1 May

** 1686 - Fred. Leopold Pückl enters the Imperial Chapel, Vienna, as violoncellist

** 1695 - birth of Pierre Saint-Sevin (Bordeaux, France) d.1768
cellist and composer

** 1764 - on this day a cellist named Gordon (his first name not known) performed in a concert given by Signora Frasi, being noted for his full and sweet tone

** 1772 - birth of Jacques-Michel Hurel de Lamare (Paris) d.1823
cellist, orchestral, professor and occasional composer

** 1831 - František Hegenbarth enters the Prague Conservatoire as a student on this day; in May 1865 he was to become a professor there himself, serving for more than twenty years!

** 1837 - cellist Max Bohrer played a duet for two violoncellos with fellow cellist Moritz Ganz at a Philharmonic Society concert in London

** 1902 - Hugo Becker (cello) was soloist in Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor with the Queen’s Hall Concert Orchestra, conducted by Herr Weingartner. Clara Butt was also soloist in a vocal aria.

** 1918 - in the Steinway Hall (London) a Recital of English Songs was given by Mrs Harry Bedford, assisted by Beatrice Harrison (cello), and accompanied by Mr F. Kiddle 

** 1937 - on this day German cellist Ludwig Hoelscher became a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party - is generally recognized as having been an ardent Nazi, hence his enthusiastic cooperation

** 1943 - first performance of Bohuslav Martinu - Variations on a Theme of Rossini for cello and piano
cellist Gregor Piatigorsky(?) (New York)

** 1957 - in a Hallé Orchestra special Elgar concert, the invited soloist was André Navarra, performing the Elgar - Cello Concerto. The concert also include the ‘Introduction and Allegro’ and the composer’s Second Symphony, all conducted by John Barbirolli.

** 1970 - Lorne Munroe gave a soloist performance of Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, in Toronto, Canada 

** 1978 - researcher/investigator/writer Walter Schenkman first published on this day his now famous essay “Cassado’s Frescobaldi - A Case of Mistaken Identity or Outright Hoax” - with the irrefutable proof that the ‘Toccata’ was not a work of Frescobaldi, but in fact a work written by Cassadó himself in 1925!

2 May

** 1707 - birth of Jean-Baptiste Barrière (Bordeaux, France) d.1747
cellist and composer

** 1814 - Bernhard Romberg makes his first appearance on British soil, playing a string trio of Beethoven, and participating in his own string sextet alongside the British cellist Frederick William Crouch.

** 1853 - first performance of Bernhard Molique - Cello Concerto 
soloist - Alfredo Piatti (Philharmonic concert, London)  

** 1894 - first performance of d’Indy - Lied, Op.19 in version for cello and piano
Parisian private concert - ‘Séance de Musique’ by Cornélis Liégeois and Vincent d’Indy

** 1899 - cellist May Mukle, just 19 years old, gave a recital including the cello sonata in F major Op.6 by Richard Strauss and Léon Boëllmann's Variations Symphoniques on her programme, the "Times" already emphasized, “how fully the young artist realizes the necessity of bringing forward interesting music” (Times May 2, 1899)

** 1901 - Hugo Becker (cello) and Andrew Black (vocal) were soloists with the Queen’s Hall Concert Orchestra, conducted by Herr Weingartner. The programme also included the first English performance of Weingartner - Symphonic Poem ‘Das Gefilde der Seligen' Op.21.

** 1911 - first performance of Holst - Invocation, for cello and orchestra
soloist - May Mukle with New symphony Orchestra, conducted by Landon Ronald (Queen’s Hall, London)

** 1927 - birth of Anna Shuttleworth (Bournemouth, England) d.2021
cellist and professor

** 1931 - The great affection and respect which Casals formerly had for his prize student was most clearly displayed on 2nd May, 1931, when the the Orquesta Pau Casals featured the Spanish premieres of two of Gaspar Cassadó's works. Casals conducted the Rapsodia Catalana, and Cassadó was the soloist in his Arpeggione concerto

** 1965 - birth of Matthew Barley (Sheffield, England) 
cellist, improviser and contemporary/electronic

** 1966 - birth of Kristin (Gräfin) von der Goltz (Würzburg, Germany)
cellist, specialist baroque music {based Germany-Norway}

