Visiting our customer 9 months later
How violinist Alberto Vitolo, in Rome, is finding his voice with a Violoncello da Spalla.
Last Sunday, we visited the violinist Alberto Vitolo, a Neapolitan of origin who has lived in Rome for many years. He has excellent instrumental and cultural competence with a vast knowledge of even unconventional repertoires less frequented by the large circuits for stringed instruments. Alberto has been an active teacher for many years and, with his students, has created a small string orchestra.
We were looking forward to this meeting with excitement because last March Alberto bought a violoncello da spalla built by Alessandro and dedicated himself to it with great seriousness, studying both from a technical and repertoire point of view.
Therefore, it was a precious opportunity to hear the dress rehearsal of his concert in which he prepared and directed the string group playing the cello and the continuo part.
The first impression we got from it is that preparing and directing a chamber group starting from the lowest voice is highly logical and functional because it is the bass which, if performed well, gives the other members the time for the performance as well as the phrasing and the character of the piece and therefore creates the ensemble and the musical intentions.
Furthermore, this small instrument’s sound cuts through very well within the group, yet it blends in an exemplary manner with the violins and violas.
Subsequently, having lunch together at Alberto’s home, we had the opportunity to hear him express his impressions of these months of study and what, in his opinion, the shoulder cello really is.
He affirms that the more he studies it, the more he realizes that it is absolutely not an instrument to be taken lightly, thinking that it is straightforward and immediate for a violinist or violist to perform with it. On the contrary, he believes that it is an instrument with life and meaning of its own that is distinct from that of other higher-pitched stringed instruments. In fact, after much reading and analyzing of treatizes, he has decided that the most effective way from a technical point of view is to use cello fingerings and not violin ones, using, for example, second and third fingers coupled to make a tone. He also loves making wide use of the open strings as he feels they are an artistically complete and coherent part of the instrument’s sound.
He is currently using Thomastick strings.
His sound research is increasingly moving towards a cello sound that is, therefore, darker and more uniform rather than just a lower viola sound.
From the point of view of the repertoire, he naturally considers it very valid to perform with this instrument what was written in the Baroque period. Still, the more classical and romantic repertoire is equally meaningful and interesting so that he is studying sonatas from those periods too. He, therefore, believes that it is an instrument with extreme versatility as long as you accept the idea that it is not a pastime for bored violinists but an important instrument with an autonomous personality and, therefore, to be taken very seriously by studying it carefully and consistently.
As Alberto said, “with a Violoncello da Spalla every day it's a new discovery, no matter if you are researching repertoire, technique or simply the better way to convey an emotion. I’m enjoying every day, I’m learning a lot, it's a lot of fun, and I’m happy”.
Updates from our workshop
The past week was one of those full of celebrations and gratitude. On top of what we already wrote about, Alessandro brilliantly passed his examination for Judo black belt 5th Dan, a dream he pursued for a long time. During the week, we had Xmas greetings and celebrations in our judo and karate classes, and we also found the time to get on with our work in the workshop: Daniela’s two necks for Violoncello da Spalla are almost completed; there’s still the fluting of a scroll to carve, but almost there. They will have to wait a few days as we will be with our families for Xmas.
Featured video of the week
Another aspect that violinist and da spalla cellist Alberto Vitolo highlighted of the Violoncello da Spalla is its healing power. The fact that it resonates on the chest, with and through the body of the player, making the whole body resonate with music, in his experience, has an actual healing effect, taking the player out of the stresses and worries of daily life, immersing him into music and beauty. A comment so close to the words and experience of Sigiswald Kuijken in this interview:
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