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The article discusses the highlights of the Piatigorsky Cello Festival with focus on the life and works of Gregor Piatigorsky. Topics discussed include the memories of cellist Raphael Wallfisch at the University of Southern California (USC), Piatigorski's roots in Ekaterinoslave now Ukraine with his performance with the New York Philharmonic as well as Philadelphia Orchestra and the teaching stints at the Curtis Institute of Music. Also mentioned were Yo-Yo Ma, Sol Gabetta and Jeffrey Solow. INSETS: CELLIST SOL GABETTA DEBUTS WITH LA PHIL;YO-YO MA SELLS OUT DISNEY HALL-- IN A T-SHIRT.

The article focuses on the String Quintet, D. 956, musical compositions of former music composer Franz Schubert, which he composed few weeks before his death. It states that a second cello, instead of a violin was included by Schubert in his music composition, and mentions that all the musical instruments used by Schubert in his recordings, are known to be in homophony.

The article offers information on the instruments crafted by the violin maker Andrea Amati which are now located at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Topics discussed include authors visit to the museum where saw the three instruments including a violin, a viola, and a cello made by Amati, brief history of the violin which was made around 1560, and the first known cello made, designed and built around the time of painter Michelangelo.

The article looks at the 1733 Goffriller cello, which was loaned and played by Israeli cellist Amit Peled, a former student of Spanish cellist Pablo Casals. Topics discussed include the cello being loaned to Peled from Marta Casals Istomin, the widow of Pablo Casals, the comparison of the cello to its 1689 counterpart made by Andrea Guarneri, and the restoration of the Goffriller cello by luthier Julie Reed-Yeboah in New York.

The article explores the approach to playing composer Johann Sebastian Bach's Sixth Suite using a five-string cello. Philharmonia Baroque principal cellist Tanya Tompkins suggests using a string crossing instead of shifting up for notes when doing the Sixth Suite on a five-string. Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra principal cellist William Skeen recommends the E string and discourages the thumb position. Music specialists speculate that the Sixth Suite should be played on the shoulder.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of building a five-string cello grounded in Baroque performance practices for New York Philharmonic principal cellist Carter Brey.

The article describes the different approaches of cellists Jan Vogler and Pieter Wispelwey to composer Johann Sebastian Bach's "Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1007-1012." Wispelwey describes the tuning pitch of the cello suites. Three rules were set by Vogler when he recorded the first three suites. Comparison shows the respective musical style of Vogler and Wispelwey in playing the suites.

The article focuses on Jean-Louis Duport and his seminal collection of "21 Exercises in all the Major and Minor Keys," that redefined cello technique where Duport standardized fingerings and positions, revolutionized cello playing and paved the way the cello technique is known today. Duport became will known in Parisian musical circles at the age of 20. It refers to his "Essay" and "Etudes" as the founding work on the principles of modern violoncello fingering.

The article profiles British cellist Jacqueline du Pré. She was born in Oxford, England in 1945 and died of multiple sclerosis in 1987. Du Pré started studying to play the cello at the age of 10 under William Pleeth and debuted with a performance at the Wigmore Hall in London at 16 years old. She married Argentine pianist Daniel Barenboim with whom she recorded the Haydn C major and Boccherini cello concertos in 1967. INSET: Jacqueline du Pré's EMI Recordings: Four Surprises & (Re).

The article presents an interview with British cellist Steven Isserlis, as he talks about his research into lost cello concertos. It mentions his latest CD, "reVision," a reflective tribute to his wife, Pauline, who died in June 2010. When asked what he considers as the most regrettable of the lost concertos, he cites Clara Schumann's having burnt Robert Schumann's "Romances for Cello." He admits admiring "The Protecting Veil" and David Matthews' "Concerto in Azzurro."

The article evaluates several stringed instruments and related tools and equipment, including the E- Wilfer violins, the Planet Waves ProTune application, and cello strings from Larson Fractional Cello Strings.

The article presents an interview with Sterling Elliott, 16-year-old cellist from Menchville High School in Newport News, Virginia. He discloses that cello playing was chosen for him by his mother. He says that being a cellist has accorded him many opportunities. He considers being disciplined and committed to something that one enjoys doing as factors for success.

The article features gift ideas for string players including a handmade carved cello from Concord International Group Inc., the Falcon bow from Connolly and simplified string concerto accompaniments.

The article presents information on cellist Nicolas Altstaedt who has now become the artistic director of the Lockenhaus Festival. He states that it was his love for playing cello that made him a musician. He also mentions that he does not belong to the family of musicians but his father play used to play cello.

The article presents suggestions for buying fiddle. It states that buyers should carry their current violin, viola, cello and bass to the shop they are visiting to buy fiddle. It also mentions that the most common question the dealer asks is the buyer's price range. Users are advised to make transaction from well reputed shops.

An interview with New York Philharmonic principal cellist Carter Brey is presented. He discusses the importance of constantly practicing and studying the manuscript sources to playing the solo suites. He tells about playing a five-string cello using gut strings, Baroque bow and the E-string. He describes his approach to ornamentation, particularly to a note in the Fifth Suite by composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

The article reports the sale of the longtime instrument of revered cellist Bernard Greenhouse through a private sale handled by Reuning & Son Violins in Boston, Massachusetts on January 16, 2012. According to violin maker Christopher Reuning, he expects the sale price to exceed the existing record of 6 million U.S. dollars for a cello. The cello was purchased by the late Beaux Arts Trio cellist for 90,000 Deutsche Mark (DM) in 1957.