** 1974 - birth of Martin Rummel (Linz, Austria) 
cellist and professor {based New Zealand}

** 1976 - “Hommage à Paul Sacher” - 12 Hommages à Paul Sacher premiered in Zürich, 12 pieces for cello or cello ensemble composed to celebrate cellist Sacher’s 70th birthday:
Puneña no. 2 by Alberto Ginastera; Thema und Variationen für Violoncello solo by Wolfgang Fortner; Capriccio by Hans Werner Henze; Drei Epigramme für Violoncello solo für Paul Sacher by Conrad Beck; 3 strophes sur le nom de Sacher by Henri Dutilleux; Sacher-Variationen by Witold Lutoslawski; Les mots sont allés by Luciano Berio; Variationen über das Thema eSACHERe by Cristóbal Halffter; Tema “Sacher” by Benjamin Britten; Transpositio ad infinitum für ein virtuoses Solocello by Klaus Huber; Chaconne für Violoncello solo by Heinz Holliger & Messagesquisse pour 7 violoncelles by Pierre Boulez 
(Tonhalle, Zürich, Switzerland)

3 May
** 1792 - the cellist Menel performed in a divertimento by Haydn in London.

** 1829 - in a sale on this day of the estate of the late Sir William Curtis (1752 – 1829 - an English businessman, banker and politician; and well-known for the banquets which he hosted!), “lot 9” was a violoncello of Andreas Amati dating from1572. A document was given to the new proprietor upon purchase staing that it was passed over by Pope Pius V to Charles IX, King of France, for his chapel. It was an instrument of great power and richness. The minimum price asked in the sale was 500 guineas but it actually sold for 280 guineas. When the cello came up for sale again in 1872 these assertions about the instrument were not able to be independently proven!

** 1841 - English cellist Robert Lindley performed, with second cellist Lucas and the double bassist Dragonetti, a sonata of Corelli.

** 1896 - cellist Rosa Brackenhammer performed in a recital of voice, cello and piano in Leeuwarden (Netherlands), including works of Bruch, Brahms and Massenet. The following day the press wrote:
"Concert tour of the Brackenhammer siblings" (Leeuwarder Courant, 4th May, 1896), but no other venues are known.

** 1903 - Casals begins a concert tour of South America with Harold Bauer and Moreira de Sá

** 1911 - May Mukle gave the world premiere of Thomas Frederick Dunhill ‘Variations on an old English tune’ and Gustav Holst's ‘Invocation’ (each for cello and orchestra)

** 1917 - first full orchestral performance of Bloch - Schelomo, for cello and orchestra
soloist - Hans Kindler conducted by Artur Bodanzky

** 1919 - ‘Ballata and Ballabile’, Op 160, for solo cello and orchestra, by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) was first performed by Beatrice Harrison and Hamilton Harty in Stanford’s cello & piano arrangement on 3rd May 1919 at the Wigmore Hall in London

** 1927 - birth of Philip Blum (Chicago, USA) d.2009
cellist, orchestra player (incredibly for 50+ years he was a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra!), recording artist

** 1946 - birth of Michael Flaksman (Akron, Ohio, USA) d.2019
cellist,professor and music courses founder

** 1990 - first performance of William Bolcom - Cello Sonata
(Boston, USA)

** 1993 - Catherine García/cello and María Elena Barrientos/piano performed Rodolfo Halffter - Sonata for cello and piano, Op.26, recorded live by Spanish National Radio
Centro de Arte “Reina Sofía, Madrid

4 May

** 1722 - Pippo Amadio played a concerto on the “bass violin" ( = cello) at Signor Carbonelli’s concert in London, May 4th, 1722, according to an advertisement in the “London Gazette.”

