This recording explores the violoncello family's unique sound world during a period when composers wrote 'galant' melodies and Baroque music's rich harmonies.
Recording & Production
This recording was made at the Rozsa Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in September 2021.
Performer Biography
Elinor Frey, the Canadian-American cellist and gambist, was awarded Québec's Opus Prize for 'Performer of the Year' in 2021.
Interpretation
Elinor Frey, the cellist, used an underhand bow technique for this recording, a testimonial to a period when cello playing styles were not yet standardized.
Instruments
This recording features two four-string instruments: a larger cello tuned C-G-d-a and a smaller instrument, which is the true Baroque violoncello.
Instruments
The 'cello' is actually a family of instruments without one standard tuning or playing style, a concept this album helps to clarify.
Instruments
The term 'violoncello piccolo', often used today to denote the typical Baroque violoncello, is a modern invention and an anachronistic misnomer.
