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Bobbie
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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
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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
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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
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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
|
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
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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
|
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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