the bow & bow-hold
How to hold the bow, how to conduct your bow...
This chapter is from far the most important.
By sharing my research, I do not try to convince the readers to adopt my technique, but to open new perspectives for improving the vibrations of the strings.
I. Baroque cello - Bass violin bow
This bow was made by Hans Reiners in Berlin, it is a reproduction from a painting on the late 1600.
II. Bow-hold
The bass players had different way to hold the bow. Let's observe paintings...
underhand
The palm of the hand is placed under the nut of the bow.
overhand
The palm of the hand is placed over the stick of the bow.
1. UNDERHAND BOW HOLD
Observation of paintings, documents & performers
Paintings
Scotland
Niel gow and his brother (Donald Gow, cellist), by David Allan, circa 1780
Netherland
Village musicians, by Adrian Jansz van Ostade,
circa 1645
England
Portrait of a gentleman seated playing cello, by Charles Philips, circa 1720
Italy
Concerto in casa Lazzari by Girolamo Martinelli
closer view of the bow grip
Recommended publications by Mark Smith:
"Iconographic study of the violoncello and the way it was played up to the year 1800" "Certain Aspects of baroque music for the violoncello as finally exemplified in the suites for unaccompanied violoncello by J.S. Bach. (thesis, doctorate, University of South Australia 1983-4)"
"The cello bow held the viol way, once common, but almost forgotten"
Read page 47
Descriptions in historical documents
Description of J.C. Schetky's bow hold :
"The thumb was laying on the frog of the bow, the second finger was on the stick, and the other 3 fingers were on the bow hair. By the pressure of those fingers, especially the little finger, he increased the tension of his bow ." Allgemeine Musikzeitung, 1799, Leipzig
"Antonion Vandini, the famous violoncello, who they say play a parlare upon his instrument" [...] it is remarkable that Antonio and all the other violoncello players here hold the bow in the old fashioned way with the hand under it" Charles Burney, Excerpt from: “Music men, and manners in France and Italy 1770”
Famous cellists who played with underhand bow-hold
FERDINANDO III DE MEDICIS
Patron of the arts
His Villa in Patrolino was a center of music where he held operatic production in a theater built for that purpose. Close to D. Scarlatti, he produced five of his operas. Ferdinando was also in contact with J.F. Handel. Vivaldi dedicated him L'Estro Armonico, a collection of twelve concertos for one, two and four violins.
ANTONIO VANDINI
"Maestro al violoncello" at the Ospedale della Pietà 1720-21
(In 172O Vivaldi returned to Venice where he staged in the Teatro Sant' Angelo new operas of his composition.)
- First violoncellist of the Church of St. Antonio in Padua, concertmaster: Tartini (1721)
- 1723-26 : Accompanist of Tartini in Prague
- 1726-70: Back to his position of principal cello of the Church of St. Antonio in Padua.
- 1776-78: Back to Bologna his birth town where he taught until his death.
Composition for the violoncello:
Concerto in D major and Six Sonatas
MARKUS GRAUEL
"M. Grauel, a violoncello performer in the king’s band, played a concerto; it was but ordinary music; however, it was well executed, though in the old manner, with the hand under the bow"
Excerpt from "An eighteenth century musical tour in central Europe and the Netherland."(1773) Charles Burney
J. C. SHETCKY
Highlights of his career:
Schetky spent six months in Hamburg in 1761 where he got offered a Stradivarius. 1761-68 Cellist of the court orchestra of Darmstadt 1768-69 Played concerts in Hamburg He also appeared in concerts in London where he got the patronage of J.C. Bach.
"The thumb was laying on the frog of the bow, the second finger was on the stick, and the other 3 fingers were on the bow hair. By the pressure of those fingers, especially the little finger, he increased the tension of his bow ."
