Ottocello Posted March 3, 2019 Report Posted March 3, 2019 Hi everyone, I'm thinking of placing a bid for this cello on sale at the next Ingles&Hayday in March - just looking for a good sounding cello to replace my modern one which has some sharpness which doesn't help me much at auditions. What would your opinion on this one be like? I've tried the other day and sounded very balanced, not particularly strong but very nice. Only the fingerboard projection felt a bit low. https://ingleshayday.com/auction/1013-2/cello-by-politi-enrico-lot84/ Thanks for your help, I'm new here but in the last few years I'm getting more and more passionate about instruments and makers!
martin swan Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 Welcome to Maestronet. Sorry but what are you asking exactly? If it's the sound then we can't help you. If it's the authenticity, you can't do better than an Eric Blot certificate.
ClefLover Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 Wonderful looking cello! The fingerboard projection is a question that I’ve had for while... I’ve seen local instruments with varying projections, as well as overstands in the many violins and cellos, but when is it actually an issue? Let’s say a cello had an overstand of 16mm and a fingerboard projection of 77mm, both low, but no supposed issue with sound quality listening to my son play. Do you only correct these measurements when they present a sound quality issue? This might help the OP’s concern as well.
deans Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 Sounds like you are not completely blown away by the sound. How many other instruments have you looked at in that price range? Here in the US you would be in a strong position to find something very nice in that price range.
martin swan Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 41 minutes ago, ClefLover said: Wonderful looking cello! The fingerboard projection is a question that I’ve had for while... I’ve seen local instruments with varying projections, as well as overstands in the many violins and cellos, but when is it actually an issue? Let’s say a cello had an overstand of 16mm and a fingerboard projection of 77mm, both low, but no supposed issue with sound quality listening to my son play. Do you only correct these measurements when they present a sound quality issue? This might help the OP’s concern as well. I would not buy a violin or a cello on the basis of a speculation about how much better it might sound in the future!
ClefLover Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 37 minutes ago, martin swan said: I would not buy a violin or a cello on the basis of a speculation about how much better it might sound in the future! True. Good point. Maybe I’ll start a new thread addressing that question.
martin swan Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 It's something that comes up a lot ... Often people who come to try instruments here fall in love with something on the basis of the look or the label but not really the sound. They say "I suppose it hasn't been played very much?" or "I'm sure it just needs bringing back to life". I point out that there are 50 other violins in front of them, all similarly dormant, and yet some sound great. When I was a buyer myself, I heard it a lot ... "it just needs to be played in" or "of course it hasn't been played for decades". This is very dangerous ground.
ClefLover Posted March 4, 2019 Report Posted March 4, 2019 Does the OP’s cello have a maple fingerboard?
Ottocello Posted March 4, 2019 Author Report Posted March 4, 2019 23 minutes ago, ClefLover said: Does the OP’s cello have a maple fingerboard? The fingerboard looks ebony. Not the best piece of ebony but still ebony. 2 hours ago, martin swan said: Welcome to Maestronet. Sorry but what are you asking exactly? If it's the sound then we can't help you. If it's the authenticity, you can't do better than an Eric Blot certificate. Maybe I posted my question the wrong way. I wrote about the sound but I'm already happy of the sound I've heard playing it. The question is only about how the cello looks and how well do you all think it's been made. We know that even instruments from the same maker very often are not the same quality, so I thought it was good idea to ask you experts if the cello does make a good impression based on the HQ pictures online, strictly in terms of "construction". Thanks for your interest so far.
cellopera Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 If you are not convinced with the sound quality, don’t buy it. You might find other instruments in the future in the same range that could sound better than this one. Considering that you are doing auditions, projection is one major factor. Also, don’t settle for an instrument that sounds clean and warm under the ear. The best projecting instruments sound harsh under the ear and warm in the audience.
martin swan Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 1 hour ago, cellopera said: Considering that you are doing auditions, projection is one major factor. I've often wondered if this is completely true. It might be that people going for auditions think they need a soloist sound, whereas the people judging the auditions might be looking for beauty of sound and the ability to blend ... It would be awful if there was a misunderstanding here.
ClefLover Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 5 hours ago, martin swan said: I've often wondered if this is completely true. It might be that people going for auditions think they need a soloist sound, whereas the people judging the auditions might be looking for beauty of sound and the ability to blend ... It would be awful if there was a misunderstanding here. Sheesh, just agreeing with you left and right. I’m no concert player, but I have certainly attended concerts where I felt a could hear a particular violin family instrument a little too much, where a solo is not taking place. I wonder if more clarification during an audition might be helpful, if there isn’t already. For example, “are you a solo player, or a chamber player?... okay, I’ll judge you based upon the chamber criterion.”
cellopera Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 8 hours ago, martin swan said: I've often wondered if this is completely true. It might be that people going for auditions think they need a soloist sound, whereas the people judging the auditions might be looking for beauty of sound and the ability to blend ... It would be awful if there was a misunderstanding here. It is true. The biggest part of any auditions are the Solo Concertos usually from the Classical (1st round) and Romantic (2nd round) periods. Here, they look for a player that can project a big but beautiful sound, especially since most auditions are held in big concert halls. If the people seated in the middle and towards the end of the hall cannot hear you well, it cannot be good. The ability to blend is seen in the orchestral parts required and later in the trial—if one succeeds the audition.
martin swan Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 24 minutes ago, cellopera said: It is true. The biggest part of any auditions are the Solo Concertos usually from the Classical (1st round) and Romantic (2nd round) periods. Here, they look for a player that can project a big but beautiful sound, especially since most auditions are held in big concert halls. If the people seated in the middle and towards the end of the hall cannot hear you well, it cannot be good. The ability to blend is seen in the orchestral parts required and later in the trial—if one succeeds the audition. Sounds like it would be useful to be able to hire a violin for auditions ...
deans Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 I think its hard to find any violinist that doesn't want the biggest sound they can get. Especially when they are at the auditioning.
martin swan Posted March 5, 2019 Report Posted March 5, 2019 7 minutes ago, deans said: I think its hard to find any violinist that doesn't want the biggest sound they can get. Especially when they are at the auditioning. Chamber musicians, opera pit players, many amateurs. In my experience the pursuit of volume is mainly conservatoire students and recent conservatoire graduates - and of course actual soloists.
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