Baroque Cello

 

Baroque cellists play baroque music, which means very VERY generally, music dating back to Monteverdi and ending with the classical period; as part of an ensemble, a basso continuo team or as a soloist.  The first music written specifically for violoncello solo is found in Bologna, Italy around the second half of the 17th century thanks to Domenico Gabrielli and Guiseppe Iacchini.  It was at this time when the name violoncello stuck and it became the preferred instrument in Italy to represent the bass in the violin family. 

The problem with dating the use of the cello lies in non-standardization of both the bass instruments themselves and terminology surrounding bass instruments before the mid 17^th century.  There are arguments for and against the use of the cello at Monteverdi's time and earlier.  If you are interested in knowing about all the different bass instruments, I would suggest Joëlle Morton's website http://www.greatbassviol.com.  There are many links to articles and sources discussing the early basses.

Today, when we speak of the baroque cello, the body of the instrument itself is the same shape and size of a modern day symphonic cello.  The fingerboard and neck are at a lower angle to the body of the instrument.  The baroque cello is held with the legs, but the term "da gamba" is not used in reference to the instrument.  The bow is lighter and holds a greater percentage of weight at the frog.   It is held slightly towards the tip of the bow and we use our fingers to grasp the hair underneath the stick.  Playing on gut strings, one gets the sensation, as the gut string bends under the grasp of your bow, that you are drawing the sound out of the instrument as opposed to spinning it out with the weight of your arm, as on a modern instrument.  Over the years, luthiers and performers have made many changes, often to add tension to the modern day cello:  the fingerboard has been lengthened to facilitate more virtuosic repertoire, increased height of the bridge, an end-pin to hold the instrument higher, less supple metal or metal wound strings of a higher pitch (Arion baroque orchestra usually tunes at a pitch of A=415). 

http://pbosf.blogspot.com/search?q=story+of+more+about+baroque+pitch

A baroque cellist, more often than not, makes up part of a continuo group.  This is really the   cool and challenging part.  With lutes, organs, harpsichords, harps, gambas, bassoons, cellos and much more to choose from, the continuo section finds new textures and colours to support the singer or solo instrument.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figured_bass

The pitch of certain notes, in accordance with their function in the key, can be "tempered" to produce more sonorous chords or expressive intonations.  A baroque cellist must be attentive to the chosen temperament and be able to adjust ears and fingers very quickly, so as not to kill the resonance of the chords.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_temperament