Cello

The cello is a bowed musical instrument with 4 strings tuned in fifths: Sb Gb Dm Am. In terms of pitch, it occupies an intermediate position between a higher alto and a low double bass.

The appearance of the cello dates back to the beginning of the XVI century. Initially, it was used as a bass instrument to accompany singing or performing on an instrument of a higher register. There were numerous varieties of the cello that differed from each other in size, number of strings, and structure (most often there was a tone tuning below the modern one).

In the XVII—XVIII centuries, the efforts of outstanding musical masters of Italian schools (Nicolo Amati, Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Carlo Bergonzi, Domenico Montagnana, etc.) created a classical cello model with a firmly established body size. At the end of the XVII century, the first solo works for cello appeared ― sonatas and ricercars by Domenico Gabrielli. By the middle of the XVIII century, the cello began to be used as a concert instrument, and thanks to a brighter, fuller sound and improving performance technique, it finally supplanted the viola da gamba from musical practice. The cello is also a part of the symphony orchestra and chamber ensembles. The final approval of the cello as one of the leading instruments in music took place in the XX century through the efforts of the outstanding musician Pablo Casals. The development of performance schools on this instrument has led to the emergence of numerous virtuoso cellists who regularly perform solo concerts.

The repertoire of the cello is very wide and includes numerous concerts, sonatas, and unaccompanied compositions