Misplaced Pages

#518481

133-719: Sheridan William Robin Russell (23 March 1900 – 9 April 1991) was a cellist , medical doctor , and patron of the arts . He was Head Almoner at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and founded the Paintings in Hospitals charity. He was the younger son of the professor of singing and the San Carlo and later Boston Opera director Henry Russell and his wife, Nina ( née  Andrade ). Russell

266-430: A pegbox and the scroll , which are all normally carved out of a single piece of wood, usually maple . The fingerboard is glued to the neck and extends over the body of the instrument. The fingerboard is given a curved shape, matching the curve on the bridge. Both the fingerboard and bridge need to be curved so that the performer can bow individual strings. If the cello were to have a flat fingerboard and bridge, as with

399-427: A pipa as the main solo instrument to create East meets West progressive (folk) rock. More recent bands who have used the cello include Clean Bandit , Aerosmith , The Auteurs , Nirvana , Oasis , Ra Ra Riot , Smashing Pumpkins , James , Talk Talk , Phillip Phillips , OneRepublic , Electric Light Orchestra and the baroque rock band Arcade Fire . An Atlanta-based trio, King Richard's Sunday Best, also uses

532-613: A Cello Concerto in F major, K. 206a in 1775, but this has since been lost. His Sinfonia Concertante in A major, K. 320e includes a solo part for cello, along with the violin and viola, although this work is incomplete and only exists in fragments, therefore it is given an Anhang number (Anh. 104). Well-known works of the Romantic era include the Robert Schumann Concerto , the Antonín Dvořák Concerto ,

665-454: A Minneapolis-based cello duo with two percussionists. These groups are examples of a style that has become known as cello rock . The crossover string quartet Bond also includes a cellist. Silenzium and Cellissimo Quartet are Russian (Novosibirsk) groups playing rock and metal and having more and more popularity in Siberia . Cold Fairyland from Shanghai , China is using a cello along with

798-535: A cellist in their lineup. So-called "chamber pop" artists like Kronos Quartet , The Vitamin String Quartet and Margot and the Nuclear So and So's have also recently made cello common in modern alternative rock. Heavy metal band System of a Down has also made use of the cello's rich sound. The indie rock band The Stiletto Formal are known for using a cello as a major staple of their sound; similarly,

931-513: A cello bow. In 1989, the German cellist Michael Bach began developing a curved bow , encouraged by John Cage , Dieter Schnebel , Mstislav Rostropovich and Luigi Colani : and since then many pieces have been composed especially for it. This curved bow ( BACH.Bow ) is a convex curved bow which, unlike the ordinary bow, renders possible polyphonic playing on the various strings of the instrument. The solo repertoire for violin and cello by J. S. Bach

1064-529: A cello ensemble, with four cellos playing the top lines and two violas playing the bass lines. As a self-sufficient ensemble, its most famous repertoire is Heitor Villa-Lobos ' first of his Bachianas Brasileiras for cello ensemble (the fifth is for soprano and 8 cellos). Other examples are Offenbach 's cello duets, quartet, and sextet, Pärt 's Fratres for eight cellos and Boulez ' Messagesquisse for seven cellos, or even Villa-Lobos' rarely played Fantasia Concertante (1958) for 32 cellos. The 12 cellists of

1197-399: A cello to the oboe's 440 Hz A note or tuning the cello to a piano. The endpin or spike is made of wood, metal, or rigid carbon fiber and supports the cello in playing position. The endpin can be retracted into the hollow body of the instrument when the cello is being transported in its case. This makes the cello easier to move about. When the performer wishes to play the cello, the endpin

1330-409: A chamber setting. Jazz music has also seen its share of violists, from those used in string sections in the early 1900s to a handful of quartets and soloists emerging from the 1960s onward. It is quite unusual though, to use individual bowed string instruments in contemporary popular music. There are few well-known viola virtuoso soloists, perhaps because little virtuoso viola music was written before

1463-522: A group of cellists committed to an intricate cello style intermingled with Gothic music; the Massive Violins , an ensemble of seven singing cellists known for their arrangements of rock, pop and classical hits; Von Cello, a cello-fronted rock power trio; Break of Reality , who mix elements of classical music with the more modern rock and metal genre; Cello Fury , a cello rock band that performs original rock/classical crossover music; and Jelloslave,

SECTION 10

#1732790777519

1596-527: A large five-movement work with piano, Pietà , Airat Ichmouratov Viola Concerto No. 1 , Op. 7 and Three Romances for Viola, Strings, and Harp , Op. 22. The viola is sometimes used in contemporary popular music, mostly in the avant-garde . John Cale of The Velvet Underground used the viola, as do some modern groups such as alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs , Imagine Dragons , folk duo John & Mary , British Sea Power , The Airborne Toxic Event, Marillion , and others often with instruments in

1729-488: A lengthy viola solo. Gabriel Fauré's Requiem was originally scored (in 1888) with divided viola sections, lacking the usual violin sections, having only a solo violin for the Sanctus . It was later scored for orchestra with violin sections, and published in 1901. Recordings of the older scoring with violas are available. While the viola repertoire is quite large, the amount written by well-known pre-20th-century composers

1862-485: A major role in orchestral music, a prominent example being Richard Strauss ' tone poem Don Quixote for solo cello and viola and orchestra. Other examples are the "Ysobel" variation of Edward Elgar 's Enigma Variations and the solo in his work, In the South (Alassio) , the pas de deux scene from act 2 of Adolphe Adam 's Giselle and the "La Paix" movement of Léo Delibes 's ballet Coppélia , which features

1995-410: A melodic role as well), as well as being part of many other chamber groups. Among the most well-known Baroque works for the cello are Johann Sebastian Bach 's six unaccompanied Suites . Other significant works include Sonatas and Concertos by Antonio Vivaldi , and solo sonatas by Francesco Geminiani and Giovanni Bononcini . Domenico Gabrielli was one of the first composers to treat the cello as

2128-442: A moveable neck and maple-veneered carbon fibre back, to reduce weight: violas played in the same manner as cellos (see vertical viola ); and the eye-catching "Dalí -esque" shapes of both Bernard Sabatier's violas in fractional sizes—which appear to have melted—and David Rivinus' Pellegrina model violas. Other experiments that deal with the "ergonomics vs. sound" problem have appeared. The American composer Harry Partch fitted