** 1905 - birth of Mátyás György Seiber (Budapest) d. 1960
composer & cellist

** 1929 - birth of Audrey Hepburn (Brussels) d.1993
Famous British actress, a film and fashion icon, humanitarian….and she knew the basics of cello playing!! (good enough on the instrument to actually play in the film “Love in the afternoon”, released in 1957)

** 1937 - birth of Ron Carter (Ferndale, MI, USA)
jazz and classical bassist, cellist, teacher & bandleader

** 1954 - first performance of Ernst Krenek - Cello Concerto No.1 
(Los Angeles, USA)

** 1967 - in an Oxford Subscription Concert Jacqueline du Pre, with Stephen Bishop gave a recital

** 1967 - birth of Bion Yu-Ting Tsang (Lansing, Michigan, USA)
cellist & teacher

** 1968 - first performance of Krzysztof Penderecki - Capriccio per Siegfried Palm for cello
soloist - Siegfried Pam (Bremen, Germany)

5 May

** 1881 - Richard Strauss completes the first version of his Cello Sonata (later revised)

** 1921 - The Oxford Subscription Concerts organized a Cello and Piano Recital with Guilhermina Suggia and Adolph Mann.

** 1966 - first performance of Iannis Xenakis - ‘Nomos alpha’ for cello solo
soloist - Siegfried Palm (Bremen, Germany)

** 1973 - first performance of Sofia Gubaidulina - Detto II for cello and chamber ensemble
(Moscow)

** 1993 - first performance of Benet Casablancas I Domingo - Cant per a Federico Mompou: remembrance, for cello and piano
Lito Iglesias/cello and Eugènia Gasull/piano (Auditorio Eduardo Toldrá, Conservatorio Superior de Música, Barcelona)

6 May

** 1680 - birth of Jean-Baptiste Stuck (Livorno, Italy) d.1755
Franco-Italian composer & cellist 

** 1867 - on this day soloist Friedrich Grützmacher performed the Molique Cello Concerto at a London Philharmonic concert , in London

** 1869 - birth of Arthur Weiss (Hungary) d.1954
cellist, orchestra principal cello & chamber musician {based USA}

** 1877 - not always can a great cellist or composer please everyone, and especially the critics! On this date, and referring to ‘Herr Heinrich Leipold’s Concert’ (which included the original version of the Brahms Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8), a work of David Popper received a rare scathing criticism in the publication ‘Era’ of London!:
“Van Biene was received in the most flattering manner when he played a solo upon the violoncello, a larghetto by Brahms, and a mazurka by Popper. As for the latter composer, he will certainly never set the Thames on fire. His mazurka was simply rubbish, and we wonder how good artistes can waste their time in playing such stuff.”

** 1903 - the cello soloist Herbert Withers received a wonderful review from the Yorkshire Herald on 6th May, 1903 - here is what they said:
“The great attraction of the evening was the 'cello playing of Mr. Herbert Withers, who gave his services. This gentleman is still very young, but he has reached a pinnacle of fame which might well make a veteran envious. He is the solo 'cellist at the Queen's Hall concerts, London, and has already been offered the 'cello lead at the Grand Opera, Vienna, a just tribute to his undoubted genius. His playing is marked by an absolutely correct technique, wonderfully firm bowing and a magnificent tone production. In the first part of the programme last night he played Tschaikowsky's "Variations sur un Theme Rococo," and when partially through the piece he had the misfortune to break one of the strings of his very fine instrument, he was lent another by a member of the orchestra, but he was not at home with this instrument, and it was only after his own had been restored to him that he was enabled to finish his masterly performance to his own satisfaction. In the second part he played "The Lament," by Mr. Noble, and a charming little piece "Elfentanz" by Popper. So delighted were the audience with the latter that they unanimously demanded an encore, which Mr. Withers generously complied with”.

** 1923 - first performance of Hindemith - Solo Cello Sonata, Op.25/3
(Freiburg, Germany)

** 1954 - first performance of Ernst Krenek - Fantasy for cello and piano 
(Lucerne, Switzerland)

** 1964 - a great fire ravaged at Chappell & Co, the music publishers, at New Bond Street, London on this day - tragically for cellists the manuscript score and orchestral parts of Sullivan Cello Concerto in D Major were lost. However, a copy of the solo part, with indications of some orchestral cues survived, as part of the Pierpont Morgan Collection; and it was later possible to “reconstruct” the work.

