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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 420
(5/19/01 2:46:16 pm)
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Favorite
cello-related books:
My all-time favorite is probably John Holt's "Never too Late"
(specifically about cello) but I also like "Music for the Joy of it"
and "Tone Deaf and All Thumbs". I could go on and make a longer list
but I'd like to see what the rest of you come up with.
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JanJan2
Registered User
Posts: 146
(5/21/01 7:18:10 am)
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Re: Favorite
cello-related books:
Ditto on "Never Too Late" and "Music for the Joy of It." Another of
my favorites is "A Soprano on Her Head" by Eloise Ristad (sp?). It's
not specific to cello, but is about performance in general and
overcoming obstacles.
Janet |
TerryM
Registered User
Posts: 407
(5/21/01 9:17:29 am)
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Re: Favorite
cello-related books:
I have found the book "One Hundred Years of Violoncello - A History
of Technique and Performance Practice 1740-1840," by Valerie Walden,
Cambridge University Press, 1998, to be an excellent book on the
development of cello technique and the music written for it.
The biography of "David Popper" by De'ak is also an
enjoyable read. "The Cambridge Companion to the Cello" is another
good book. For those interested in the history of cello playing,
Margaret Campbell's book "The Great Cellists" is an excellent survey
of the history of cellists.
Terry
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Sopher
Registered User
Posts: 43
(5/21/01 10:03:19 pm)
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RE: Cello/music
books
Ditto the recommendation of both the Holt book and "Making Music
for the Joy of it" by Stephanie Judy. If you like the Holt you
should check out:
"For the Love of it Amateuring and its
Rivals" by Wayne Booth - like Holt he started cello late but he had
a big advantage of a spouse who was a competent violinist. Needless
to say, he (they) found themselves in quartets pretty quickly. A
pretty philosophical book by a guy in his 80's who still plays the
cello badly by his own admission.
"The Inner Game of Music"
by Barry Green and Timothy Gallway is also a must read.
Your
mileage may vary.
enjoy
Sopher
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cellofreak1286
Registered User
Posts: 36
(5/22/01 8:55:34 pm)
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cello
books
The Soloist by Mark Salzaman (sp?)
This is not a book about
cello technique or history. It is a fictional novel with a
struggling cellist as the main character. So, yes it is fiction, but
a fabulous book that really makes you think (even if it wasn't
intended to do so). I highly reccomend it.
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Tim
Janof
Administrator
Posts: 229
(5/23/01 1:49:50 pm)
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Re: Favorite
cello-related books:
"Casals and the Art of Interpretation" by David Blum and
"Paul
Tortelier" by Paul Tortelier and David Blum are sentimental
favorites of mine.
Edited by: Tim
Janof at: 5/23/01 2:00:44 pm
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Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
Posts: 319
(5/24/01 9:49:47
am)
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"A Cellist's
Life, by Colin Hampton
Published late last year by the folks who bring us STRINGS
magazine. This little book (87 text pages plus some lists) is
absolutely a gem. I'm glad I've lived long enough to see it. The few
excerpts published in the latest issue of STRINGS magazine induced
by to buy the book.
Colin Hampton, the cellist of the
internationally known Griller Quartet that concertized for 35 years,
died in 1996 and his son Ian assembled this book from voice
recordings of Colin's. The description of Pablo Casals' thumb on the
bow (as viewed by Colin from Casals' bed during Bonnie Hampton's
(one of his ex-wives) cello lesson is alone worth the price of the
book. And then there is also some of his guidance on how to play
(and how not to). His observations about many famous performers and
composers are pricelessly irreverent. Hampton was clearly a very
opinionated person and musician, whose opinions were probably very
unpopular in many circles.
I had the good fortune to be
coached by Colin Hampton one morning in a Brahms G-minor piano
Quartet at the 1977 San Diego Chamber Music Workshop (I was the
violinist for that one). What he had to say about that particular
quartet and Brahams in general will not be forgotten, the lessons I
learned that morning color every bit of music I play (or try
to).
Andy
Andy
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Patricia2
Registered User
Posts: 140
(5/25/01 3:06:06 pm)
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"Cellist" -
Piatigorsky autobiography
I found this so entertaining I just didn't want it to end
Out of print, but available on-line thanks to
celloheaven.com
Edited by: Patricia2
at: 5/25/01 3:06:57 pm
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 423
(5/25/01 5:47:06 pm)
Reply
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Re: Favorite
cello-related books:
I'm going to interview Valerie Walden next week for an article for
the ICS newsletter. Any questions you want answered? I'll have to
look for the Popper book as that is one I haven't seen.
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Anna
List
Registered
User
Posts: 31
(5/25/01 6:06:36
pm)
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PLEETH!!!
I wonder, why nobody posted William Pleeth's Cello-book?! For me
it's an inspiring, wonderful book about playing the cello, about
music and the love for it.
I also adore "The Ínner Game of
Music".
Anna
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DWThomas
Registered User
Posts: 334
(5/26/01 2:20:34 pm)
Reply
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Re: Favorite
cello-related books:
Just caught up with the May issue of Strad. In the back, there's a
full page ad for books available thru them, most are about cello,
including several mentioned in this thread
It's also full of
reviews of recordings -- I can feel my credit cards trembling. 
Dave
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TerryM
Registered User
Posts: 411
(5/26/01 4:11:12 pm)
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Popper and
Walden
The original Popper book was put out by Paganiniana Publications,
but it is out of print and Pag. Pub. is out of business. However, I
think I saw it listed in the "Strad Library" listing of books, so
they may have had it reprinted. It is a fascinating history of late
19th century cello playing. Casals was just coming on the scene when
Popper was at the end of his career and there are some observations
about the 'new generation' of cellist by Popper. De'ak the author
was the last student of Popper and so the book has a great deal of
credibility in my opinion.
