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    /  ` INTERNET CELLO SOCIETY © 

    |    www.cello.org

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\ _/    'TUTTI CELLI' Newsletter, January/February 1997

TUTTI CELLI CONTENTS -- volume 3, issue 1

NEW ICS MEMBERS MESSAGE

The Internet Cello Society is a international, cyber community of cellists dedicated to the sharing of the knowledge and joy of cello playing with enthusiasts from around the world. The membership's active participation is what makes the ICS a meaningful music resource. Please get involved with online discussions and send information about your corner of the musical world!
John Michel
ICS Director
director@cello.org


We are currently over 2000 members strong and represent 42 different countries around the world! Countries represented include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chilie, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland , France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, P.R.China, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

TUTTI CELLI is the Internet Cello Society's bi-monthly
newsletter and serves several purposes: 1.) to make announcements of what
is new at the ICS World Wide Web site, within the Internet music world, and
throughout the real music world. 2.) to feature a distinguished cellist,
an ICS member, and interesting articles. 3.) and to highlight activities
of ICS Forum and other services.

The WORLD WIDE WEB houses the Internet Cello Society at this address:

The WWW allows for the quick transfer of information in the form of text,
graphics, movies, and sounds to anywhere in the world. If you have direct
Internet access, all you need is a World Wide Web browser like Netscape,
Mosaic, or the text only Lynx application (Netscape is highly
recommended!). After opening your browser application, simply open the URL
address of the Internet Cello Society WWW site:

ICS ONLINE SERVICES include the following:

MEET THE ICS STAFF

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CURRENT ICS STAFF NEEDED

OTHER INTERNET MUSIC RESOURCES

ICS NEWS & WHAT'S NEW!

JOHN'S JABBER

All contributions are tax deductible. Please write checks payable to Icicle Creek Music Center and indicate contribution for the Internet Cello Society (ICS). Or send VISA/MasterCard number and expiration date to ICMC at icicle@cascade.net

Icicle Creek Music Center
Internet Cello Society
P.O. Box 2071
Leavenworth, WA 98826
(509) 548-6347

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

***From my experience, I find the following principles to be true.
*Always perform at your best!
*Everyone is a potential contact
*Seek mutually beneficial solutions
*Perform in visible venues
*Create and develop your own opportunities and audiences
I will forward your message to an expert in arts management and fellow violist, Scott Hosfeld. JM

***Apologies for the improper citation of your article. The article archived at www.cello.org will reflect the change. JM

NEW AND OLD MEMBER LETTERS

FEATURED ARTIST

Bonnie Hampton leads an active life as a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. Ms Hampton has been involved in performances of new music since the beginning of her career and has been active in contemporary music groups. She has also been the cellist of the Francesco Trio for 32 years. A student of Pablo Casals, she participated for many years in the Casals and Marlboro Festivals. Ms Hampton teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and, during the summer, at the Banff Centre and the Tanglewood Music Center. She has served as president of Chamber Music America.

TF: Performing contemporary music seems to be your passion.

BH: It's definitely one of them. I have found that working on contemporary music and working directly with composers is mind-expanding, though it can be difficult at times. There was a period in the 1960's when composers were experimenting like crazy, which sometimes made me wonder whether the sound effects people in Hollywood could do better. It is amazing, as we near the end of the century, to look back at the last hundred years and to marvel at the eclecticism of 20th Century music. It's sad that more cellists aren't playing the vast quantity of contemporary music out there. We need to get more up to date in our recitals and start programing "contemporary" music besides Shostakovich.

There's a book called "Solo Cello," by Dimitry Markevitch, that lists hundreds of unaccompanied cello works, most which are contemporary. How often does one hear them? Almost never! Students tend to be very cautious about what they'll play. But once they figure out that they just have to dive in and grapple with the music, it becomes intriguing to them. The most important thing is to simply open one's ears and mind, which results in expanding one's technique and musical vision. When you have to grapple with a new score, especially when you aren't sure what the music means, you really have to dig deep. You can't go to the record store and find a recording to help you.

