The Baroque Cello Revival: An Oral History

by Paul R. Laird

This resource considers the Baroque cello's revival as part of the period instrument movement from the viewpoints of over forty cellists from three generations and four luthiers who have worked on period cellos. What emerges is a nuanced and detailed picture of the cello in the past and present and the varied instruments now played under the label "Baroque cello."

Period instruments played with appropriate techniques have become a major presence in classical music in recent decades. For the cello, which changed substantially between the end of the sixteenth and early eighteenth centuries, it is challenging to describe specific traits for certain time periods, let alone how it was played in those periods.

By chronicling the searches of over forty top cellists in England, Europe, and North America, the author goes far in revealing the great variety of forms that exist. This is the first study in which the revival of a single period instrument has been considered in such qualified detail and will be of great interest to musicologists, luthiers, and anyone interested in string history.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2004

Reviews

[Allen Garvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An examination of the revival of the baroque cello in the 20th century, mainly told by the form of brief sections about the cellists themselves... 5 or 6 pages each. In it, we learn about individual players' approaches to the instrument and music--down to minutiae like what kinds of strings and bows they prefer, the particular set ups, etc. Fascinating, and with a lot of gamba interest as well, since many of the players are also viol players.