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cellopera

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Posts posted by cellopera

  1. 18 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

    Some years ago, I bought (by mistake) a “super high tech” spike with Titan screw, special carbon rod with, according to the blurb “optimal vibration and transmission characteristics” and so on.. The recommended retail price came to a breath taking €600, and that is before I have undressed the cello to fit it, and put it all back together again. I have asked all cello customers, including those with expensive Italian Celli, and no one is remotely prepared to pay €600 for a spike. If anyone comes to me and wants to try different end-pins, they will be sent to a colleague of mine who I don’t particularly like very much

    600€ ? If you really want another breathtaking reaction, check out this 2000€ endpin: https://www.instrumagic.com

  2. 3 hours ago, David Burgess said:

    Perhaps so, but in my opinion, an accumulation of small effects can add up to very large effects, so even the small effects are worth pursuing, if one is into pushing the envelope.

    That’s absolutely right. Anything that can make my instrument sound better, even by a few percentages, is worth it!

  3. 7 hours ago, MarcoCello said:

    So what remains for us ? Lol

    Any information from your vast testings on the endpins that are available so we can have a chance to test them ?

    You have to try endpins on your own, until you find what suits your instrument. I would suggest you go to your local luthier and try out everything. I would not advise you to buy something that suits my instrument, but might not work on yours. 

  4. I have experimented with most endpins that are on the market, on three different instruments, and the conclusion is not very clear. What is clear, though, is that endpins can influence the sound and playability of a Cello. Some Cellos respond better with endpins that are heavier (e.g. Mitsuke Triple Brillante) and others with lighter ones. In general, 10mm thickness is the way to go, so that there is no wobbling while playing. The best endpin that I discovered for my instruments is made of Titanium and is hollow. It has the best combination of projection and core. There is only a small problem though… it’s custom made and not available on the market.

  5. 7 hours ago, Marty Kasprzyk said:

    This video shows that maybe in the near future orchestras will need only a few players--one violin player, one viola, one cello, one bass etc.

    A lot of instruments won't be needed anymore and the instrument making and care industry will crash.

    I beg to differ. With my Orchestra, as soon as we exited the Corona restrictions, tickets sold out quickly. It shows that the digital world cannot replace the live experience of a concert. In Germany, there is currently a big push against digitizing selling tickets.

  6. On 10/22/2023 at 7:01 PM, baroquecello said:

    Well, within limits (those being that the setup of the cello needs to be good), and talking about beginners in particular, I'd agree with Eloffe. But I work full time as a Cello teacher and if I'm not mistaken, you are a full time orchestral cellist. I think our framework and perspective is different, and the kind of  instruments and bows we get into our hands are vastly different. 

    Yes, setup plays an important role and I would agree that beginners do not need high level instruments or bows to start learning, but at a professional level, CF bows are inferior across the range to pernambuco bows in terms of sound quality, balance at the tip, string response and so on. I have tried all kinds of CF bows, including two (from Arcus if I’m not mistaken) that were priced around €8000, which is mind boggling.

  7. 10 hours ago, Mille regardz said:

    I would think lack of focus, articulation and quality is equally problematic in modern music as it is is traditional repertoire. 

    I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word traditional: existing in or as part of a tradition; long-established. Modern music has not been long established by any means.

  8. 1 hour ago, Rue said:

    I took the CF cello bow that came as part of my outfit, in immediate dislike.

    Why?

    1. I am biased against CF. I admit it!

    2. It's noticeably unattractive. Although not as bad as the old Glasser bows.

    3. I don't know how much it is worth, independently, but given it's branded with the name of the outfit and there's no information available on it...it is certainly not expensive.

    And yeah...of course it's entirely adequate for me to squeak around with.

    I did try it on my violin, just for fun...and was actually surprised at how well it sounded in that scenario...so I assume it can't be a complete dud.

    I can certainly tell/hear/feel the difference a violin/viola bow makes. Are cello bows the same, or are they also less fussy? How much of a difference would a better bow make? Or, how well would one need to play until one would even notice bow quality? 

    I use CF only for modern music, just like many chamber/orchestra musicians. Would never use one for traditional repertoire, as they lack focus, articulation and quality.

  9. 8 hours ago, Navyasw02 said:

    Country of origin should be ignored. We collectively poo poo anything made in China and that makes as much sense as fawning over ourselves for an Italian. Good makers with good technique and good materials make good instruments, not their passports.

    Unfortunately, the market is of a different opinion, especially dealers and collectors. I also only care about quality since I’m working with sound for a living, but it will take a few more generations for things to change.

  10. 10 hours ago, Bill Merkel said:

    I guess the attitude was happy to be playing at all.  From what I can tell from afar things are back to normal. 

    That’s exactly right. Being a Radio Orchestra, we were lucky to be able to play and record. Opera houses didn’t have this luxury.

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