in the upper. Such a timbre of the viola is a consequence of the fact that the dimensions of its body (“resonator box”) do not correspond to its formation: with an optimal length of 46–47 centimeters (such violas were made by old masters of Italian schools), a modern instrument has a length of 38 to 43 centimeters [ source not specified 1220 days] . Larger violas, approaching the classical ones, are played mainly by solo players with stronger hands and developed technique.
As a solo instrument, the viola has been used relatively rarely until now, due to the small repertoire. However, quite a lot of very good violists have appeared in our time, among them Yuri Bashmet, Kim Kashkashyan, Yuri Kramarov and others. But, nevertheless, the main scope of the violas is the symphony and string orchestras, where, as a rule, they are entrusted with medium voices, but also solo episodes. Viola is an obligatory member of the string quartet, often used in other chamber compositions, such as string trio, piano quartet, piano quintet, etc.
Traditionally, they did not become violists from childhood, switching to this instrument at a more mature age (at the end of a music school, when entering a college or conservatory). Basically, violinists of large build with big hands and wide vibration. Some famous musicians successfully combined performance on the violin and viola, for example, Niccolo Paganini and David Oistrakh.
Cello(ital. violoncello, abbr. cello, German Violoncello, fr. violoncelle, English cello) - a bowed stringed musical instrument of the bass and tenor register, known from the first half of the 16th century, of the same structure as the violin or viola, but much larger. The cello has wide expressive possibilities and carefully developed performance technique, it is used as a solo, ensemble and orchestral instrument. The appearance of the cello dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. Initially, it was used as a bass instrument to accompany singing or playing an instrument of a higher register. There were numerous varieties of the cello, which differed from each other in size, number of strings, and tuning (the most common tuning was a tone lower than the modern one).
In the 17th-18th centuries, the efforts of the outstanding musical masters of the Italian schools (Nicolo Amati, Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Carlo Bergonzi, Domenico Montagnana, etc.) created a classical cello model with a firmly established body size. At the end of the 17th century, the first solo works for cello appeared - sonatas and ricercars by Giovanni Gabrieli. By the middle of the 18th century, the cello began to be used as a concert instrument, owing to its brighter, fuller sound and improving performance technique, finally displacing the viola da gamba from musical practice. The cello is also part of the symphony orchestra and chamber ensembles. The final approval of the cello as one of the leading instruments in music occurred in the 20th century through the efforts of the outstanding musician Pablo Casals. The development of performance schools on this instrument has led to the emergence of numerous virtuoso cellists who regularly perform solo concerts.
The cello repertoire is very wide and includes numerous concertos, sonatas, unaccompanied compositions.
Viola da gamba(ital. viola da gamba - foot viola) is an ancient stringed bowed musical instrument of the viol family, similar in size and range to the modern cello. The viola da gamba was played while sitting, holding the instrument between the legs or laying it sideways on the thigh, hence the name.
Of the entire viol family, the viola da gamba retained its significance the longest of all instruments: many works by the most important authors of the middle of the 18th century were written for it. However, already at the end of the century, these parts were performed on the cello. Goethe called Karl Friedrich Abel the last gamba virtuoso. At the beginning of the 20th century, authenticist performers revived the viola da gamba: the first modern gambo player was Christian Döbereiner, who made his debut in this capacity in 1905 with the performance of Abel's sonata.
double bass(ital. contrabbasso or ss))) - the largest in size (about two meters in height) and the lowest in sound of the widely used bowed stringed musical instruments, combining the features of the violin family and the viol family. (Viola da GAMBA family, Viola da GAMBA). .. It has four strings tuned in fourths: E 1 , A 1 , D, G (mi, la counteroctave, re, octave salt), range from E 1 (mi counteroctave) to g 1 (salt of the first octave) and higher. The real double bass was first mentioned in a book in 1566. The author of this book mistakenly drew a violin. Then he got the idea that it is possible to create such a tool. The author of this book is unknown modern people, but it is known that the book was written in Central Asia when the inhabitants of those lands were represented by Europe. Soon, the idea of a new instrument was brought to Europe. At that time Europe was the poorest place in the whole world. The double bass viol is considered to be the forerunner of the modern double bass. She had five strings tuned to D 1 , E 1 , A 1 , D, G(re, mi, la big, re, salt of a small octave), and, like most violas, frets on the fretboard. In the middle of the 17th century, the Italian master Michele Todini designed a new instrument based on it, which did not have the fifth (lowest) string and frets, but the shape of the body remained (“shoulders” - parts of the body adjacent to the fingerboard - the double bass still has more sloping than those of the instruments of the violin family) and a fourth system (among modern bowed instruments, the double bass is the only one that has it).
