Tag: cello

Notes and Findings: Thursday, October 22, 2020

Today’s scale: F# Mixolydian.

Interesting: https://www.concarbo.com/product/harp-small-tulip-style-cello-tailpiece-black-paint/ (The maker got a compelling shoutout that I happened to see in the Internet Cello Society group). I’ve used a cheap plastic tailpiece for a long time, at my luthier’s recommendation–they’re light and resonate well–but I have been curious about lengthening the lower strings..)

Today’s favorite practice bit: a leisurely review of the Haydn C, letting the tone shaping develop. (Listen to Wispelwey play the 2nd movement with Florilegium; it’ll change your life.)

The cello “as an object in cosmic orbit” — Tenebrae is absolutely as much fun as we expected.

(I do like Golijov’s expressive markings. I remember some particular favorites from the cello part for Lua Descolorida, where he name-checks Jordi Savall and suggests that our pizz. should sound like “velvet bells.”)

Elsewhere, as my luthier friend Christina Wan put it, “these Icelanders are making incredible sound waves”: https://www.sonoluminus.com/store/epicycleii

(And Sono Luminus looks like an incredible place to record.)

Notes and Findings: Thursday, October 15, 2020

The FT’s Culture Call has always been a brilliant podcast, and I am genuinely excited about the new season. Where does culture go next? That’s the central mystery animating @lilahrap‘s inquiries; she’s a smart guide into the unknown that we all face.

(How, in this context, to define “culture?” Working, basic, draft from me: crafted emotional experience, shared by enough people that we can talk about it.)

I’m also thrilled to have connected with composer Frank Horvat, and I’m starting to work on a couple of pieces from his Music for Self-Isolation. The pieces are clever and beautiful and contained–adding up to an incredible body of work.

The Pan American Symphony has announced a Salvadorean composers competition.

Meantime, in my cello teaching, I find that a visual hint at where the octaves fall is a tremendous help for students starting their scale practice.

Notes and Findings: Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Mars was wildly bright–even here in the city–in the southeastern sky when I walked out my door this evening. (It’s at opposition.)

Matt Haig’s Midnight Library is changing lives. I love how he writes about music; more on that to come.

Anders NorĂ©n makes some lovely WordPress Themes. (As you see, I’m using one here called “Lovecraft.” Unmodified so far, except I swapped the header image for a celphone snapshot of Huntley Meadows Park, this mid-August, late in the day.)

I’m every time astonished at the amount of dust I have to empty from the Roomba tank. (A sort of selection bias, I guess…)

The sheet music for Golijov’s Tenebrae (“version II for string quartet” … and I do particularly like the Avalon recording) has arrived! I’m excited to start looking at the cello part.

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