2261-830: A number of works for viola. Amplification of a viola with a pickup , an instrument amplifier (and speaker), and adjusting the tone with a graphic equalizer can make up for the comparatively weaker output of a violin-family instrument string tuned to notes below G3. There are two types of instruments used for electric viola: regular acoustic violas fitted with a piezoelectric pickup and specialized electric violas, which have little or no body. While traditional acoustic violas are typically only available in historically used earth tones (e.g., brown, reddish-brown, blonde), electric violas may be traditional colors or they may use bright colors, such as red, blue or green. Some electric violas are made of materials other than wood. Most electric instruments with lower strings are violin-sized, as they use

2394-575: A performance scholarship for cello, played a prominent cello part in "As You Said" on Cream 's Wheels of Fire studio album (1968). 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 and in 1978 the UK-based rock band Colosseum II collaborated with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber on

2527-423: A popular misconception, the cello did not evolve from the viola da gamba, but existed alongside it for about two and a half centuries. The violin family is also known as the viola da braccio (meaning viola for the arm) family, a reference to the primary way the members of the family are held. This is to distinguish it from the viola da gamba (meaning viola for the leg) family, in which all the members are all held with

2660-441: A prominent extent. In Indian classical music, Saskia Rao-de Haas is a well-established soloist as well as playing duets with her sitarist husband, Pt. Shubhendra Rao . Other cellists performing Indian classical music are Nancy Lesh (Dhrupad) and Anup Biswas. Both Rao and Lesh play the cello sitting cross-legged on the floor. The cello can also be used in bluegrass and folk music , with notable players including Ben Sollee of

2793-409: A romance for viola and orchestra, his Op. 85, which explores the emotive capabilities of the viola's timbre. In addition, his Eight pieces for clarinet, viola, and piano, Op. 83, features the viola in a very prominent, solo aspect throughout. His Concerto for Clarinet, Viola, and Orchestra , Op. 88 has been quite prominent in the repertoire and has been recorded by prominent violists throughout

SECTION 20

#1732790777519

2926-402: A rounded corner like that of a viola bow, but is wider. A cello bow is roughly 10 g (0.35 oz) heavier than a viola bow, which in turn is roughly 10 g (0.35 oz) heavier than a violin bow. Bow hair is traditionally horsehair , though synthetic hair, in varying colors, is also used. Prior to playing, the musician tightens the bow by turning a screw to pull the frog (the part of

3059-650: A series of works entitled The Viola in My Life , which feature concertante viola parts. In spectral music , the viola has been sought after because of its lower overtone partials that are more easily heard than on the violin. Spectral composers like Gérard Grisey , Tristan Murail , and Horațiu Rădulescu have written solo works for viola. Neo-Romantic, post-Modern composers have also written significant works for viola including Robin Holloway Viola Concerto Op. 56 and Sonata Op. 87, Peter Seabourne

3192-409: A solid wooden cylinder which is wedged between the top and bottom plates. The bass bar, found under the bass foot of the bridge, serves to support the cello's top and distribute the vibrations from the strings to the body of the instrument. The soundpost, found under the treble side of the bridge, connects the back and front of the cello. Like the bridge, the soundpost is not glued but is kept in place by

3325-460: A solo (before 1753), dates from this era. As the title of the work suggests, it contains 12 toccatas for solo cello, which along with Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suites, are some of the first works of that type. From the Classical era , the two concertos by Joseph Haydn in C major and D major stand out, as do the five sonatas for cello and pianoforte of Ludwig van Beethoven , which span

3458-629: A solo cellist accompanied by an entire orchestra. There are numerous cello concertos – where a solo cello is accompanied by an orchestra – notably 25 by Vivaldi , 12 by Boccherini, at least three by Haydn , three by C. P. E. Bach, two by Saint-Saëns , two by Dvořák, and one each by Robert Schumann, Lalo , and Elgar. There were also some composers who, while not otherwise cellists, did write cello-specific repertoire, such as Nikolaus Kraft , who wrote six cello concertos. Beethoven 's Triple Concerto for Cello, Violin and Piano and Brahms ' Double Concerto for Cello and Violin are also part of

3591-434: A solo instrument. As a basso continuo instrument the cello may have been used in works by Francesca Caccini (1587–1641), Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677) with pieces such as Il primo libro di madrigali, per 2–5 voci e basso continuo, op. 1 and Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729), who wrote six sonatas for violin and basso continuo. Francesco Supriani 's Principij da imparare a suonare il violoncello e con 12 Toccate

3724-472: A thin gut core), c.  1660 in Bologna , allowed for a finer bass sound than was possible with purely gut strings on such a short body. This instrument had disadvantages as well, however. The cello's light sound was not as suitable for church and ensemble playing, so it had to be doubled by organ , theorbo , or violone . Around 1700, Italian players popularized the cello in northern Europe, although

3857-467: A traditional-sized viola, particularly in orchestral music, changes in the tone of a viola can have unintended consequences upon the balance in ensembles. One of the most notable makers of violas of the twentieth century was Englishman A. E. Smith , whose violas are sought after and highly valued. Many of his violas remain in Australia, his country of residence, where during some decades the violists of

3990-463: A typical guitar, the performer would only be able to bow the leftmost and rightmost two strings or bow all the strings. The performer would not be able to play the inner two strings alone. The nut is a raised piece of wood, fitted where the fingerboard meets the pegbox, in which the strings rest in shallow slots or grooves to keep them the correct distance apart. The pegbox houses four tapered tuning pegs , one for each string. The pegs are used to tune

4123-426: A viola with a cello neck to allow the use of his 43-tone scale, called the "adapted viola". Luthiers have also created five-stringed violas, which allow a greater playing range. A person who plays the viola is called a violist or a viola player . The technique required for playing a viola has certain differences compared with that of a violin, partly because of its larger size: the notes are spread out further along

Sheridan Russell - Misplaced Pages Continue

4256-402: A violin sonata, transcribed by Jules Delsart with the composer's approval), Stravinsky 's Suite italienne (transcribed by the composer – with Gregor Piatigorsky – from his ballet Pulcinella ) and Bartók 's first rhapsody (also transcribed by the composer, originally for violin and piano). There are pieces for cello solo , Johann Sebastian Bach 's six Suites for Cello (which are among

4389-402: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cello Played by a cellist or violoncellist , it enjoys a large solo repertoire with and without accompaniment , as well as numerous concerti . As a solo instrument, the cello uses its whole range, from baritone to soprano, and in chamber music, such as string quartets and the orchestra 's string section , it often plays

