Introducing the Baroque Piccolo Cello

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0:00 Introduction
0:15 Five string tuning
0:31 The sound
0:40 The instrument
1:06 Bach's use of the piccolo cello
1:56 Excerpt of Bach's BWV6
2:33 Violin family instruments before standardisation
3:13 Different approach to playing
4:05 Performance of Bach's Suite No.6, Gavotte II
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[@kurtkaufman]

The D major suite by J. S. Bach contains much upper range passage work which, because it's difficult to play, inevitably results in a certain increased intensity on a four-string cello. Playing the same suite on a five string cello relaxes the sound and changes the character of the piece as performed.

[@clancywiggam]

Interesting. I'd love to hear that.

[@peterwollenberg4905]

@@clancywiggam Look for the excellent 1998 recording by Pieter Wispelwey, he uses a cello piccolo in places for this recording.

[@petertrubody8463]

Could you please put more videos out on the piccolo cello

[@vinny142]

Made in 1739, almost 300 years old. If only it could talk. Ofcourse it will have had it's little repairs here and there but the fact that it is still being played today is a testament to the workmanship of mister Schonger.

[@JessmanChicken86]

It's a bit like if you combined a cello, violin, and viola into one instrument. I absolutely love it.

[@JScaranoMusic]

Yeah, there are five-string violas that have a high E string. This is just that but an octave lower. Very interesting.

[@loiman4179]

How

[@JScaranoMusic]

@@loiman4179 A violin has G, D, A, and E strings; a viola has C, G, D, and A - the same as the lowest three on the violin and another one that's lower. A cello also has C, G, D, and A, but an octave lower. This has C, G, D, A and E, combing all the strings of the violin and viola, but an octave lower like the cello.

[@WhoDis-se2uq]

Ew no, not a viola 🤢🤮 I’m kidding don’t come after me

[@linc8983]

This came on my feed. The last piece played was just beautiful and the way the low notes collide with the high ones is just marvelous. I enjoyed this an awful lot.

[@andycordy5190]

Bach's genius is ever inspiring. For me, never more so in his French inflected works. The Gavotte here is somehow unmistakable but also richly flavoured by the sound of French dance music for Viols. Gorgeous.

[@victotronics]

I love these presentations of instruments I may never have heard of.

[@aegirosaurusichthyosaur541]

VERY nice! Beautiful instrument

[@notmyworld44]

If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it! I kept waiting for her to play a lyrical passage on that E-string. I enjoyed the video.

[@Tyltonstudios]

I literally screamed “Yes” when i saw the new upload. Also, the new background is really nice.

[@EdMcF1]

So what you're saying is 'It's a sort of big viola.' 🙂

[@vibratingstring]

An enormous octave violin or, er, a bowed Irish bouzouki!

[@kellysikorski1824]

No, a normal cello is a big viola. This is a big 5-string violin.

[@alastairwilson457]

What a wonderful instrument, beautifully played and explained. I must get one!

[@kidmohair8151]

there is a certain something about the people who decide to make the cello their means of expressing their art. sidebar: there's more than a touch of hurdy-gurdy in that last piece.

[@alantracy6757]

What a beautiful deep sound it makes, that low C# note

[@phineas1117]

It’s a D because it’s tuned in A=415Hz instead of A=440Hz

[@jochanaan58]

Very interesting! I've played BWV6 but on modern instruments (I played English horn--love the first air!), and I had no idea the "cello" part was actually for cello piccolo!

[@donalddonaldson7404]

Thank you.

[@jonathan7140]

Fantastic sounding instrument!

[@bigsarge2085]

Very cool and interesting!

[@yvesdelombaerde5909]

« When 285 Years Old You Reach, Look As Good You Will Not »

[@antoinepetrov]

Yay, another video from this series! We're all blessed

[@JulieAnnGilman]

Truly beautiful

[@LyleGlenn]

Agreed, and so is the dark cello.

[@oldcrow6990]

So beautiful. I miss playing cello. Thank you!

[@MemphiStig]

I've been studying music most of my life. I have a Music Education degree, and a ridiculous number of hours in college. I even studied cello for 5 years. And I've never heard of this instrument. Or the Bass violin I saw on Antiques Roadshow a couple of months ago. Beautiful sound. Amazing that the instrument you're playing is older than the USA.

[@vibratingstring]

Delicious sound. Wonderful explanation. I hope you tour the USA someday soon!

[@hansvonhochtann2739]

you can really see in her paying how much she loves this cello and how much they are becoming one while playing

[@martinmulvany1157]

Sounds beautiful.

[@B1bthinkin]

Thank you for this introduction to such a beautiful instrument.

[@tabd3277]

Wow those doubles-stops were beautiful. So rich and full sounding. Gave me goosebumps. Thank you for the really interesting information.

[@angelabrady9342]

Such a pretty instrument with the trimming around fingerboard, pegs etc. (curious to know if it was bone, ivory or a pale timber?). Also, old is the bow? Is it high tensioned, or the wood just shaped that way for this era instrument?