One great benefit of playing contemporary music is that you start looking at older music with fresh eyes and ears, instead of taking it for granted. Kids today come to their first lesson and play the Dvorak concerto like the final performance. The problem is that they haven't figured it out for themselves. They feel they don't need to, in a sense, because all they have to do is put on a CD to hear how it is "supposed" to sound. In reality, one needs to go back in and figure out the Dvorak concerto the same way that one figures out a piece that's brand new, that nobody has heard before.

I have found with rare exceptions that I've always gained something from working with a composer. Sometimes it's tough, especially with some of the younger ones, because they feel insecure about their music. But even with the younger ones, I gain an insight into their relationship with the music.

FEATURE ARTICLE

ABSTRACT
Students developing their cello playing, teachers explaining how to play cello - we are all in need of a principal understanding of how our cello and our body work together. In this paper I try to reveal some of the physical principles according to which a cello is being played. This is done by means of a mechanical analysis and a number of simple experiments. Mechanical analysis is a universal tool, the results of which are applicable to every cellist. It is shown why relaxation of the right arm is of great importance for obtaining a bright sound. A specific manner of right arm use to execute bowing forces is advised, along with a method to pursue a relaxed bowing technique.

ICS MEMBERS' OPINIONS

REVIEW

Over the Internet I learned of the new Coda cello bow. This new graphite bow could be easily nicknamed " The Stealth", stemming from its sleek black appearance and a high tech, engineered design. It is modelled aethesically after a fine Henry bow and structurally after Pecatte and Sartory, but the Coda shares the mysterious power and flexibility of a modern graphite tennis racket. I was not expecting much. I had had enough of the those manufactured carbon fibered or plastic bows when I was starting the cello, and was not very enthusiastic about trying a different one. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this one was different. The Coda bow is in a class with fine, handmade wood bows.

At 81.7 grams, the Coda cello bow is both flexible and strong at each point in the bow; no worry of weak spots because of inconsistencies in the wood. Though the quality of sound will vary with each instrument, on my cello the tone was clean and polished. Like the bow's appearance, the tone color is also darker. The bow bounces liberally, and ricochet and spiccato bowings are surprisingly easy to control. The slight favoring of the bow balance to the tip allows for bow strokes nearer to the middle of the bow, more like the violin. I liked this.

For the price of $900, it will readily compete with comparable wood bows. Most quality wood bows are handmade and therefore there is a limited number of them; each stick is created slightly different, and older ones quickly gain in antique value. For those who want a high performance stick without the antique, handmade qualities of a wood bow, the Coda bow offers an excellent option.

Jeff Van Fossen and Stan Prosen engineered and designed the Coda Bow. Several well respected cellists have tried this prototype bow and have given favorable recommendations. Strings magazine reviewed the Coda violin bow in its July/August 96 issue, and the cello bow will be reviewed in the March/April 97 issue.

Richard Ratner facilitates the production and distribution of this bow. Production begins at the end of January and there is a waiting list. This bow is guaranteed for ten years for manufacture defect. For more information, see http://www.codabow.com or contact Richard Ratner of Nova Music at 1-800-NOVA911.

FORUM HIGHLIGHTS

***The ICS Forum format will be changing in order to better fit our members' needs. Our goal is to simplify the process of addressing your questions and the issues of importance to you. All of our forum directors will still be available for discussion and the new format will give you the opportunity to hear different perspectives about your concerns. Please check the ICS forum web page and let us know what you think. Roberta Morton will be coordinating future activities of the ICS Forum.***

Dear A. M.-
Here are some thoughts on getting started on the cello. Depending on your
location, some of these options may be more promising than others.
*Local colleges and universities- contact professors, conductors, and students
*Local public school music programs- contact teachers
*Local professional or community orchestras
*Yellow Pages- music stores, chamber groups for hire may have cellists.
*Word of mouth- start asking musicians!

Cellos are usually available on some sort of rent-to-own basis from music
retailers, but quality is pretty variable. If you are experimenting with
the cello, it probably makes more sense to rent until you're sure you are
ready for an investment of thousands of dollars. The last time I checked
a monthly rental was $40-50.