4522-492: Is a member of the traditional string quartet as well as string quintets , sextet or trios and other mixed ensembles. There are also pieces written for two, three, four, or more cellos; this type of ensemble is also called a "cello choir" and its sound is familiar from the introduction to Rossini 's William Tell Overture as well as Zaccharia's prayer scene in Verdi 's Nabucco . Tchaikovsky 's 1812 Overture also starts with

4655-421: Is also available in a transcription for viola). Brahms also wrote " Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano ", Op. 91, "Gestillte Sehnsucht" ("Satisfied Longing") and "Geistliches Wiegenlied" ("Spiritual Lullaby") as presents for the famous violinist Joseph Joachim and his wife, Amalie . Dvořák played the viola and apparently said that it was his favorite instrument: his chamber music is rich in important parts for

4788-879: Is becoming well known for playing the cello like a guitar, with her cover of The Beatles ' " Blackbird ". The cello is typically made from carved wood, although other materials such as carbon fiber or aluminum may be used. A traditional cello 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 tops and backs made of laminated wood . Laminated cellos are widely used in elementary and secondary school orchestras and youth orchestras , because they are much more durable than carved wood cellos (i.e., they are less likely to crack if bumped or dropped) and they are much less expensive. The top and back are traditionally hand-carved, though less expensive cellos are often machine-produced. The sides, or ribs, are made by heating

4921-559: Is derived from the ending of the Italian violoncello , which means "little violone ". Violone ("big viola") was a large-sized member of viol (viola da gamba) family or the violin ( viola da braccio ) family. The term "violone" today usually refers to the lowest-pitched instrument of the viols, a family of stringed instruments that went out of fashion around the end of the 17th century in most countries except England and, especially, France, where they survived another half-century before

5054-466: Is equivalent to a half-size violin . For a child who needs a smaller size, a fractional-sized violin is often strung with the strings of a viola. Unlike the violin, the viola does not have a standard full size. The body of a viola would need to measure about 51 cm (20 in) long to match the acoustics of a violin, however it can only be played vertically like a Cello, hence the name Vertical viola . For centuries, viola makers have experimented with

5187-451: Is located on stage left (the audience's right) in the front, opposite the first violin section. However, some orchestras and conductors prefer switching the positioning of the viola and cello sections. The principal cellist is the section leader, determining bowings for the section in conjunction with other string principals, playing solos, and leading entrances (when the section begins to play its part). Principal players always sit closest to

5320-431: Is more likely than the first violin to play accompaniment parts. The viola occasionally plays a major, soloistic role in orchestral or chamber music. Examples include the symphonic poem Don Quixote , by Richard Strauss , the 13th Quartet by Dmitri Shostakovich , and a symphony with a main viola line: Harold en Italie , by Hector Berlioz . In the earlier part of the 20th century, more composers began to write for

5453-520: Is much harder and more expensive. Ebonized parts such as tuning pegs may crack or split, and the black surface of the fingerboard will eventually wear down to reveal the lighter wood underneath. Historically, cello strings had cores made out of catgut , which, despite its name, is made from sheep or goat intestines. Most modern strings used in the 2010s are wound with metallic materials like aluminum , titanium and chromium . Cellists may mix different types of strings on their instruments. The pitches of

Sheridan Russell - Misplaced Pages Continue

5586-435: Is normally tuned first, to the pitch of the ensemble: generally 400–442 Hz. The other strings are then tuned to it in intervals of fifths, usually by bowing two strings simultaneously. Most violas also have adjusters — fine tuners , particularly on the A string that make finer changes. These adjust the tension of the string via rotating a small knob above the tailpiece . Such tuning is generally easier to learn than using

5719-401: Is not glued but rather held in place by the tension of the strings. The bridge is usually positioned by the cross point of the "f-hole" (i.e., where the horizontal line occurs in the "f"). The f-holes , named for their shape, are located on either side of the bridge and allow air to move in and out of the instrument as part of the sound-production process. The f-holes also act as access points to

5852-591: Is one of the more notable users of such an electric viola and he has used them both for melodies in his solo work and for drones in his work with The Velvet Underground (e.g. " Venus in Furs "). Other notable players of the electric viola are Geoffrey Richardson of Caravan and Ramsey. Instruments may be built with an internal preamplifier , or may put out an unbuffered transducer signal . While such signals may be fed directly to an amplifier or mixing board , they often benefit from an external preamp/ equalizer on

5985-555: Is possible for the ensemble. Mozart also wrote for the viola in his Sinfonia Concertante , a set of two duets for violin and viola, and the Kegelstatt Trio for viola, clarinet, and piano. The young Felix Mendelssohn wrote a little-known Viola Sonata in C minor (without opus number, but dating from 1824). Robert Schumann wrote his Märchenbilder for viola and piano. He also wrote a set of four pieces for clarinet, viola, and piano, Märchenerzählungen . Max Bruch wrote

6118-458: Is pulled out to lengthen it. The endpin is locked into the player's preferred length with a screw mechanism. The adjustable nature of endpins enables performers of different ages and body sizes to adjust the endpin length to suit them. In the Baroque period, the cello was held between the calves, as there was no endpin at that time. The endpin was "introduced by Adrien Servais c. 1845 to give

6251-498: Is relatively small. There are many transcriptions of works for other instruments for the viola and the large number of 20th-century compositions is very diverse. See "The Viola Project" at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where Professor of Viola Jodi Levitz has paired a composer with each of her students, resulting in a recital of brand-new works played for the very first time. In the earlier part of

6384-476: Is strung with thicker gauge strings than the violin. This, combined with its larger size and lower pitch range, results in a deeper and mellower tone. However, the thicker strings also mean that the viola responds to changes in bowing more slowly. Practically speaking, if a violist and violinist are playing together, the violist must begin moving the bow a fraction of a second sooner than the violinist. The thicker strings also mean that more weight must be applied with

6517-626: Is to bring the instrument in for a particular song. In the 1960s, artists such as the Beatles and Cher used the cello in popular music, in songs such as The Beatles' " Yesterday ", " Eleanor Rigby " and " Strawberry Fields Forever ", and Cher's " Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) ". " Good Vibrations " by the Beach Boys includes the cello in its instrumental ensemble, which includes a number of instruments unusual for this sort of music. Bass guitarist Jack Bruce , who had originally studied music on