The new instrument was first used in the orchestra in 1699 in Giuseppe Aldrovandini's opera "Caesar of Alexandria", but then it was not used for a long time (bass voices were performed by cellos and low-pitched viols). Only since mid-eighteenth century, the double bass becomes an obligatory member of the orchestra, displacing bass viols from it. At the same time, the first double-bass virtuosos appeared who gave solo concerts - Domenico Dragonetti, in particular, gained significant European fame. For the convenience of solo performance, the masters designed a three-string double bass, the strings of which were tuned in fifths ( G 1 , D, A- salt of the contra-octave, re, la of a large octave, that is, an octave below the cello, but without a string before) or by quarts ( A 1 , D, G- la counteroctave, re, salt of a large octave). With the development of performing technique, it became possible to perform virtuoso compositions on a conventional four-string orchestral instrument, and three-string double basses fell into disuse. For a brighter sound in solo works, the double bass tuning is sometimes raised by one tone (this is the “solo tuning”).
In the 19th century, in search of opportunities to obtain lower sounds, the French master Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume built a four-meter-high double bass, which he called the “octobass”, but due to its huge size, this instrument was not widely used. Modern double basses may have either a fifth string tuned to C 1 (up to the counteroctave), or by a special mechanism that “lengthens” the lowest string and allows you to get additional lower sounds.
The development of solo playing on the double bass in modern times is associated primarily with the work of Giovanni Bottesini and Franz Siemandl at the end of the 19th century. Their efforts brought the virtuosos of the early 20th century to a new level - in particular, Sergey Koussevitzky and Adolf Mishek.
At first glance, it seems that the cello and double bass are indistinguishable: almost the same shape, the same number of strings. However, these are two independent instruments that differ in design, size, and playing techniques.
Cello
The cello is an instrument of the “bowed string” category. It is used for solo playing, the cello sounds as part of an orchestra, and in a string quartet.
Cello sound range: up to a large octave - la fourth octave. For this reason, notes for this instrument are recorded in several clefs (bass, alto and treble). The cello sounds juicy, the upper register is a bit muffled.
The principle of playing the cello, including the execution of strokes, is the same as the violin. But due to the fact that the cello is larger in size, it is more difficult to play it. Cello playing techniques include pizzicato and harmonics. The cello is played seated and with a bow.
double bass
The double bass is also one of the bowed strings and is the largest representative of this "family" (up to two meters) and the lowest in sound. The contrabass is used in symphony orchestra, in chamber ensembles, in jazz, rockabilly.
The double bass sounds in the mi range of the contra-octave - the salt of the first octave. It has a low, thick sound that makes it easily recognizable. The double bass is rarely used for solo playing, although some musicians specialize in double bass solos.
For the double bass, playing techniques and strokes are used, like on a violin, but its size limits the possibilities of playing. For example, it is difficult to play scales and jumps on it, but pizzicato sounds interesting. If the double bass is played in the style of rockabilly and psychobilly, then the slap technique is used. The double bass is played standing up, with a bow or fingers.
Comparison of double bass and cello
- cello and double bass belong to the same type of instruments: bowed strings;
- the cello is smaller than the double bass;
- the cello is played sitting, the double bass is played standing;
- the double bass has a lower sound than the cello;
- the techniques of playing the double bass and the cello are similar.
- the cello is played only with a bow, and the double bass is played with both a bow and fingers
If you want to start learning how to play one of these instruments, choose according to your personal preferences, the sound and style of music you like. Consult with a bowed string teacher, listen to how each instrument sounds. So you will understand which tool attracts you. Also choose an instrument based on the style of music you plan to play.
In bowed musical instruments sounds are produced by rubbing the hair of the bow against the strings; due to this sound characteristic they are very different from plucked instruments.
Bowed instruments are distinguished by high sound quality and endless possibilities in the field of performance and therefore are leading in various orchestras and ensembles and are widely used for solo performance.
This subgroup of instruments includes violins, violas, cellos, double basses, as well as a number of national instruments 1 (Georgian chianuri, Uzbek gidzhak, Azerbaijani kemancha, etc.).
Violin among bowed instruments - the highest instrument in the register. The sound of the violin in the upper register is light, silvery, in the middle - soft, gentle, melodious and in the lower register - intense, thick.
The violin is tuned in fifths. The range of the violin is 3 3/4 octaves, from the salt of the small octave to the note mi of the fourth octave.
