My wife and I have a very unbalanced relationship. I sing and play violin and piano and occasionally the guitar and ukulele as well. Although my hard earned skills are much admired Jacqui always garners the most accolades because she plays the cello. And everybody LOVES cello!
Whenever we perform together, no matter how many notes I play on the violin, how delicately I tickle the ivories or how passionately I sing, people will always come up afterwards and say “I just love the cello.” So why do you think that is?
What is a cello?
The cello was invented in the 1500s and is part of the violin family. It was originally called the violoncello which actually means something like “little big-violin”. It’s all very complicated. You can read the details here on Wiki if you’re interested. The cello is a lot bigger than the violin or viola and is traditionally played sitting down with the instrument held between the legs. The modern cello has a spike between the instrument and the floor for stability although the first baroque cellos didn’t have the spike. I guess those baroque cellists had really strong thigh muscles!
The cello is tuned an octave lower than the viola, which in turn is tuned a fifth lower than the violin.
What type of music can a cello play?
Traditionally the cello is a classical instrument, originally designed to play the bass line in trio-sonatas of the baroque era. There are plenty of classical solos written for cello, but nowadays it is most commonly seen in symphony orchestras. (Jacqui spent many years as a member of the Adelaide Symphony and about a year as a part-timer with the Sydney Symphony before joining me on my mad musical adventures!).
The sound of cello is also common in pop and folk recordings, especially in ballads where it can add a haunting tonality.
More recently the cello has found viral popularity through two YouTube groups, The Piano Guys and 2Cellos. Both of these groups explore new uses for the cello’s wide range and virtuosic possibilities. Jacqui and I have a lot of fun with our own Piano Guys tribute group which we’ve called The Cello Guys.
Is it hard to play the cello?
In a word “yes”. Unlike the guitar, the cello has no frets to help you know where to put your left-hand fingers to make the notes. You also have to learn how to make a nice sound with the bow. As you get more advanced you need to learn a technique called “thumb-position” to make the higher notes. This can be quite physically painful, as well as difficult to master.
As an added point of difficulty, carrying a cello around is a pain in the butt!
Why does everybody love cello?
I wish I knew! Here are a few theories.
1. Mellow tone
Like I said, the cello is a lot lower in sound than the violin or viola and that low tone is serene and pleasant to the ear without being intrusive
2. Good looking
There’s something romantic about the sight of a cellist sitting on her chair with the instrument resting comfortably between her legs. The violin crammed up under a fiddler’s chin looks quite awkward in comparison.
3. Sophisticated
People associate the cello with upmarket music and events. This is probably because of its use in symphony orchestras, and also the legend that cellos are really really expensive (yes, some are, but a lot aren’t!)
4. Mysterious
Although most people can put a name to the cello when they see one, many have never seen or heard one up close. People get really excited when they see my wife arrive at a gig around Adelaide with her cello.
5. Cool
For some reason it seems to have become suddenly cool to play cello. And of course cool never needs a reason. Young singers are using a cello as a prop in their promo photos, even when they don’t play it very well.
That’s all the theories I’ve got. Let us know if you have any of your own!
In case you’re interested, here are the websites for all of our cello-inclusive projects:
String Fever – a unique violin & cello variety act
Adelaide String Duo – a basic classical duo for weddings and functions
The Cello Guys (as plugged above!)
Elton by Brenton – our Elton John tribute show features a lot of cello. It really works well. Elton himself even included 2Cellos in his touring line-up for a while.
String Fever Studio – we record string lines and virtual orchestras for various projects
To your five hypotheses of why people love the cello I wish to add a sixth. My apologies for perhaps being a little forward for a blog comment, but my sixth is ‘Seduction’.
I remember keenly Truls Mørk playing the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the ASO many years ago. I went to the Thursday, Friday and Saturday Masters concerts to hear the variations in his playing and interpretations of this wonderful music; and since have been fortunate to see him play with the LSO in London, as well as other virtuoso cellist since.
The whole concerto is a seduction and ends with a rapturous, deeply penetrating climax.
On first impressions you will, I am sure, read this as intending a sexual interpretation; it can be, but for me it is a seduction of the Psyche, the totallity of what we are, the collective conscious and unconscious.
The cello, above all instruments, is a vehicle for accessing through sound the deeper experiences of our existences, beyond the routines of daily life. Jewish peoples appreciate this more than most, hence the great Jewish players such as the other Jacqui (du Pré) and Steven Isserlis.
Although violinists like to think of themselves as playing the King of instruments, the cello is the Emperor of instruments. It resonates, charms and seduces us away from the humdrum of life and connects us across time and the continents to ourselves.