6650-563: The American Music Awards . The instrument has also been modified for Indian classical music by Nancy Lesh and Saskia Rao-de Haas . The violin family , including cello-sized instruments, emerged c.  1500 as a family of instruments distinct from the viola da gamba family. The earliest depictions of the violin family, from Italy c.  1530 , show three sizes of instruments, roughly corresponding to what we now call violins , violas , and cellos. Contrary to

6783-713: The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (or "the Twelve" as they have since taken to being called) specialize in this repertoire and have commissioned many works, including arrangements of well-known popular songs. The cello is less common in popular music than in classical music. Several bands feature a cello in their standard line-up, including Hoppy Jones of the Ink Spots and Joe Kwon of the Avett Brothers . The more common use in pop and rock

SECTION 50

#1732790777519

6916-577: The Sparrow Quartet and the "Cajun cellist" Sean Grissom, as well as Vyvienne Long , who, in addition to her own projects, has played for those of Damien Rice . Cellists such as Natalie Haas , Abby Newton, and Liz Davis Maxfield have contributed significantly to the use of cello playing in Celtic folk music, often with the cello featured as a primary melodic instrument and employing the skills and techniques of traditional fiddle playing. Lindsay Mac

7049-647: The Sydney Symphony Orchestra had a dozen of them in their section. More recent (and more radically shaped) innovations have addressed the ergonomic problems associated with playing the viola by making it shorter and lighter, while finding ways to keep the traditional sound. These include the Otto Erdesz "cutaway" viola, which has one shoulder cut out to make shifting easier; the "Oak Leaf" viola, which has two extra bouts; viol -shaped violas such as Joseph Curtin 's "Evia" model, which also uses

7182-480: The viola da gamba , the cello is actually part of the viola da braccio family, meaning "viol of the arm", which includes, among others, the violin and viola . Though paintings like Bruegel 's "The Rustic Wedding", and Jambe de Fer in his Epitome Musical suggest that the bass violin had alternate playing positions , these were short-lived and the more practical and ergonomic a gamba position eventually replaced them entirely. Baroque -era cellos differed from

7315-530: The viola repertoire . Hindemith , who was a violist, wrote a substantial amount of music for viola, including the concerto Der Schwanendreher . The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between 25 and 100 mm (1 and 4 in) longer than the body of a full-size violin (i.e., between 38 and 46 cm [15–18 in]), with an average length of 41 cm (16 in). Small violas typically made for children typically start at 30 cm (12 in), which

7448-487: The 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family , between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth higher) and the cello (which is tuned an octave lower). The strings from low to high are typically tuned to C 3 , G 3 , D 4 , and A 4 . In the past, the viola varied in size and style, as did its names. The word viola originates from the Italian language. The Italians often used

7581-521: The 20th century, more composers began to write for the viola, encouraged by the emergence of specialized soloists such as Tertis. Englishmen Arthur Bliss , Edwin York Bowen , Benjamin Dale , and Ralph Vaughan Williams all wrote chamber and concert works for Tertis. William Walton , Bohuslav Martinů , and Béla Bartók wrote well-known viola concertos. Hindemith wrote a substantial amount of music for

7714-404: The 20th century, the cello repertoire grew immensely. This was partly due to the influence of virtuoso cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who inspired, commissioned, and premiered dozens of new works. Among these, Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto , Britten 's Cello Symphony , the concertos of Shostakovich and Lutosławski as well as Dutilleux's Tout un monde lointain... have already become part of

7847-439: The 20th century. From his earliest works, Brahms wrote music that prominently featured the viola. Among his first published pieces of chamber music, the sextets for strings Op. 18 and Op. 36 contain what amounts to solo parts for both violas. Late in life, he wrote two greatly admired sonatas for clarinet and piano, his Op. 120 (1894): he later transcribed these works for the viola (the solo part in his Horn Trio

7980-480: The BACH.Bow is particularly suited to it: and it was developed with this in mind, polyphonic playing being required, as well as monophonic. Viola The viola ( / v i ˈ oʊ l ə / vee- OH -lə , Italian: [ˈvjɔːla, viˈɔːla] ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins , and have a lower and deeper sound. Since

8113-850: The Cello Sonata in C Minor written in 1880) by Dame Ethel Smyth (1858–1944), Edward Elgar 's Cello Concerto in E minor , Claude Debussy 's Sonata for Cello and Piano , and unaccompanied cello sonatas by Zoltán Kodály and Paul Hindemith . Pieces including cello were written by American Music Center founder Marion Bauer (1882–1955) (two trio sonatas for flute, cello, and piano) and Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901–1953) (Diaphonic suite No. 2 for bassoon and cello). The cello's versatility made it popular with many composers in this era, such as Sergei Prokofiev , Dmitri Shostakovich , Benjamin Britten , György Ligeti , Witold Lutoslawski and Henri Dutilleux . Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz (1909–1969)

SECTION 60

#1732790777519

8246-462: The Disco uses a cello in their song "Build God, Then We'll Talk", with lead vocalist Brendon Urie recording the cello solo himself. The Lumineers added cellist Nela Pekarek to the band in 2010. Radiohead makes frequent use of cello in their music, notably for the songs "Burn The Witch" and "Glass Eyes" in 2016. In jazz , bassists Oscar Pettiford and Harry Babasin were among the first to use

8379-468: The amp and speaker to create a big sound, so they do not need a large soundbox. Indeed, some electric violas have little or no soundbox, and thus rely entirely on amplification. Fewer electric violas are available than electric violins. It can be hard for violists who prefer a physical size or familiar touch references of a viola-sized instrument, when they must use an electric viola that uses a smaller violin-sized body. Cale, formerly of The Velvet Underground,

8512-399: The apostrophe indicating the missing stem. It is now customary to use "cello" without apostrophe as the full designation. Viol is derived from the root viola , which was derived from Medieval Latin vitula , meaning stringed instrument. Cellos are tuned in fifths , starting with C 2 (two octaves below middle C ), followed by G 2 , D 3 , and then A 3 . It is tuned in

8645-419: The audience. The cellos are a critical part of orchestral music; all symphonic works involve the cello section, and many pieces require cello soli or solos. Much of the time, cellos provide part of the low-register harmony for the orchestra. Often, the cello section plays the melody for a brief period, before returning to the harmony role. There are also cello concertos , which are orchestral pieces that feature

8778-525: The bass violin (basse de violon) continued to be used for another two decades in France. Many existing bass violins were literally cut down in size to convert them into cellos according to the smaller pattern developed by Stradivarius , who also made a number of old pattern large cellos (the 'Servais'). The sizes, names, and tunings of the cello varied widely by geography and time. The size was not standardized until c.  1750 . Despite similarities to