** 1970 - on this day cellist Paul Tortelier finished recording C.P.E. Bach - Cello Concerto in A Major and the Haydn - Cello Concerto in D Major, in Christ Church, Chelsea, London, with the London Chamber Orchestra - he was both soloist/conductor (the other recording day was the previous day)

** 1971 - on this day cellist Yo-Yo Ma first performed in the New York Carnegie Hall, in the Weill Recital Hall)

** 1974 - first performance of Peter Sculthorpe - The Song of Tailitnama for voice, six cellos and percussion
(Melbourne, Australia)

** 1975 - at the Royal Festival Hall (London) the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andre Previn, featured cello soloist Douglas Cummings playing Arthur Bliss - Cello Concerto.

7 May

** 1833 - birth of Johannes Brahms (Hamburg, Germany) d.1897
composer, pianist, conductor…and an adolescent cellist!  

** 1891 - birth of Victor de Gomez (Aubern, California, USA) d. 1969
cellist, orchestra principal cello

** 1915 - a sad story…the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine on this day. 1200 people were killed, including the wife of important cellist Philip Abas, Beatrice, and their two children. She boarded with her two daughters on May 1st, 1915 in New York and was supposed to have arrived in Liverpool a week later - she was pregnant for the third time, and wanted to give birth to the child with her family in England. [Abas later remarried…]

** 1942 - the last concerto soloist performance of Emanuel Feuermann
(Dvorak  - Cello Concerto, with the Philadelphia Orchestra)

** 1973 - in the Kennedy Centre (Washington, U.S.A.), a solo recital (the first of two in spring of that year) of music of J.S. Bach was given by cello soloist Thomas Igloi, marking his American debuts.

** 1984 - first performance of Toru Takemitsu - Orion and Pleiades: Concerto for cello and orchestra 
Soloist - Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi (Paris)

** 1986 - first performance of Alfred Schnittke - Cello Concerto No.1 
(Munich, Germany)

8 May

** 1778 - birth of Johann Baptist Gänsbacher (Sterzing, Tyrol, Austria)
cellist, Domcapellmeister at St. Stephen’s Cathedral Vienna {great friend of Weber and Meyerbeer}

** 1790 - The Diary, or Woodfall's Register (8th May 1790) wrote: “Handel's marking ‘Violoncello ad libitum’ presented Cervetto with the kind of occasion when, by means of improvisation, his talent could shine even in adverse circumstances” … an interesting insight to performance practice of the time!

** 1820 - English cellist Robert Lindley played with his son, and the double bassist Dragonetti, a trio sonata of Corelli (London)

** 1886 - at the Crystal Palace Saturday Orchestral Concerts (South London) the featured invited soloists on this day were Miss Annie Marriott, Miss Edith Marriott, Madame Trebelli, Mr William Winch and Mr Frederick King (vocal), with ‘Master Schrattenholz’ (cello) and Miss Fanny Davies (piano).

** 1904 - birth of Marthe Delcellier (Laval, France) d.1998
cellist, orchestra principal cello {based in Canada}

** 1911 - Dr. Serge Barjansky performed as invited cello soloist in a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra

** 1924 - first official British performance of Kodaly - Solo Cello Sonata, Op.8
soloist - Beatrice Harrison (Aeolian Hall, London) {she had given a pre-performance in February of same year in a contemporary music centre concert in London}

** 1950 - first performance of Ginastera - Pampeana No.2, Op.21
Aurora Nátola/cello and ?/piano (Buenos Aires)

** 1971 - first performance of Isang Yun - Glisées for cello
(Zagreb, Croatia)

** 1984 - first performance of Liebermann - Concertino for Violoncello and Chamber Orchestra Op.8, with Bonnie Thron, solo cello with the Juilliard Ensemble; Lowell Liebermann, conductor (New York)

** 1992 - birth of Olivia Culpo (Rhode Island, U.S.A.)
American actress, television presenter, cellist (+ vocalist) and beauty queen!