Allgemeine Musikzeitung, 1799, Leipzig
2. OVERHAND BOW HOLD
Observation of paintings, documents & performers
Paintings
England
Excerpt from: A cellist in Handel's orchestra - Philip Mercier - c.1740-1- (Cellist: J. Hebden )
England
Excerpt from: The Rev. John Chafy Playing the Violoncello in a Landscape, Gainsborough - c.1750-2
France
Excerpt from Musique de chambre, by Carmontelle - c.1765-70 ( Cellist: J.P. Duport)
Italy
Portrait of Giovanni Battista Cirri by Giacomo Ceruti
Description in historical document
Michel Corette's description - 1741
The bow must be taken in the right hand. It can be held in three different ways: the first, which is the most common way among Italians, is to place the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers on the wood ABCD. and the thumb under the 3rd finger E.
The second way is to place the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers on the wood A B C. the thumb on the horsehair E and the little finger placed on the wood opposite the horsehair G.
And the 3rd way of holding the Bow is to place the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers on the side of the frog H.L.K. the thumb under the horsehair and the little finger next to the wood M.
These three different ways of holding the Bow are equally good, and it is good to choose the one with which one has more strength: Because to play the Cello one needs strength in the right arm to draw out the Sound.
Learn in a short time cello playing in its perfection. - Michel Corrette 1741
Famous cellists who played with overhand bow-hold
FRANCESCO ALBOREA
«The incomparable violoncellist Fransciscello." J. Quantz
"Franciscello", a travelling virtuoso. Born in 1691 in Napoli, Italy. His playing and sound had an important impact in the development and the popularity of the violoncello. After a performance with Scarlatti, Geminiani related that only an angel that had descended and assumed his shape could have played like that.
Employed at the Imperial chapel of Vienna from 1726 until his death. His fame also inspired viola da gamba players to explore the new instrument. The French gamba player Martin Berteau was one of them. After hearing a concert of Alborea, he decided to dedicate the rest of his career to the violoncello
While in Vienna... he received by far the highest salary paid to any violoncellist at the chapel (1260 fl. while the standard salary was between 150 and 500 fl.)
LUIGI BOCCHERINI (post baroque)
This painting provides valuable insights into the cello, including details about posture, bow hold, and the positioning of the hand at the balance point of the bow
Luigi Boccherini, born on February 19, 1743, in Lucca, Italy, passed away on May 28, 1805, in Madrid, Spain, was also a prominent composer. He played a significant role in shaping the string quartet as a musical form and is credited with composing the earliest known quintet for strings, along with a quintet for strings and piano. In addition to these works, his vast repertoire of around 500 compositions encompasses sacred music, symphonies, and concertos
Famous cellists - unknown bowhold
GIOVANNI BONONCINI
1670, Modena - 1747, Vienna
Also refered as BUONONCINI
Renowned composer and cellist, Bononcini traveled throughout Europe from his beginnings in Bologna, then to Rome (1691) and Vienna (1698), including stays in Madrid, Berlin (1702-03)*, London (1720), Paris (1730). By 1706, Bononcini was already famous all over Europe.
MARTIN BERTEAU
This is the only portrait of Berteau, there is no information about his bow-hold.
Before becoming a cellist, Berteau was a fine bass viol player. Important figure as a performer teacher and composer, "The famous Bertaud", is considered as the founder of the French school of violoncello. He left no written record of his teaching method, but many of his pupils did.
Among them: the Brothers Janson, Jean-Pierre Duport, Jean-Baptiste Bréval, François Cupis de Renoussard, Joseph Tillière, Dominique Bideau.
Famous for his use of harmonics he composed 6 cello sonatas Sonate Da camera a violoncello Solo col Basso Continuo op.l where he wrote an explanation on how to play harmonics on the cello.
THE CHOICE OF BOW-HOLD
observation
An instrument held in the upright position was played with an underhand bow grip.
An instrument played on the shoulder was played with an overhand bowgrip.
The choice had to do with the palm of the hand and the order of the strings. Only cellists used both bowholds
Up or down bow...?
