Favorite readings

Celebrating 6 months of articles and a newborn cello da spalla!

Aug 13, 2021

This was an unexpectedly busy week, and I didn’t have time to prepare a proper article. So I take the occasion to link here the most red articles of these first six months (yes it’s already six months I am writing every week!): if you missed them, you can enjoy them now!

Violoncello da Spalla

Are there specially designed strings for Violoncello da Spalla?

First of all, how is usually a Violoncello da Spalla tuned? It’s C2, G2, D3, A3, E4. Which is same as a “normal” Cello with a top E added, or, more correctly, like a Tenor Violin with a low C added. That's it: Making strings for an instrument this short (vibrating string length between 39 and 45, being the most common 42,5, the Badiarov small model) and t…

4 years ago · 6 comments · Daniela Gaidano & A. Visintini

Violoncello da Spalla

Beautiful cases for Violoncello da Spalla

One thing everybody agrees on the Violoncello da Spalla is that it is a small, portable cello. Walking in a parade, or accompanying a square dance, or hanging from a hip of the horse of a travelling musician, this is how a Violoncello da Spalla spent his life, as clearly shown from the worn signs on the back of the Wagner, the original instrument preser…

4 years ago · Daniela Gaidano & A. Visintini

Violoncello da Spalla

The Violoncello da Spalla, a 21st-century aberration?

In March 2020, Mark Vanscheeuwijck published an interesting article titled: “Violoncello and other Bass Violins in Baroque Italy” I highly recommend it; it’s a good account of the birth of the modern violoncello and its influences in Europe. You will find good ideas of repertoire suitable for da Spalla and a clear exposition of what was probably not da S…

4 years ago · 4 comments · Daniela Gaidano & A. Visintini

Violoncello da Spalla

Repertoire: G. B. degli Antonii - Strings: single wound basses that work - the Wagner’s voice

This issue will not follow the usual format, as this week got so far from any usual format that I feel the urgency to share all the news at once. I cannot keep them for three separate issues! You already got the plan in the title, so let’s go straight to it…

4 years ago · 4 comments · Daniela Gaidano & A. Visintini

Updates from our workshop

This week started with a fantastic walk in the mountains near home. We went there for a celebration with the family and we had a great time. It was quite long and left us exhausted!

This was delivery week for Alessandro’s newborn cello. We had the final set up, official pictures for the certificate, a few notes together and packaging. We enjoyed working for this customer, there was great interaction and he allowed us a fair amount of personalisation.

…and yes, we celebrated, with an ice cream! In the pic on the right, the post office of Bolzano. And on the left, a phase of the packaging. Because when you buy a cello da Spalla from us, you don’t receive only the necessary stuff (like the fittings and strap) but also a set of gadgets including mugs and stickers from our “da Spalla pride” Redbubble shop!

Featured video of the week

Just a few notes on the newborn, right before the packaging. It is a personal model, with fingerboard in pear wood, taipiece in pear wood and boxwood (both inlaid), pegs in boxwood. The choice of wood came from good taste of the customer, and I really appreciated it! It’s with Thomastick strings (the D actually and Helicore, these is an old set that we keep in the workshop to make the setting).

I’m a violist and I keep telling myself how could I enjoy these suites at the upper octave… if you haven’t tried yet, believe me, it’s mind blowing, it’s like a deep breath of fresh air! Try as soon as you can!

Favorite readings

Celebrating 6 months of articles and a newborn cello da spalla!

Updates from our workshop

Featured video of the week

Discussion about this post