1. Performing hybrid baroque (e.g. synthetic strings but baroque bow, using a shoulder rest for violin, etc,)
2. Playing BWV1012 on a four string instrument
3 playing BWV1011 with standard tuning
4. Recording BWV1012 on violin but electronically adding a C string (done by an outstanding baroque performer. I intend no disrespect).
The spalla is real because it represents the unfixed and non-canonical world of baroque music making. A canon is antithetical to baroque music. It also represents the reality that a baroque professional musician was rarely confined to one instrument.
I would add playing in a “HIP” orchestra a gut E and A with wound D and G, wound with flat wire. Something very common today but that never existed in the past. Similar to a 1920-30 possibility, but with round wire overspun strings. Not flat wire!! But that’s an old “lost war” of mine!
To me a Spalla seems absolutely possible even as a new use of old instruments: when invented a wound string, they could tune one fifth lower some old tenor instruments. It was an era of great changes and experiments, traveling musicians, traveling courts, exchange of opinions.
Thanks for this article. Very inspiring. I am learning to.play the cello da spalla and I got people asking me "Why are you playing a da spalla!? Upright cellos are so much louder"
Anyways, I would like to build me a cello da spalla and I was wandering if you can share your templates with me. I'm currently using a 1/8 Suzuki student cello to make my template, but I don't know if it's actually the same dimensions as the Badiarov da spalla. If you don't mind, send a personal message to samuel.antonanzas@gmail.com. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Hello Samuel, I am glad you are finding my newsletter useful. The Badiarov template comes from years of research, and it is up to him to share it or not. I studied with him and got it from a one year program specific on da Spalla. I can tell you it is a bit smaller than 1/8 cello. But I would encourage you to make your personal model. The Badiarov is not a standard, it is a product of research. As they didn’t standardise things earlier, we shouldn’t now. The most common measures of small five strings cellos seem to have body length from 45 up to 54. So, as far as you keep in there, you’ll be ok.
A 1/8 Suzuki cello is similar to a 1/10 regular cello and keeps the same Badiarov's body length and string length. Although I read that Dimitri used viola proportions in his first attempts of building his da Spalla. I guess I will end up with a very personal version.
Some 21st century aberrations:
1. Performing hybrid baroque (e.g. synthetic strings but baroque bow, using a shoulder rest for violin, etc,)
2. Playing BWV1012 on a four string instrument
3 playing BWV1011 with standard tuning
4. Recording BWV1012 on violin but electronically adding a C string (done by an outstanding baroque performer. I intend no disrespect).
The spalla is real because it represents the unfixed and non-canonical world of baroque music making. A canon is antithetical to baroque music. It also represents the reality that a baroque professional musician was rarely confined to one instrument.
Great comment, thank you!! Totally agree.
I would add playing in a “HIP” orchestra a gut E and A with wound D and G, wound with flat wire. Something very common today but that never existed in the past. Similar to a 1920-30 possibility, but with round wire overspun strings. Not flat wire!! But that’s an old “lost war” of mine!
To me a Spalla seems absolutely possible even as a new use of old instruments: when invented a wound string, they could tune one fifth lower some old tenor instruments. It was an era of great changes and experiments, traveling musicians, traveling courts, exchange of opinions.
Thanks for this article. Very inspiring. I am learning to.play the cello da spalla and I got people asking me "Why are you playing a da spalla!? Upright cellos are so much louder"
Anyways, I would like to build me a cello da spalla and I was wandering if you can share your templates with me. I'm currently using a 1/8 Suzuki student cello to make my template, but I don't know if it's actually the same dimensions as the Badiarov da spalla. If you don't mind, send a personal message to samuel.antonanzas@gmail.com. Hoping to hear from you soon.
Hello Samuel, I am glad you are finding my newsletter useful. The Badiarov template comes from years of research, and it is up to him to share it or not. I studied with him and got it from a one year program specific on da Spalla. I can tell you it is a bit smaller than 1/8 cello. But I would encourage you to make your personal model. The Badiarov is not a standard, it is a product of research. As they didn’t standardise things earlier, we shouldn’t now. The most common measures of small five strings cellos seem to have body length from 45 up to 54. So, as far as you keep in there, you’ll be ok.
A 1/8 Suzuki cello is similar to a 1/10 regular cello and keeps the same Badiarov's body length and string length. Although I read that Dimitri used viola proportions in his first attempts of building his da Spalla. I guess I will end up with a very personal version.
I am sure you’ll be satisfied with it!