Questions & Answers

The cello is a member of the violin family and is the second largest stringed instrument. It is also known as violoncello. The cello has a beautiful deep and mellow tone and originated in the 16th century. Until the late 18th century, the cello was not a solo instrument but rather played an important role within an orchestra and small chamber groups providing the bass line and lower support for the ensemble. During the Baroque era, composers like Antonio Vivaldi and Luigi Boccherini composed unaccompanied cello suites. By the 19th century repertoire for the cello included various concertos with later composers of the 20th century further exploring and expanding the cello's capabilities as a solo instrument.

The earliest known cello makers were Andrea Amati of Cremona, Gasparo da Salo of Brescia and his pupil Giovanni Paolo Maggini. Their instruments were considerably larger than the standard modern cello, some having a body length of 80 cm or more. The dimensions of the cello nevertheless continued to fluctuate during the rest of the century, varying between 73 and 80cm.