[@Nepeta-Leijon]

im a violinist, not a cellist, so i dont know for sure, but violin bows from the era have a similar shape so i would guess cello bows were similar back then

[@yugandali]

I grumble and gripe about KZbin's ads and swear never to support the advertisers, but where else can we see such fascinating clips?

[@allthumbs3792]

Lovely!! Hope to hear more of this wonderful extended range cello.

[@ivormalherbe4502]

Without the low C, isn't it a "Tenor Violin" as described by Auguste Tolbecque ? Thank so much for this video.

[@sommelierofstench]

something special about an instrument so old

[@GuitarUniverse2013]

It’s fantastic! It’s beautiful, you’re beautiful, and the variety of instruments that were available for that time. Continues to amaze us. Thank you so so much for bringing us to our attention! Keep playing…

[@jesuisravi]

beautiful instrument and beautifully played...

[@oulunsaloensemble]

Such a beautiful instrument. ✨🙌 Thanks for the video!

[@Dan.Parker]

I have often thought that violins are quite limited and actually hard at times to listen to. Your explanation about how string instruments were much more diverse several hundred years ago makes perfect sense.

[@leoperarm]

Love these videos

[@omorsebrown]

Really beautiful playing!

[@truthinesssss]

Delightful, thank you. ☀️

[@kansasllama]

Absolutely gorgeous

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

It's a 5 string Cello (I have one too) and actually it can be used to play Violin music an Octave Lower than written

[@johkkarkalis8860]

Yes! The instrument is the only way to play the D major 6th cello suite It gets ones attention after hearing the first 5 of these essential works. It amazes me that any instruments survive from Bach's time.. Tender loving care, I would wager.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@johkkarkalis8860 But Violin music an Octave lower, this instrument is going to be quite useful

[@johkkarkalis8860]

@@RockStarOscarStern634 The 1st time I heard the 6th cello suite by Bach played by Nikolaus Harnoncourt on a mid 17th century piccolo violoncello my ears perked up, "Wow! What a sound!". For this 84 year old kid Bach travels well indeed -- I wouldn't doubt that "Art of Fugue" would sound just fine, performed by a kazoo quartet.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@johkkarkalis8860 Bach's Violin Sonatas and Partitas actually should work on the 5 String Cello too

[@dougmiles7124]

It almost fits logically between a viola and cello, like a missing link.

[@francoisvillon1300]

It would be entertaining to see it next to a 'regular' cello.

[@hildegerdhaugen7864]

Love it.

[@caiogarzeri7831]

very interesting and beautiful!

[@gustavocortesmunizaga814]

Thank you!!!

[@PlanetImo]

Realyy interesting, thanks :)

[@lonhodowal8779]

What a delicious sound you bring from this instrument. It convinces me that this piece must have been created for you. Thank rou. L

[@chromatos7428]

Ah my favourite instrument, the little big small viol!

[@choccyfan]

Thanks

[@oae]

Dear @choccyfan, thank you so much for your generous donation. It is much appreciated! ❤️🙏

[@geef6770]

Großartig!

[@chrisperyagh]

And to think I'd only recently heard of the violoncello da spalla and today here's the violoncello piccolo! How many more types of cello are there?

[@vicbanks9079]

What a delight to see and hear a rare antiquarian instrument. I would've liked some close-up shots detailing what looks to be fine workmanship. Explanation of such a dark wood color, the white material edging the upper neck, etc. Of course how about a word regarding who is your lovely musician? More please. And many thanks

[@kaclama]

Her name is on screen at the start of the video.

[@vicbanks9079]

@@kaclama I was distracted by her youthful beauty, thank you.

[@pagorami5253]

i would love to own one to play bach's 6th suite...

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

I had heard of the violoncello piccolo before, but this is the first time I have actually seen one, and find it a bit surprising that it is almost the same size as a normal cello . . . although I just noticed that the Wikipedia article on the cello has a photo of one that is scarcely smaller than this one. Too bad these are not made any more.

[@johnrobinsoniii4028]

The ‘Cello with five strings-just like the “Viola Pomposa”, Musicians could play the famous “Sixth Suite” of Bach.

[@ChrissieCaulfield]

I love this instrument. I have an electric 'octave' violin which has 5 strings tuned exactly the same. I wonder if I can learn some Bach on it :)

[@Cellosong2007]

Totally possible, even easier! Especially on the higher passages of Suite No. 6

[@michaelbishop.]

Naivety perhaps, but expect all stringed instruments to be available with extra strings for flexibility.

[@MatthewWaltonWalton]

This is why I play 7 string bass viol and look enviously upon the 5 string fiddles which seem to be becoming more prevalent on the folk scene in England. There are limits to practicality of course but an extra string is so much fun!

[@kishascape]

The Picello 😊

[@stickom]

Gavotte II.. sweet!🙂

[@ThinWhiteAxe]

i just wanna say i love her accent

[@t3hgr8gabbo]

Violone = big viol Violoncello = little big viol Violoncello piccolo = little little big viol

[@eckligt]

For an example of an even smaller cello being played "da spalla" (on the shoulder) as Luise Buchberger mentions, here's the 6th Bach Cello Suite played by Sergey Malov as part of The Netherlands Bach Society: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZOrZH2Pm7edhbM

[@MsCellobass]

Nice cello

[@trishtraynor]

Ooooooo. That's a fruity sound. 💖

[@mtv565]

When you say piccolo cello, it technically mean the viola. Since the viola is tuned exactly one octave above the cello, hence "piccolo". Never expect there is another instrument bigger than the viola!