8911-498: The best-known solo cello pieces), Kodály 's Sonata for Solo Cello and Britten's three Cello Suites . Other notable examples include Hindemith 's and Ysaÿe 's Sonatas for Solo Cello, Dutilleux's Trois Strophes sur le Nom de Sacher , Berio's Les Mots Sont Allés , Cassadó 's Suite for Solo Cello, Ligeti's Solo Sonata , Carter's two Figment s and Xenakis ' Nomos Alpha and Kottos . There are also modern solo pieces written for cello, such as Julie-O by Mark Summer . The cello

9044-505: The bow to make them vibrate. The viola's bow has a wider band of horsehair than a violin's bow, which is particularly noticeable near the frog (or heel in the UK). Viola bows, at 70–74 g (2.5–2.6 oz), are heavier than violin bows (58–61 g [2.0–2.2 oz]). The profile of the rectangular outside corner of a viola bow frog generally is more rounded than on violin bows. The viola's four strings are normally tuned in fifths:

9177-617: The bow under the hand) back and increase the tension of the hair. Rosin is applied by the player to make the hair sticky. Bows need to be re-haired periodically. Baroque -style (1600–1750) cello bows were much thicker and were formed with a larger outward arch than modern cello bows. The inward arch of a modern cello bow produces greater tension, which in turn produces a louder sound. The cello bow has also been used to play electric guitars . Jimmy Page pioneered its application on tracks such as " Dazed and Confused ". The post-rock Icelandic band Sigur Rós 's lead singer often plays guitar using

9310-407: The calves of the player. Modern bows curve in and are held at the frog ; Baroque bows curve out and are held closer to the bow's point of balance. Modern strings are normally flatwound with a metal (or synthetic) core; Baroque strings are made of gut , with the G and C strings wire-wound. Modern cellos often have fine tuners connecting the strings to the tailpiece, which makes it much easier to tune

9443-719: The cello as a solo instrument; both tuned their instruments in fourths, an octave above the double bass. Fred Katz (who was not a bassist) was one of the first notable jazz cellists to use the instrument's standard tuning and arco technique. Contemporary jazz cellists include Abdul Wadud , Diedre Murray , Ron Carter , Dave Holland , David Darling , Lucio Amanti , Akua Dixon , Ernst Reijseger , Fred Lonberg-Holm , Tom Cora and Erik Friedlander . Modern musical theatre pieces like Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years , Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening , Adam Guettel's Floyd Collins , and Ricky Ian Gordon's My Life with Albertine use small string ensembles (including solo cellos) to

9576-534: The cello by either tightening or loosening the string. The pegs are called "friction pegs", because they maintain their position by friction. The scroll is a traditional ornamental part of the cello and a feature of all other members of the violin family . Ebony is usually used for the tuning pegs, fingerboard, and nut, but other hardwoods, such as boxwood or rosewood , can be used. Black fittings on low-cost instruments are often made from inexpensive wood that has been blackened or "ebonized" to look like ebony , which

9709-480: The cello existed before the 18th century and those that do exist contain little value to the performer beyond simple accounts of instrumental technique. One of the earliest cello manuals is Michel Corrette 's Méthode, thèorique et pratique pour apprendre en peu de temps le violoncelle dans sa perfection (Paris, 1741). Cellos are part of the standard symphony orchestra , which usually includes eight to twelve cellists. The cello section, in standard orchestral seating,

9842-419: The cello from slipping on the floor. Many cellists use a rubber pad with a metal cup to keep the tip from slipping on the floor. A number of accessories exist to keep the endpin from slipping; these include ropes that attach to the chair leg and other devices. The bridge holds the strings above the cello and transfers their vibrations to the top of the instrument and the soundpost inside (see below). The bridge

9975-416: The concertante repertoire, although in both cases the cello shares solo duties with at least one other instrument. Moreover, several composers wrote large-scale pieces for cello and orchestra, which are concertos in all but name. Some familiar "concertos" are Richard Strauss ' tone poem Don Quixote , Tchaikovsky 's Variations on a Rococo Theme , Bloch 's Schelomo and Bruch 's Kol Nidrei . In

10108-410: The earliest viola concertos known, and one for two violas ), Alessandro Rolla , Franz Anton Hoffmeister and Carl Stamitz . The viola plays an important role in chamber music . Mozart used the viola in more creative ways when he wrote his six string quintets . The viola quintets use two violas, which frees them (especially the first viola) for solo passages and increases the variety of writing that

10241-418: The eighteenth century, taking three lines of the harmony and occasionally playing the melody line. Music for the viola differs from most other instruments in that it primarily uses the alto clef . When viola music has substantial sections in a higher register, it switches to the treble clef to make it easier to read. The viola often plays the "inner voices" in string quartets and symphonic writing, and it

10374-425: The exact same intervals and strings as the viola , but an octave lower. Similar to the double bass , the cello has an endpin that rests on the floor to support the instrument's weight. The cello is most closely associated with European classical music . The instrument is a part of the standard orchestra , as part of the string section , and is the bass voice of the string quartet (although many composers give it

10507-402: The fingerboard and often require different fingerings. The viola's less responsive strings and the heavier bow warrant a somewhat different bowing technique, and a violist has to lean more intensely on the strings. The viola is held in the same manner as the violin; however, due to its larger size, some adjustments must be made to accommodate. The viola, just like the violin, is placed on top of

10640-534: The fingerboard, or tuned up by pressing the part of the string in the pegbox. These techniques may be useful in performance, reducing the ill effects of an out-of-tune string until an opportunity to tune properly. The tuning C–G–D–A is used for the great majority of all viola music. However, other tunings are occasionally employed, both in classical music , where the technique is known as scordatura , and in some folk styles. Mozart , in his Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E ♭ , wrote

10773-597: The first Camille Saint-Saëns Concerto , as well as the two sonatas and the Double Concerto by Johannes Brahms . A review of compositions for cello in the Romantic era must include the German composer Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–1847), who wrote Fantasia in G Minor for cello and piano and a Capriccio in A-flat for cello. Compositions from the late 19th and early 20th century include three cello sonatas (including

10906-496: The great composers, several preferred the viola to the violin when they were playing in ensembles, the most noted being Ludwig van Beethoven , Bach and Mozart. Other composers also chose to play the viola in ensembles, including Joseph Haydn , Franz Schubert , Mendelssohn, Dvořák, and Benjamin Britten . Among those noted both as violists and as composers are Rebecca Clarke and Hindemith. Contemporary composers and violists Kenji Bunch , Scott Slapin , and Lev Zhurbin have written

