Interview with Diana Roche on Violoncello da Spalla use in Catalonia
So it was not only Bach, and not only the eclectic Italians!
I can’t imagine a better start for this second year of this Violoncello da Spalla newsletter than sharing with you some new findings of the most recent research!
This week I had an illuminating video chat with Diana Roche. Diana is from Catalonia, and after taking her Master's degree in baroque violin with Sigiswald Kuijken, she decided to take one in baroque viola and Violoncello da Spalla. After more than ten years (yes, she was between the pioneers back then!), she is now back in her homeland, researching for a doctorate in Violoncello da Spalla use and repertoire in Catalonia between the end of the 17th century and the first half of 18th century.
I had never heard about the possible use of Violoncello da Spalla in this area before. It was terrific discovering that the Catalonian scene of Violoncello da Spalla was as lively as the Italian or Saxon one!
Diana also discovered a long document about string making, a chronicle from 1592 to mid 19th century of the string makers corporation in Barcelona, which seemed to be very powerful and with very strict rules.
Enjoy the recording of our chat: it’s short and very dense with new information!
In this other video, Diana is playing Bach’s 6th suite courante with G and D single wound and silk core by Eliakim Boussoir and C Aquila gut double wound.
Updates from our workshop
My new Violoncello da Spalla is settled up and playing!
I am recording some videos for you with different sets of strings, so I don’t have music to share here, but I will do next week with a comparison between Thomastick strings and some different Aquilas. You can already hear the single videos on our Instagram!
Alessandro is still in the mid of his varnishing process and started a viola, a baroque viola on the model of the big Gasparo of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
Featured video of the week
Here a video from a concert held in Caceres in November 2011, Sonata by Gabrielli, Violoncello da Spalla played by Diana Roche.
