The Cellos in My Life

When I was ten years old I heard an announcement on the PA system at school. Mr. Angus, who was one of the elementary school music teachers, wanted a few students to learn how to play the cello. I had no idea what a cello was. I asked my mother that afternoon and she told me it was a musical instrument that my grandfather had played. Not having known my grandfather, I thought it would be an interesting thing, so with her encouragement I signed up. I got a school instrument, probably a Kay 3/4 size cello, and learned the ropes. Finger tips not flat fingers. How to hold the bow. How to instinctively know where to place my fingers when playing.

I played through middle school, and considered dropping it. By that time I was taking lessons from an older teacher, Mr. Hassell. I remember he had a converted church bass, which had a body a bit larger than a cello. Many church basses have a shorter neck. I have one that I will write about soon that has a very short neck in comparison to the body.

I remember Mr. Hassell calling me and begging me not to quit. I was quite moved by his plea and decided to continue.  Although I'm sure he has been dead for decades I owe him a debt of gratitude.

In high school I played cello in orchestra class for a couple of years, and when the only string bass player graduated in my sophomore year the orchestra teacher asked me if I’d consider playing the string bass. I said I would, and he taught me. It was a bit different than the cello but manageable. I didn’t play cello for several years. I played bass through my last two years of high school and played in the Meriden Symphony my first year out of high school. By this point my uncle had given me my grandfather’s cello. It sat unused for a number of years, occasionally coming out for one reason or another, until a couple of decades later when I was working full time and my Sunday school superintendent asked me if I’d consider playing in her community orchestra. I said yes, and got the cello ready to go. Since then I have played more or less continually with a few years off here and there.

The cello has been a continuous presence in my life. I love the sound. It is in the range of the human voice and it soaks deep into the human soul.

I still have my grandfather’s cello although it is in need of significant repair. I have studied cello repair and have worked on it along with a few other instruments. After some more study and experience I will return to it and will make the necessary repairs, which will be significant but if done correctly will last for a long time. In the meanwhile my collection has grown to include a ca. 1750-80 German cello, a modern Chinese 5 string cello to which I added a carved figurehead for fun, a 1/4 size cello that I made into a small baroque instrument, and a 1/8 cello that I have strung as a viola. A vertical viola. I have also attempted to convert an inexpensive cello into a viola da gamba. That's still a work in progress. I also have a couple of dismembered cellos that I hope to restore and sell at some point.

This is a central part of my life and I love it. My branching out to other instruments is a reflection of my desire to experience what earlier string players had with their instruments.

The oldest cello in my collection is a somewhat small cello that is unassuming in appearance. It has no purfling, the black lines that outline the body of a string instrument. On better instruments they are inlaid, and on lesser quality instruments they are merely painted on. The color is dark with age. I bought it unrestored for a reasonable amount and repaired the fractured front. This is my oldest instrument. It has a label inside for a music dealer in Philadelphia, John G. Klemm, who sold various instruments and pianofortes in addition to publishing sheet music. The label can be dated to 1828-31 which is a nice narrow window.

According to labels inside the cello it was repaired in 1904, when I suspect the end pin was installed, 1940, and 1980. The 1904 restorer noted that the instrument was made prior to 1820. Considering the date of his note, 115 years ago, that carries a lot of weight. He would have had a good idea.

Klemm wasn't making string instruments at all, being more interested in having pianofortes manufactured under their name, so it is clear it was in the shop for refurbishment and wasn't actually made there. At the time I bought it I thought that the label documented the age but now I am convinced it is much older. Klemm was from the Saxony region of Germany and maintained their connections for importing instruments. They had connections to the Moravian community in the U.S. which has a long and rich history of wonderful music for worship.

After researching for awhile I am thinking this cello strongly resembles cellos made in the region of Saxony in Germany around 1750-1800, putting it in the range of 220-260 years old. The Moravians were originally from Saxony. The elongated f-holes in particular have a similar look. I can't date it more exactly than that. My friend Glenn Gaudin, from whom I bought it unrestored, also feels it is older than what the label indicates, certainly 18th century. So, considering we're playing Beethoven and Schubert (and the third piece is unknown at this point) a vintage cello would be just right. From looking at it the pegbox was converted from regular pegs to gears such as you find on string basses. These were commonly used in the early 19th century. So my guess is that either it was brought here during the colonial period and then the music store either bought it used or refurbished it for a customer and updated the pegbox, or it was sent over from Germany used and updated by them. It's a bit on the small size, about the same as 7/8 size, which isn't too small. I have put D'Addario Helicore strings on it which are affordable and have a marvelously sweet tone. It has a wonderful tone which you can only get from a very old instrument. I'm really happy with it. For the next community orchestra concert we're playing Beethoven's 6th symphony and Schubert's Rosamunde overture. I will be playing this ancient but unassuming cello. Beethoven it is.