11039-405: The greatest amount of material related to the viola, including scores, recordings, instruments, and archival materials from some of the world's greatest violists. Music that is written for the viola primarily uses the alto clef , which is otherwise rarely used. Viola music employs the treble clef when there are substantial sections of music written in a higher register. The alto clef is defined by

11172-421: The important three periods of his compositional evolution. Other outstanding examples include the three Concerti by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach , Capricci by dall'Abaco, and Sonatas by Flackton, Boismortier, and Luigi Boccherini . A Divertimento for Piano, Clarinet, Viola and Cello is among the surviving works by Duchess Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1739–1807). Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart supposedly wrote

11305-428: The indie rock band Canada employs two cello players in their lineup. The orch-rock group The Polyphonic Spree , which has pioneered the use of stringed and symphonic instruments, employs the cello in creative ways for many of their " psychedelic -esque" melodies. The first-wave screamo band I Would Set Myself On Fire For You featured a cello as well as a viola to create a more folk -oriented sound. The band Panic! at

11438-411: The instrument greater stability". Modern endpins are retractable and adjustable; older ones were removed when not in use. (The word "endpin" sometimes also refers to the button of wood located at this place in all instruments in the violin family, but this is usually called "tailpin". ) The sharp tip of the cello's endpin is sometimes capped with a rubber tip that protects the tip from dulling and prevents

11571-408: The instrument, but such pins are rendered ineffective by the flexibility of the gut strings used on Baroque cellos. Overall, the modern instrument has much higher string tension than the Baroque cello, resulting in a louder, more projecting tone, with fewer overtones. In addition, the instrument was less standardized in size and number of strings; a smaller, five-string variant (the violoncello piccolo)

11704-426: The interior of the cello for repairs or maintenance. Sometimes a small length of rubber hose containing a water-soaked sponge, called a Dampit, is inserted through the f-holes and serves as a humidifier. This keeps the wood components of the cello from drying out. Internally, the cello has two important features: a bass bar , which is glued to the underside of the top of the instrument, and a round wooden sound post ,

11837-405: The left hand, facilitated by employing the fleshier pad of the finger rather than the tip, and to hold the bow and right arm further away from the player's body. A violist must bring the left elbow further forward or around, so as to reach the lowest string, which allows the fingers to press firmly and so create a clearer tone. Different positions are often used, including half position. The viola

11970-402: The left shoulder between the shoulder and the left side of the face (chin). Because of the viola's size, violists with short arms tend to use smaller-sized instruments for easier playing. The most immediately noticeable adjustments that a player accustomed to playing the violin has to make are to use wider-spaced fingerings. It is common for some players to use a wider and more intense vibrato in

12103-505: The legs. The likely predecessors of the violin family include the lira da braccio and the rebec . The earliest surviving cellos are made by Andrea Amati , the first known member of the celebrated Amati family of luthiers . The direct ancestor to the violoncello was the bass violin . Monteverdi referred to the instrument as "basso de viola da braccio" in Orfeo (1607). Although the first bass violin , possibly invented as early as 1538,

12236-402: The louder violin family came into greater favour in that country as well. In modern symphony orchestras, it is the second largest stringed instrument (the double bass is the largest). Thus, the name "violoncello" contained both the augmentative " -one " ("big") and the diminutive " -cello " ("little"). By the turn of the 20th century, it had become common to shorten the name to 'cello, with

12369-493: The lower part of the cello. The tailpiece is the part of the cello to which the "ball ends" of the strings are attached by passing them through holes. The tailpiece is attached to the bottom of the cello. The tailpiece is traditionally made of ebony or another hardwood, but can also be made of plastic or steel on lower-cost instruments. It attaches the strings to the lower end of the cello and can have one or more fine tuners. The fine tuners are used to make smaller adjustments to

12502-416: The lowest string is C (an octave below middle C ), with G, D, and A above it. This tuning is exactly one fifth below the violin, so that they have three strings in common—G, D, and A—and is one octave above the cello. Each string of a viola is wrapped around a peg near the scroll and is tuned by turning the peg. Tightening the string raises the pitch; loosening the string lowers the pitch. The A string

12635-482: The middle pitched part, where it may be reinforced an octave lower by the double basses . Figured bass music of the Baroque era typically assumes a cello, viola da gamba or bassoon as part of the basso continuo group alongside chordal instruments such as organ , harpsichord , lute , or theorbo . Cellos are found in many other ensembles, from modern Chinese orchestras to cello rock bands. The name cello

12768-421: The modern instrument in several ways. The neck has a different form and angle, which matches the baroque bass-bar and stringing. The fingerboard is usually shorter than that of the modern cello, as the highest notes are not often called for in baroque music. Modern cellos have an endpin at the bottom to support the instrument (and transmit some of the sound through the floor), while Baroque cellos are held only by

12901-543: The most recent being in 1985. In 1980, Maurice Riley produced the first attempt at a comprehensive history of the viola, in his History of the Viola , which was followed with the second volume in 1991. The IVS published the multi-language Viola Yearbook from 1979 to 1994, during which several other national chapters of the IVS published respective newsletters. The Primrose International Viola Archive at Brigham Young University houses

13034-516: The only violist to ever win the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition , and Emanuel Vardi , the first violist to record the 24 Caprices by Paganini on viola. Many noted violinists have publicly performed and recorded on the viola as well, among them Eugène Ysaÿe , Yehudi Menuhin , David Oistrakh , Pinchas Zukerman , Maxim Vengerov , Julian Rachlin , James Ehnes , and Nigel Kennedy . Among

13167-417: The open strings are C, G, D, and A (black note heads in the playing range figure above), unless alternative tuning ( scordatura ) is specified by the composer. Some composers (e.g. Ottorino Respighi in the final movement of The Pines of Rome ) ask that the low C be tuned down to a B-flat so that the performer can play a different low note on the lowest open string. The tailpiece and endpin are found in

13300-449: The pegs, and adjusters are usually recommended for younger players and put on smaller violas, though pegs and adjusters are usually used together. Some violists reverse the stringing of the C and G pegs, so that the thicker C string does not turn so severe an angle over the nut , although this is uncommon. Small, temporary tuning adjustments can also be made by stretching a string with the hand. A string may be tuned down by pulling it above

