Building the Trio Sonata Cycle | Preview: the Baroque Cello
- Leah Froyd
- Aug 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 10
Hello & welcome to our second installment of our previews for Building the Trio Sonata. This week we’ll be covering the history of the cello in the baroque period (approximately 1600s-mid 1700s). To hear this instrument LIVE, RSVP to our next concerts coming up later this month!
Concert Schedule
we suggest a voluntary donation of $35 as part of your reservation to help support future Insight projects and to keep current programming accessible to everyone.
The Baroque Cello
The cello has undergone very similar developments as the baroque violin which we covered last week. It originally used gut strings and the baroque bow design which made its tone very similar to the other string instruments. An additional physical difference between the modern and baroque cello is that the baroque cello is held between the player’s legs whereas the modern design features an endpin which anchors the instrument to the ground and it’s invention greatly alleviated fatigue for longer compositions
Cello’s most direct ancestor was the bass violin which accompanied instruments like the baroque violin and viola de gamba. Bass violins slightly varied in pitch and size, but usually larger and lower pitched than the standardized baroque cello.
The Cello's Role
From it’s origins as the bass violin, the cello was the most readily bowed bass instrument. Outside of the very colorful solo repertoire, the cello mainly held an accompaniment role within ensembles. This is because it was part of the basso continuo section alongside instruments like the harpsichord, lute, theorbo, and organ— similar to a rhythm section of a contemporary rock band.
Above is a basso continuo manuscript: the lower staff with the bass clef (C shape) is the music that the cello would read. Notice it is not as decorated or busy as the upper staff (melody), but instead features numbers. The numbers indicate the chords that would accompany the bass line. This method of notation is called figured bass and is similar to today’s chord sheets.
In the listening below, notice the way the ensemble is unified using the basso continuo part and how the flute is able to stand out with the main melody.
But wait! This is not to say the cello wasn’t a virtuosic instrument or never had any solos in orchestral settings!
The cello was heavily used in highly agile and ornate music like the violin. In the double concerto written by Vivaldi below listen to the way the cello is spotlighted, especially in it’s higher register in order to cut through the texture of the orchestra.
Want to hear it in person?
Have burning questions about the music?
Have something else to share with other members of our community?
Our general admission sale is currently underway for our next concert series in San Francisco. You can now reserve a seat at any of our upcoming concerts!!
Program
Cento partite sopra passacagli, F 2.29 | Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)
Cello Sonata in D major No. 1 | Giovanni Platti (1697-1763)
Selection TBD
Violin Sonata in G Major BWV 1021 | J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Selection TBD
--Intermission--
Sonata in A Major Op. 3 | Jean Marie Leclair (1697-1764)
Sonata da chiesa a tre in F Major | Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
I. Grave
II. Allegro
III. Vivace
IV. Allegro
Homage to Corelli | Cooper Grosscup b. 1994
I. Grave
II. Allegro
III. Vivace
IV. Allegro
Thanks for reading and we hope to see you in a few weeks at our concert where Hasan Abualhaj will be playing a baroque cello!
Leah Froyd
President of Insight Chamber
Comments