The article focuses on the cello sonata in A minor composed by Alexander Zemlinsky, which was auctioned at Sotheby's in London, England in December 2005. The history of Zemlinsky's sonata is given. The manuscript was published by Ricordi in 2006 and is a part of the Juilliard School of Music Manuscript Collection. The author describes his performance of the cello sonata at the Library of Congress in 2006 and found it satisfying.

The article focuses on violin and cello duo repertoires, particularly those of Giovanni Battista Cirri. Most violin and cello duos were produced in 1750 to 1825 by masters of that Classical era, including Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Joseph Haydn but the lesser known Cirri was said to have composed 24 duets for cello and violins under various opus numbers including Three Duos, Op. 1, and Six Duos, Op. 12. According to the author, Cirri duos are excellent for teaching because they are not too demanding and are rewarding to play.

The article focuses on sound maximization of a cello through the combination of strings. It states that the best set of string depends on the cello, the preference of the cellist, and the playing styles. It says that mixing the core technology of the A and D strings of strings from one set and the G and C string from another could optimize cello sound. According to Fan Tao of D'Addario and Co., trial and error, patience, and string technology are among the things that can be consider.

The article discusses the ways to anchor cello's endpin from slipping out of hands. Particular focus is given to the options offered including the non-skid rubber items which would stop the cello from falling manufacturer of floor solutions Dycem, music accessories manufacturer Artino's nylon strap holds the endpin to wooden chair-legs, and by usage of belts for endpin holders can be made.

An interview with American cellist Ralph Kirshbaum is presented. When asked about his instrument cello and its condition, he replied that its a 1976 Montagnana cello which was owned by 19th century virtuoso Alfredo Piatti and has no major damages. Ralph Kirshbaum believes that using this cello has led him to perform well with better productivity. He comments on the type of strings he uses and also the instrument's strength and weakness.

An interview with American composer and cellist Malcolm Parson is presented. Parson talks about the condition, strengths, limitation and history of his cello and what does his instrument teach him as a musician. He also discusses how he came to be in possession of his instrument and what attracted him to his current cello.

The article discusses the functional and aesthetic purposes of the art of purfling on musical instruments. Topics discussed include the reference to the three-ply black-white-black purfling strips at the top and back of the instrument, the signature purfling to cellos made by Ruggieri or Mateo Goffriller as well as the practical function of preventing cracks propagation with the changes in temperatures and humidity. Also mentioned the dyed pearwood, whalebone and wax on paper materials.

The article offers information on cellist Mike Block. Topics discussed include his unique cello-strap called the Block Strap, his inspiration from singer-songwriter Lindsay Mac and cellist Rushad Eggleston, and his performance with the Silk Road Ensemble in February 2015, in collaboration with the New York Philharmonic.

An interview with cellist Rushad Eggleston is presented. Topics covered include Eggleston's primary instrument, an El Cellocabra del Norforbulones, and its comparison with his previous cello, his cello's personality, the strengths and limitations of the instrument, and the circumstance that led to his ownership of the instrument.

The article presents the highlights of auctions for instruments and bows. Topics covered include the record price set by ca. 1825 Francois Xavier Tourte violin bow sold by Beare's Auctions, the sale of a violin made by Bolognese maker Ansaldo Poggi and the value of a 1710 Gorilamo II Amati. Also mentioned is the price fetched for a Giovanni Grancino cello at Ingles & Hayday's auction.

In this article the author discusses his past experience of performing with his cello in a chapel.

The article discusses the three different setups of a violin which offers unique insight into what composers and players heard in the past. Topics discussed include the Baroque setup where the violin family of instruments featured a fat neck set at a shallower angle to the top, the Belgian cello bridge which is an invention of Modern setup and the Classical Setup which emerged to recreate the violins of 19th-century players at the forefront of music technology.

The article discusses the two kinds of mutes for viola, violin and cello, its different characteristics and usefulness. Mutes discussed are the semipermanent performance mutes with two basic styles that either remains on the instrument called slide-on or Tourte or has to be removed when not needed, and the practice mutes which are appropriate in small spaces with neighbors. Products of the roll-up mutes such as Roth-Sihon Mute, Menuhin or shield mute, and Spector mute are also discussed.

The article offers tips on caring for a violin or cello's bridge. Topics discussed include the costs of a cello bridge, the bridge representing a balance of flexibility and strength and has the ability to withstand the pressure of the strings, the role of the strings in preventing warpage of the bridge, tips on changing the strings and replacing one string every two days.

An interview with German cellist Alban Gerhardt is presented. He talks about his primary cello's darker and bigger and real cello sound. He credits his Goffriller cello for brining depth and darkness into his playing and interpretations. Gerhardt discusses how he came into possession of the instrument which was offered to him by a gallerist from Hamburg, Germany.

An interview with German-Japanese cellist Danjulo Ishizaka is presented. When asked about playing the 1730 Feuermann Stradivari cello as his main instrument, Danjulo agrees although he also plays on a post-Konstantin Romanov Montagana cello made by Wolfgang Schnabl. When asked about the benefits of playing a Feuermann cello, Danjulo says that it renders the energy of cellist Emanuel Feuermann.

The article presents author's experience of playing cello and his interest in classical music, and then choosing career as cellist and teaching it.