The origins of solo cello literature and performance

Abstract

An investigation into the origins of cello repertory and performance explores territory that is unfamiliar to most musicians. Scholarly research has contributed admirably to our understanding of how the cello began and what factors led to its development, but few sources have brought together what is known about the origins of the instrument and its repertory. This document is an attempt to address this problem after examining many dissertations, music dictionaries, books, articles, and sound recordings. Whenever practical, musical scores were obtained for examination and subsequent performances of these works occurred at Illinois State University and the University of Kansas. Once this research was begun, it was clear that the origin of cello literature and performance was concentrated within a specific region of Italy, involving a reasonably small number of musicians. Although many early works for solo cello remain unpublished and only available at libraries in Italy, those that are readily available demonstrate a virtuosity and sophistication that reflects the musical activity that was occurring in Italy at that time.