13433-405: The piece are easier to achieve on the viola. However, occasional changes must be made due to differences in the ways that the two instruments are played, as well as their differences in range. In early orchestral music, the viola part was usually limited to filling in harmonies , with very little melodic material assigned to it. When the viola was given a melodic part, it was often duplicated (or

13566-419: The pitch of the string. The fine tuners can increase the tension of each string (raising the pitch) or decrease the tension of the string (lowering the pitch). When the performer is putting on a new string, the fine tuner for that string is normally reset to a middle position, and then the peg is turned to bring the string up to pitch. The fine turners are used for subtle, minor adjustments to pitch, such as tuning

13699-427: The placement of C 4 on the middle line of the staff. As the viola is tuned exactly one octave above the cello, music that is notated for the cello can be easily transcribed for alto clef without any changes in key. For example, there are numerous editions of Bach's Cello Suites transcribed for viola. The viola also has the advantage of smaller scale-length, which means that the stretches needed by cellists to play

13832-416: The preferences of their teacher. Bows are also made from other materials, such as carbon fibre—stronger than wood—and fiberglass (often used to make inexpensive, lower-quality student bows). An average cello bow is 73 cm (29 in) long (shorter than a violin or viola bow) 3 cm (1.2 in) high (from the frog to the stick) and 1.5 cm (0.59 in) wide. The frog of a cello bow typically has

13965-422: The recording Variations . Most notably, Pink Floyd included a cello solo in their 1970 epic instrumental " Atom Heart Mother ". Bass guitarist Mike Rutherford of Genesis was originally a cellist and included some cello parts in their Foxtrot album. Established non-traditional cello groups include Apocalyptica , a group of Finnish cellists best known for their versions of Metallica songs; Rasputina ,

14098-417: The removal of the top. Theoretically, hide glue is weaker than the body's wood, so as the top or back shrinks side-to-side, the glue holding it lets go and the plate does not crack. Cellists repairing cracks in their cello do not use regular wood glue , because it cannot be steamed open when a repair has to be made by a luthier . Traditionally, bows are made from pernambuco or brazilwood . Both come from

14231-789: The rim of the instrument but spreads no further. Without purfling, cracks can spread up or down the top or back. Playing, traveling and the weather all affect the cello and can increase a crack if purfling is not in place. The fingerboard and pegs on a cello are generally made from ebony , as it is strong and does not wear out easily. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) as well as German luthier G.A. Pfretzschner produced an unknown number of aluminum cellos (in addition to aluminum double basses and violins). Cello manufacturer Luis & Clark constructs cellos from carbon fibre . Carbon fibre instruments are particularly suitable for outdoor playing because of

14364-411: The same species of tree ( Caesalpinia echinata ), but Pernambuco, used for higher-quality bows, is the heartwood of the tree and is darker in color than brazilwood (which is sometimes stained to compensate). Pernambuco is a heavy, resinous wood with great elasticity, which makes it an ideal wood for instrument bows. Horsehair is stretched out between the two ends of the bow. The taut horsehair is drawn over

14497-417: The size and shape of the viola, often adjusting proportions or shape to make a lighter instrument with shorter string lengths, but with a large enough sound box to retain the viola sound. Prior to the eighteenth century, violas had no uniform size. Large violas (tenors) were designed to play the lower register viola lines or second viola in five part harmony depending on instrumentation. A smaller viola, nearer

14630-431: The size of the violin, was called an alto viola . It was more suited to higher register writing, as in the viola 1 parts, as their sound was usually richer in the upper register. Its size was not as conducive to a full tone in the lower register. Several experiments have intended to increase the size of the viola to improve its sound and harmony. Hermann Ritter 's viola alta , which measured about 48 cm (19 in),

14763-540: The slow movement in scordatura), Alexander Glazunov (who wrote an Elegy , Op. 44, for viola and piano), and Maurice Ravel all promised concertos for viola, yet all three died before doing any substantial work on them. In the latter part of the 20th century a substantial repertoire was produced for the viola; many composers including Miklós Rózsa , Revol Bunin , Alfred Schnittke , Sofia Gubaidulina , Giya Kancheli and Krzysztof Penderecki , have written viola concertos . The American composer Morton Feldman wrote

14896-921: The standard repertoire. Other major composers who wrote concertante works for him include Messiaen , Jolivet , Berio , and Penderecki . In addition, Arnold , Barber , Glass , Hindemith , Honegger , Ligeti, Myaskovsky , Penderecki, Rodrigo , Villa-Lobos and Walton wrote major concertos for other cellists, notably for Gaspar Cassadó , Aldo Parisot , Gregor Piatigorsky, Siegfried Palm and Julian Lloyd Webber . There are also many sonatas for cello and piano . Those written by Beethoven , Mendelssohn , Chopin , Brahms , Grieg , Rachmaninoff , Debussy , Fauré , Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Poulenc , Carter , and Britten are particularly well known. Other important pieces for cello and piano include Schumann's five Stücke im Volkston and transcriptions like Schubert 's Arpeggione Sonata (originally for arpeggione and piano), César Franck 's Cello Sonata (originally

15029-404: The strength of the material and its resistance to humidity and temperature fluctuations. Luis & Clark has produced over 1000 cellos, some of which are owned by cellists such as Yo-Yo Ma and Josephine van Lier . Above the main body is the carved neck. The neck has a curved cross-section on its underside, which is where the player's thumb runs along the neck during playing. The neck leads to

15162-410: The strings, while being held roughly parallel to the bridge and perpendicular to the strings, to produce sound. A small knob is twisted to increase or decrease the tension of the horsehair. The tension on the bow is released when the instrument is not being used. The amount of tension a cellist puts on the bow hair depends on the preferences of the player, the style of music being played, and for students,

15295-435: The tensions of the bridge and strings. Together, the bass bar and sound post transfer the strings' vibrations to the top (front) of the instrument (and to a lesser extent the back), acting as a diaphragm to produce the instrument's sound. Cellos are constructed and repaired using hide glue , which is strong but reversible, allowing for disassembly when needed. Tops may be glued on with diluted glue since some repairs call for

15428-523: The term viola da braccio , meaning, literally, 'of the arm'. "Brazzo" was another Italian word for the viola, which the Germans adopted as Bratsche . The French had their own names: cinquiesme was a small viola, haute contre was a large viola, and taile was a tenor . Today, the French use the term alto , a reference to its range. The viola was popular in the heyday of five-part harmony , up until

