Tecchler's Cello: From Cambridge to Rome

Featuring

Stephen Cleobury
Guy Johnston
Magnus Johnston
Tom Poster
Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Carlo Rizzari

Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Ola Gjeilo
David Matthews
Ludwig van Beethoven
Mark Simpson
Jean-Baptiste Barrière
Charlotte Bray
Ottorino Respighi

Did you know?

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Recording & Production

A small concert was performed in David Tecchler's old workshop in Rome, which is now a garage, as part of the project's groundwork.

Historical Context

David Tecchler arrived in Rome when the city's lutherie tradition was shifting from lutes and guitars towards violins, violas, basses, and primarily cellos.

Interpretation

During the recording of David Matthews' "Ein Celloleben," Guy Johnston developed the technique of playing left-hand pizzicato while simultaneously bowing the upper line.

Album & Artwork

The album's title, "Tecchler's Cello from Cambridge to Rome," reflects the journey of the instrument and the recording project from King's College, Cambridge, to the cello's birthplace in Rome.

Instruments

The recording features a 1714 David Tecchler cello, which Guy Johnston acquired in 2010 with funding from the Stradivari Trust and the Royal Society of Musicians.

Composer Biography

David Tecchler, the maker of the cello featured on this album, was originally from Füssen, Bavaria, and journeyed to Rome via Venice and Cremona before settling there in his late twenties.

Composition History

Three new works by composers David Matthews, Charlotte Bray, and Mark Simpson were commissioned as "gifts" for the Tecchler cello to celebrate its 300th birthday.