Did you know that BOCCHERINI could play violin parts at pitch on his CELLO?
Known as a “great violoncello player” by the time he was 21, Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) performed in Italy and France with one of the world’s first touring String Quartets. It is believed that he owned a small type of cello on which he could play violin music at pitch. He developed this skill while on tour, when violinists were unavailable due to illness. He often composed in the tenor register for the cello, and gave his bass lines unusually virtuosic parts. His Cello Sonatas were all written for "Violoncello e Basso," meaning cello with a second cello, rather than the usual keyboard. Boccherini is noted for his virtuosic solo writing and melodic invention. In the twelve Cello Concertos he wrote fast passages for the very high registers of the instrument, sometimes with the addition of effective double-stopping. He introduced some new ideas with the composition of his String Quartets, giving greater prominence to the cello line. He also produced nearly 150 String Quintets for two violins, viola and two cellos, a form of his own invention. Besides a principal cello part, the second cellist is given challenging music to play. Boccherini also contributed to advances in cello technique by including regular use of the thumb position.
Don’t miss the chance to hear Boccherini's Cello Concerto No. 3 in G major in the CCOHK's upcoming Giovanni Sollima & CCOHK concert!