15561-448: The twentieth century. Pre-twentieth century viola players of note include Stamitz, Rolla, Antonio Rolla , Chrétien Urhan , Casimir Ney , Louis van Waefelghem , and Ritter. Important viola pioneers from the twentieth century were Tertis, William Primrose , Hindemith, Théophile Laforge , Cecil Aronowitz , Maurice Vieux , Borisovsky, Lillian Fuchs , Dino Asciolla , Frederick Riddle , Walter Trampler , Ernst Wallfisch , Csaba Erdélyi,

15694-670: The viola by performers and composers in the twentieth century led to increased research devoted to the instrument. Paul Hindemith and Vadim Borisovsky made an early attempt at an organization, in 1927, with the Violists' World Union. But it was not until 1968, with the creation of the Viola-Forschungsgesellschaft, now the International Viola Society (IVS), that a lasting organization took hold. The IVS now consists of twelve chapters around

15827-471: The viola part in D major, and specified that the violist raises the strings in pitch by a semitone. He probably intended to give the viola a brighter tone so the rest of the ensemble would not overpower it. Tertis, in his transcription of the Elgar cello concerto , wrote the slow movement with the C string tuned down to B ♭ , enabling the viola to play one passage an octave lower. A renewal of interest in

15960-658: The viola, encouraged by the emergence of specialized soloists such as Lionel Tertis and William Primrose . English composers Arthur Bliss , Edwin York Bowen , Benjamin Dale , Frank Bridge , Benjamin Britten , Rebecca Clarke and Ralph Vaughan Williams all wrote substantial chamber and concert works. Many of these pieces were commissioned by, or written for, Tertis. William Walton , Bohuslav Martinů , Tōru Takemitsu , Tibor Serly , Alfred Schnittke , and Béla Bartók have written well-known viola concertos. The concerti by Bartók , Paul Hindemith , Carl Stamitz , Georg Philipp Telemann , and Walton are considered major works of

16093-416: The viola. Two Czech composers, Bedřich Smetana and Leoš Janáček , included significant viola parts, originally written for viola d'amore , in their quartets " From My Life " and " Intimate Letters " respectively: the quartets begin with an impassioned statement by the viola. This is similar to Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven all occasionally played the viola part in chamber music. The viola occasionally has

16226-400: The viola; being himself a violist, he often performed his own works. Claude Debussy 's Sonata for flute, viola and harp has inspired a significant number of other composers to write for this combination. Charles Wuorinen composed his virtuosic Viola Variations in 2008 for Lois Martin. Elliott Carter also wrote several works for viola including his Elegy (1943) for viola and piano; it

16359-418: 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. The top and back of the cello have a decorative border inlay known as purfling . While purfling is attractive, it is also functional: if the instrument is struck, the purfling can prevent cracking of the wood. A crack may form at

16492-884: The world, the largest being the American Viola Society (AVS), which publishes the Journal of the American Viola Society . In addition to the journal, the AVS sponsors the David Dalton Research Competition and the Primrose International Viola Competition . The 1960s also saw the beginning of several research publications devoted to the viola, beginning with Franz Zeyringer's, Literatur für Viola , which has undergone several versions,

16625-503: Was Debussy who diagnosed Russell as being partially deaf . During World War II , Russell worked for British Intelligence in Italy . He married the social worker and university teacher Katherine Russell on 1 June 1957. Russell died at his home on 9 April 1991 and a book on him Sheridan's Story was published privately by his wife in 1993 and all 1800 copies were sold. This United Kingdom biographical article related to medicine

16758-484: Was commonly used as a solo instrument and five-string instruments are occasionally specified in the Baroque repertoire. BWV 1012 (Bach's 6th Cello Suite) was written for 5 string Cello but since its additional High E String is an Octave below the same string on the Violin, anything written for the Violin can be played on the 5 string Cello, sounding an Octave lower than written. Few educational works specifically devoted to

16891-469: Was in unison with) the melody played by other strings. The concerti grossi, Brandenburg Concertos , composed by J. S. Bach , were unusual in their use of viola. The third concerto grosso, scored for three violins, three violas, three cellos, and basso continuo, requires virtuosity from the violists. Indeed, Viola I has a solo in the last movement which is commonly found in orchestral auditions. The sixth concerto grosso, Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 , which

17024-478: Was intended for use in Wagner 's operas. The Tertis model viola, which has wider bouts and deeper ribs to promote a better tone, is another slightly "nonstandard" shape that allows the player to use a larger instrument. Many experiments with the acoustics of a viola, particularly increasing the size of the body, have resulted in a much deeper tone, making it resemble the tone of a cello. Since many composers wrote for

17157-402: Was most likely inspired by the viol, it was created to be used in consort with the violin. The bass violin was actually often referred to as a " violone ", or "large viola", as were the viols of the same period. Instruments that share features with both the bass violin and the viola da gamba appear in Italian art of the early 16th century. The invention of wire-wound strings (fine wire around

17290-556: Was partially of Jewish descent through his parents and of Spanish and Portuguese descent through his mother. He appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 4 April 1970. Russell was known as Britain's first male almoner. Russell did not speak until he was three years old. At five years of age, he began to learn the cello . As a child in Paris , he was frequently taken to lunch with Claude Debussy . It

17423-529: Was scored for 2 violas "concertino", cello, 2 violas da gamba , and continuo, had the two violas playing the primary melodic role. He also used this unusual ensemble in his cantata, Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 and in Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 , the chorale is accompanied by an obbligato viola. There are a few Baroque and Classical concerti, such as those by Georg Philipp Telemann (one for solo viola , being one of

17556-559: Was subsequently transcribed for clarinet. Ernest Bloch , a Swiss-born American composer best known for his compositions inspired by Jewish music, wrote two famous works for viola, the Suite 1919 and the Suite Hébraïque for solo viola and orchestra. Rebecca Clarke was a 20th-century composer and violist who also wrote extensively for the viola. Lionel Tertis records that Elgar (whose cello concerto Tertis transcribed for viola, with

17689-564: Was writing for cello in the mid 20th century with Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra (1951), Concerto No. 2 for Cello and Orchestra (1963) and in 1964 composed her Quartet for four cellos. In the 2010s, the instrument is found in popular music , but was more commonly used in 1970s pop and disco music. Today it is sometimes featured in pop and rock recordings, examples of which are noted later in this article. The cello has also appeared in major hip-hop and R & B performances, such as singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo 's 2007 performance at

#518481