[@noahleong6426]

But this isnt tuned an octave above the cello, its gdae is an octave below the violin

[@CanadianDivergent]

I prefer the modern cello when playing the 6th suite. But this is beautiful! omg I would be so afraid of it getting dinged or broken and then the remainder of my life paying for it...

[@chrislj2890]

2:07 Who was the lady singing? She sounded fantastic. The cello was impressive and I'd like to hear that whole performance.

[@oae]

Hi @chrislj2890, The lady singing is soprano Miriam Allan.

[@chrislj2890]

@@oae Thank you!

[@instrumentalheadquarters7062]

Historic bass(low) flutes?

[@jacks5kids]

Look how short the fingerboard is! It seems that the distance from the end of the fingerboard to the bridge is more than double that of a regular 'cello. That means you must lose a whole octave of playable stopped (non-harmonic) high notes. By eye, it looks like the end of the fingerboard gives each string about a twelfth of range. The E-string gives an additional fifth, of course, but the overall result must mean that this old piccolo cello actually has significantly less range than a regular 4-string 'cello played all the way to the end of its fingerboard. Is that true in practice? It seems that it is quite recent (Elgar?) that cellists play notes in the highest register.

[@seishoaniki]

😊

[@geraldtrimble8376]

This is a lovely video. More study and use of 5 string is needed. Please, though, there is absolutely no historical reference anywhere to 5 strings as "violoncello piccolo".

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

Is the piccolo cello (expecially the four stringed G-d-a-e' version) practically the same as the "taille de violon" / tenor violin? Or should they be considered different instruments?

[@347Jimmy]

I would think that body size/scale length would be the differentiating factor Small instrument = tenor violin, large instrument = piccolo cello

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

@@347Jimmy Might be.

[@jonathanwingmusic]

Beautiful instrument! Interesting it was called "piccolo" which implies a higher register tuning, you'd expect overall that it would be either a 5th or full octave higher all around, like a viola. But I suppose in this case it's really just a cello with that added E string for an expanded range, and yet overall in a smaller size which lends it a thinner, airier, more delicate tone. I love the double stops at the end!

[@gerardvila4685]

My understanding was that we don't really know… If you analyse it: Viola = viol (aka viola) (a viol in English can be any size, same with French viole, don't know about Italian) Violone = big viol (double bass I think) Violoncello = small big viol = small double bass? Piccolo Violoncello = little small big viol

[@jonathanwingmusic]

@@gerardvila4685 haha nice, yes it's kinda funny all the different names. I guess my implication is based on stuff like Piccolo Flute, Piccolo Clarinet, Piccolo Snare drum etc - all of which are not only smaller in size but also tuned higher as a result, so I found it interesting the Piccolo Cello isn't really tuned any differently, it's more like a 3/4 or 7/8 cello with an extra string. Cool either way!

[@sparkystep]

Is this the instrument I heard in one of the Cantatas atThe Saffron Hall on Sunday?

[@oae]

Yes it is!🙂

[@mileshember3501]

I was there too, & noticed this instrument resting by her side, 5 strings clearly visible. What a delight to have this commentary and examples. The concert was splendid, highly enjoyable. Thankyou to all involved!

[@sparkystep]

@@mileshember3501 It was an wonderful experience the performace was outstanding and the acoustics of Saffron Hall really help. I noticed the sound piccolo cello did not carry as well as the standard cello though.

[@classicgameplay10]

I didnt know Piccolo Daimao had a cello named after him.

[@olorin4317]

4:05

[@semiot8305]

Modern cellos need that 5th string.

[@gxtmfa]

Anything to avoid viola

[@genustinca5565]

Why are some older cellos - like this one - very dark in colour?

[@aleksdizhe]

I. Want. A 5-string. Cello.

[@kiereluurs1243]

🥱

[@niamhoconnor8986]

The cello almost sounds as good as her accent

[@bg357wg]

So…a PiccoCello?

[@DouglasKnisely]

Such a shame the 5-string cello fell out of favor.

[@johnrobinsoniii4028]

You know…the 5-string ‘Cello could have gone the “other way”: A low “Contra-F” string. (Why not?)

[@uubuuh]

well we’re all here for it now

[@cellectronica]

@@johnrobinsoniii4028 In one aspect, the history of violoncello was a quest as tenor instrument. The high-pitched melodies generated from the tenor body characterizes the cello as a solo instrument. (You know Salut d'amour, The swan...etc) Bach's suites are wonderful pieces that show, at the same time, cello can act very well at both of bass and solo. Violoncello piccolo may be a product of the spicy challenge of balance to maintain its characteristics.

[@parthoroy9141]

Viola on steroids

[@nottooherbal]

A pickled cello.