The bel canto cello: a study of violoncello playing in Italy in the 19th century

[Truncated] The violoncello was ‘born’ of the violin family in Italy during the 16^th century. In the ensuing hundred years, Italian cellists guided the course of development of violoncello playing. As a consequence of their teaching and concert activities, numerous Italian cellists of this period enjoyed fame at home and abroad. Today, these 17^th- and 18^th-century virtuosi are still acknowledged in print and in performance. However, the legacy of their 19^th-century compatriots largely has been ignored. This dearth of information in contemporary literature about 19^th-century Italian cellists represents a significant lacuna. Save for the compositions and concert activities of Alfredo Piatti, little is known today about the principal 19^th-century Italian exponents of the cello, the sorts of music they played, and how they played it. Given the significant and widely acknowledged role Italian cellists played in the development of the cello in preceding centuries, this is surprising.