Tuning of the 4 string cellos in Germany, France, Italy and England: | |||
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1528 | Wittenberg, Germany | Agricola: Ein kurtz deudsche Musica | bass geige part of a 4 part violin consort |
1532 | Nürnberg, Germany | Hans Gerle: Musica teutsch | 4 string cello tuned C-G-d-a |
1533 | Brescia, Italy | Lanfrancho: Scintille di Musica | 4 string cello tuned B ![]() |
1556 | Lyons, France | Jambe de Fer: Epitome musicale | 4 string cello tuned B ![]() |
1592 | Venezia, Italy | Zacconi: Prattica di musica | 4 string cello tuned B ![]() 4 string cello tuned G-d-a-e’ |
1609 | Bologna, Italy | A. Banchieri: Conclusioni nel suono del organo | 4 string cello tuned G-d-a-e’ |
1613 | Napoli, Italy | P. Cerone: El Melopeo y maestro | 4 string cello tuned B ![]() |
1636 | Paris, France | M. Mersenne: Harmonie Universelle | 4 string cello tuned B ![]() |
1619 | Wolfenbüttel, Germany | Praetorius: Syntagma Musicum | 4 string cello tuned C-G-d-a 4 string cello tuned F-c-g-d |
1664 | London, England | Playford: Introduction to the skills of musicke | mentions wirewound gut and silk strings |
Comparing the above mentioned treatises and bass lines in written music, we get the following rules for the tuning of the 4 string cello: | |
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Italy: | 2 common tuning systems existed at the same time. Monteverdi probably wrote for an instrument having the range of C-G-d-a, where as composers such as Giovanni Valentini (1619) required in their music notes down to the B![]() ![]() |
Germany: | The earliest written proof of the "modern" tuning of C-G-d-a comes from Germany. Two treatises written with a time span of 87 years stating both the same tuning system show how much more common this tuning was in Germany already at that time. |
France: | The only tuning used in 17th century France was the B![]() |
England: | Similar to France the B![]() |
Disclaimer - Haftungsausschluss
Edding Quartet, a classical string quartet on period instruments