When you find a teacher, you will most likely encounter their favorite
methods. If you are interested in "going it alone," there are several fine
string class methods designed for class instruction. Most of the new ones
come with a CD of accompaniment music to practice to, which is nice. "All
for Strings," "Strictly Strings," "Essential Elements," are all published
by major companies and come in several volumes, from beginning to more
advanced. I hope these suggestions help get you started!
Bret Smith


The Cellist by Night Forum focused dicussion with members on health issues of cello playing, ie. tendonitis and the dangers of playing with pain. A rheumatologist in our group cautioned that "musculotendinous soreness" is often misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, and that one should not rush into surgery before the ailment is carefully diagnosed. Another member said
that a simple wrist splint and prolonged rest made his problem go away.

An ambitious high school student shared the following terrifying experience:
"My hand hurts immensely at the base of the thumb and on the top and bottom
of my wrist. Another thing that happens is that when my hand starts to hurt,
it follows with the thumb slipping through and I lose all control. This used
to only happen when I would play Bach Suites, particularly the Preludes.
Recently, it hampered my playing a lot at a competition and performance of
the Dvorak Concerto. I'm worried now, because it happens really badly when
I'm playing the Shostakovich and by the second to last page, my hand feels
ready to fall off. I have to play the piece soon and in a recent rehearsal,
I couldn't finish a run through because it hurt too much."

After much discussion, the consensus was that this member needs to see a
music medicine specialist immediately. Fortunately, she lives near Chicago,
where there are a number of such clinics. The lesson is that playing with
pain is extremely dangerous and could cause permanent injury.
Tim Finholt


>How do you mike a string quartet for volume, instrumental balance, and
>no feedback??? Dolf Lowey-Ball
Dear Dolf L.B.-
I quote from John Eargle,"Handbook of Recording Engineering" (New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold, 1986), considered to be one of the basic books on the
subject.

"Recording String Quartets
This most intimate of chamber groups poses some problems for recording.
The players normally array themselves as shown [in a sort of square]. When
they are so closely spaced, it is difficult to get a pickup with good
stereo localization without moving in quite close to the ensemble. If at
all possible, the group should be persuaded to space themselves in a wider
arrangement [a semicircle facing the stereo pair]. In this way, a
coincident or quasi-coincident pair can provide good stereo interest at a
distance above the floor of, say, 2.5 to 3 meters (7 to 10 feet), while
maintaining good blend and cohesion. The back lobes of the microphone
patterns may be adjusted for the final balance of direct to reverberant
sound. Intimacy is important, and images should pretty well fill the
stereo stage. In a studio setting, some artificial reverberation- no more than about 1.5 seconds, in the mid band- should be added." (pg. 252)

My personal experience is that this works well, although experimentation is
often warranted. I recall setting up in the "tight" formation and putting
the microphone closer to the floor and closer to the group; this was in a
studio, and we were not concerned with an accurate live sound. A lot
depends on your goals, the quality of equipment you have, and the
performance space. If you are trying to amplify the group, my guess is that
contact mikes or pickups would give the minimum of feedback, but present
some challenges for mixing. Good luck!
Bret Smith

DEPARTMENTS

• MUSIC FESTIVAL WATCH
  ***If you have announcements, comments or reviews of music festivals, please contact Roberta Rominger at roberta@rominger.demon.co.uk***
  
  The next big cello festival is the World Cello Congress, 1-8 July,1997, in St. Petersburg, Russia. The brochure with full details is due out in November. Email Dr. Helene Breazeale at e7a7bre@toe.towson.edu if you would like to receive a copy.
  
  
  
• INSTRUMENTS & EQUIPMENT--Maintenance, Purchasing & Selling
  ***If you have any questions on this topic, contact Keith R. Bilyeu at KBilyeu@aol.com.***
  
  
  
• NETWORK LIAISONS
  • CompuServe
    Claudio Jaffe has volunteered to inform CompuServe users of the Internet Cello Society and regularly post the 'Tutti Celli' Newsletter. He can be contacted at 74024.3001@compuserve.com
    
    
  • America Online
    Chris works for AOL and can be reached at Laphroaig@aol.com or AFA Chris@aol.com

ICS LIBRARY AND REFERENCE

ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

OTHER INTERNET MUSIC RESOURCES

	Direct correspondence to the appropriate ICS Staff Webmaster: Webmaster Director: John Michel Copyright © 1995-97 Internet Cello Society