As far as a question for Dr.
Walden, I would like to know her thoughts on the use of vibrato in
late 18th and early 19th century playing. From her book, there seems
to be those who advocated a continuous vibrato and those who said it
should be used sparingly as an ornament. If fact, she quotes certain
writers as saying that vibrato "should never exceed in time the
third part of the value of the note." Given all the views we have
had here on CC, on using a constant and sustained vibrato, I wonder
what the "period" use of vibrato would have been. Also, please pass
on my regards to Dr. Waldon on her excellent and well written book.
Terry
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TerryM
Registered User
Posts: 412
(5/26/01 4:12:25 pm)
Reply
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Re:
PLEETH!!!
I agree entirely about the Pleeth book. Wonderful and intuitive
writing about the cello and its music.
Terry
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TerryM
Registered User
Posts: 413
(5/26/01 4:14:07 pm)
Reply
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Re: "Cellist" -
Piatigorsky autobiography
This was indeed a very entertaining book. I felt the same way about
wanting it to go on. I was fortunate to find an out-of-print
hardcover of the book recently for $20. It is a real
keeper.
Terry
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 448
(6/4/01 11:16:27 am)
Reply
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Re:
vibrato
I wrote this whole reply and then lost it. I hit the 'Add reply'
button in the upper right instead of the lower left.
Anyway,
Terry, I don't think I can work this answer into the story on
Valerie so I'll answer it here. She said that the use of vibrato was
in a state of transition. There were two distinct schools about it
by the mid 19th century. Romberg didn't like it, possibly because of
its use as an ornament, and because it was hard to do with the
stationary hand positions that he advocated. Kummer wrote more
favorably about it. So period use would have depended on where and
with whom a cellist had been educated. As we all know, since then,
it has come to be accepted. Valerie agreed that it can and is often
overused; that a rich, full vibrato used constantly without
variation is less effective than using different speeds and amounts
of vibrato to add color. (However, she quickly pointed out to ME
that first I have to be able to get that rich, full, constant
vibrato before it becomes a personal choice whether or not to use
it.)
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TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 416
(6/4/01 4:51:21
pm)
Reply
|
Re:
vibrato
Your last point is a good one. :)
Thanks for asking the
question. I had sort of gathered from my various readings that there
was a mixed state of affairs with repect to vibrato usage in the
early years of the 19th century. I too, feel that the same vibrato
used on everything can be like too much icing on a cake. The key is,
as Valerie Waldon has pointed out, to be able to control vibrato to
the appropriate degree and use it as you would other expressive
tools. It must have been fun to interview such a knowlegeable
person. I am looking forward to reading your interview when it comes
out.
Thanks again,
Terry
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Bobbie
Registered User
Posts: 450
(6/4/01 6:25:45 pm)
Reply
|
Re:
vibrato
I did have fun interviewing her. It's a great story. I have a whole
new appreciation for her book, too, after talking to her about it.
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Mongkol
![]()
Registered User
Posts: 59
(6/8/01 4:46:20 am)
Reply
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PLEETH
TOO!
Count me for another Pleeth's fan
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MaryJM
Registered
User
Posts: 9
(6/9/01 6:14:57
am)
Reply
|
Can't find
Pleeth
Since I have seen so many posts about Pleeth's book I have been
trying to find it, but it is out of print. Does anyone know of a
store or .com that still has a copy? Or if anyone has an extra copy
to sell you could e-mail me privately at
m_misiaszek@yahoo.com.
Mary
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Ellen
G 
Registered
User
Posts: 764
(6/9/01 9:10:26
am)
Reply
|
Referencemeister
- used book sites
Terry, if you wouldn't mind, could you list the sites once again
for used books? I have it saved safely somewhere. So safely, in
fact, I can't find it. I hate when that happens.
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TerryM
Registered
User
Posts: 421
(6/9/01 9:41:56
am)
Reply
|
Re:
Referencemeister - used book sites
There are several used books sites that search many sites
simultaneously. The one I like the best is AddAll...a bit of a
strange name... but a very good site. AddAll will search both used
and new books. It simultaneously searches several other search tools
such as, ABE Books, Alibris, Bibliofind, Powell's, etc. and so can
save a bit of time.
www.addall.com/Used/
The
ABEbook search will do ongoing "book want" searches and send you
e-mails when they are found.
www.abebooks.com/
Also,
don't forget about Montagnana books. David Sanders has a good
offering of used and rare books about string instruments and string
playing. He spends a lot of time tracking down rare and out-of-print
books and his efforts can save you time.
www.montagnanabooks.com/
One
word of caution about Alibris books. They often list books that
other stores are offering and then add a huge surcharge onto the
price that the store is asking. They do carry their own books and
usually indicate that the book is guaranteed to be in stock. This
means they have it, as opposed to buying it from another store and
then re-selling it to you. It is obviously much cheaper to get it
from the original seller.
One last tip. When you want to
save a site that you will visit frequently you can, in MS IExplorer,
click and hold down the left mouse button on the little icon in the
address line and drag it to the little yellow folder icon in the
links line below it, then release the button. When you click on the
links folder, the new URL will be there for future reference. I also
save links in Favorites, but they are sometimes difficult to
remember where you put them when you want them
immediately.
Terry
Edited by: TerryM
at: 6/9/01 9:57:39
am
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