They produce solo violins, size 4/4; training, size 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 1/4, 1/8. Study violins, unlike the solo violin, have a slightly worse finish and reduced sound quality. In turn, training violins, depending on the sound quality and external finish, are divided into training violins of grades 1 and 2. Class 2 violins are different from class 1 violins worst quality sound and exterior.
Alto a few more violins. In the upper register, it sounds tense, harsh; in the middle register the sound is dull (nasal), melodious, in the lower register the alto sounds thick, somewhat rude.
Viola strings are tuned in fifths. The range is 3 octaves, from a note to a small octave to a note to a third octave.
Violas are divided into solo (size 4/4) and training grades 1 and 2 (size 4/4).
Cello almost 3 times the size of a full-sized violin and is played while seated. The tool is installed on the floor, after inserting the stop.
The sound of the upper register of the instrument is light, open, chest. In the middle register it sounds melodious, dense. The lower case sounds full, thick, tight. Sometimes the sound of the cello is compared to the sound of the human voice.
The cello is tuned in fifths, an octave below the viola. Cello range Z1 / 3 octaves - from to a large octave to mi of the second octave.
Cellos are divided into solo and training:
♦ solo (size 4/4) are made according to one of the Stradivari models, they are intended for solo, ensemble and orchestral performance musical works;
♦ training cellos 1 (size 4/4) and 2 classes (size 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 1/4, 1/8) differ in sound quality and presentation. Designed to teach music to students of different ages.
double bass- the largest of the family of bowed instruments; it is almost 31/2 times longer than a full-length violin. They play the double bass while standing, setting it on the floor in the same way as a cello. In its form, the double bass has retained the features of ancient viols.
The double bass is the lowest sounding instrument of the bow family. Its sound in the middle register is thick and rather soft. The top notes sound liquid, sharp and tense. The lower register sounds very tight and thick. Unlike other stringed instruments, the double bass is built in fourths and sounds an octave below the iotated one. The range of the double bass is 21/2, the octaves are from the mi counteroctave to the si-be-mol small octave.
Double basses are subdivided: into solo ones (size 4/4); educational grade 1 (size 4/4); training 2 classes (size 2/4, 3/4, 4/4).
Five-string solo double basses (size 4/4) are also produced, the range is from a note to a contra-octave to a note to a second octave.
By their design, the violin, viola, cello and double bass are of the same type. The difference between them is mainly in size and build. Therefore, this article describes the design of only one bowed instrument - the violin.
The main structural units of the violin are: body, neck with fingerboard, head, string holder, stand, peg box, strings.
The figure-eight body amplifies the sound vibrations of the strings. It consists of the upper and lower decks (14, 17), which are the most important resonating parts of the violin, and shells (18). The upper deck has the greatest thickness in the middle, and gradually decreases towards the edges. In the context, the decks have the shape of a small vault. The top deck has two resonator holes shaped like latin letter"f", hence their name - effs. Decks are connected by shells.
The shells of the tool consist of six parts and are attached to the six posts of the body (16, 19). A neck (20) is attached to the upper rack of the body, on which the neck (10) is mounted. The fingerboard serves to press the strings during performance, has a conical shape along the length, and a slight curvature along the end. The continuation of the neck and its end is the head (3), which has a peg box (12) with side holes for strengthening the pins. The curl (11) is the end of the peg box and has different shape(often shaped).
The pegs are in the form of cone-shaped rods with a head and serve to tension and tune the strings. The nut (13) at the top of the neck limits the sounding part of the strings and has a neck curvature.
The string holder (6) is designed to secure the lower ends of the strings. To do this, in its wide part, it has corresponding holes.
The bridge (15) supports the strings at the required height from the fretboard, limits the sounding length of the strings, and transmits the vibration of the strings to the decks.
All bowed instruments are four-stringed (only the double bass can have five strings).
To extract sound, bows are used, which differ in size and shape.
The bow consists of a cane (2), which has a head at the upper end, a tension screw shoe (5) and a hair (6). The reed of the bow, on which evenly spaced hair is stretched, is slightly curved. It has a head (1) at the end and springs in the opposite direction from the hair. To fix the hair, a block is used, and at the other end of the bow, the hair is fixed at the end of the cane in the head. The block moves along the cane by turning the screw (4) located on the side of the end of the cane, and provides the hair with the necessary tension.
Bows are divided into solo and training 1 and 2 classes.
Spare parts and accessories for bowed instruments
Spare parts and accessories for bowed instruments are: string holders and fingerboards, stands, pegs made of stained hardwood or plastic; mutes made of plastic or wood; machines for adjusting the tension of brass strings; violin and viola chin rests made of plastic; strings; buttons; cases and cases.
