September 2010
Beginner
376 pages
12h 7m
English
Coming into form in the 17th century, this versatile performer is, among many things, the bass instrument in a string quartet, a solo instrument in chamber music, and the tenor voice in the string section of an orchestra. The cello is played while seated and held between the musician’s legs, using an endpin extending from the bottom to hold it up off the floor. A descendent of the viola de gamba and known as the “violoncello” until the 20th century, the cello reached peak popularity in the 18th century and continued to be a favorite solo instrument for composers and audiences ...
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