** 1995 - first performance of Elliott Carter - Figment for cello
(New York)

9 May

** 1823 - birth of Domenico Labocetta (Italy) d.1896
cellist, teacher at conservatoire of St. Pietro a Majella of Naples, principal cello of the Carlo Orchestra, and composer of cello music

** 1863 - birth of August Bieler (Hamburg, Germany) 
cellist, orchestra principal cello in the court chapel and teacher at the conservatoire at Sonders hausen, solo cellist & chamber virtuoso of the court chapel of Brunswick

** 1928 - Juliette Alvin (cello) gave a recital at the Wigmore Hall (London), assisted by Harriet Cohen

** 1932 - in the Haydn Bicentenary Festival, Oxford, the programme featured an orchestral Concert with specially invited soloists Miss Margaret McArthur (vocal) and Thelma Reiss-Smith (cello), conducted by Adrian Boult

** 1946 - the Oxford Subscription Concerts presented the Hallé Orchestra, with soloists Laurance Turner (violin) and Haydn Rogerson (cello).

** 1947 - first performance of Moeran - Cello Sonata
Peers Coetmore/cello and Charles Lynch/piano (Dublin)

** 1961 - birth of Charles Matthew "Matt" Brubeck (Norwalk, Connecticut, USA)
cellist (classical/jazz/pop), bassist, keyboardist, composer & arranger     

** 1981 - first performance of Gordon Jacob - Cello Octet at Chilford Hall, Balsham, Cambridgeshire, England, with Florence Hooton directing a Cello Ensemble

** 1982 - amazing days of recordings by cellist Daniil Shafran - legend has it that he recorded ALL the following pieces with pianist Anton Ginzburg in a couple of days or so, finishing on this date!:
Träumerei,  Op.15/7 by Robert Schumann  // Nocturne in Eb Major  Op.9/2 by Fréderic Chopin // March from ‘Love for Three Oranges Suite’ Op.33a by Sergei Prokofiev  // ‘In the style of Albeniz’ by Rodion Shchedrin  // ‘Suite in the Old Style’ by Alfred Schnittke // Minstrels (Préludes - Book 1/12) by Claude Debussy // ‘Pièce en forme de Habañera’ by Maurice Ravel  // ‘Beneath the Vine’ from  Solomon, HWV 67 by George Frideric Handel  // Sonata for Violin (cello) and Piano in A Major by César Franck

** 1995 - birth of Santiago Cañon (Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia)
cellist

10 May

** 1765 - on this day cellist Giovanni Battista Cirri played a solo at a benefit concert for “Miss and Master Mozart". (probably in London?)

** 1793 - the ‘ Mr Harrison’s Annual Benefit Concert’ given at the Willis’s Rooms (London), was a two-part concert of solo and ensemble vocal music by British composers, with orchestral overtures at the beginning of each half and a symphony by Haydn at the end of the performance. Also heard was a string quintet by Pleyel and solo concertos given by special the invited guests Franz Cramer (violin) and Robert Lindley (cello).

** 1818 - birth of František Hegenbarth (Kerhartice, Gersdorf, Czech) d.1887 
cellist (orchestra), chamber musician & professor

** 1844 - birth of Rosa Suck (Pest, Budapest) d.1921
woman cellist of note

** 1857 - birth of François Arnouts (Antwerp, Belgium) d.1882
cellist, teacher in the Conservatoire of Port Louis, Isle of Mauritius

** 1904 - birth of Frieda Belinfante (Amsterdam, Holland) d.1995
cellist, conductor, human rights and active anti-Nazi resistance member

 ** 1905 - birth of Etienne Pasquier (France) d.1997 
cellist, chamber musician

** 1919 - first performance of Villa-Lobos - Cello Concerto No.1
soloist - ?, composer conducting (Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro)

** 1931 - Adele Clement, French cellist, tried to include more contemporary cello works as her career progressed; up to such a point that on this day the publication “Comoedia” emphasized:
"Ms. Adèle Clément, she only wants contemporary names on her programme" !

** 1941 - birth of Károly Garam (Eger, Hungary) 
cellist

** 1950 - Guilhermina Suggia wrote a last letter to Pablo Casals, on May 10, 1950, reproduced here:
“Cher Ami, I write you with emotion, and I hope you won’t refuse me, but it concerns your Festival at Prades. I so want to hear you and see you again that I’ve arranged with a good friend to bring me to France […] I would not wish to die without hearing you, cher maitre, and seeing you again. I have been quite sick lately and although I feel somewhat better at the moment, I doubt that I will be able to continue my career for much longer. […] I remain your devoted admirer. Do you remember the little 11-year-old girl who went to Espinho to take lessons with you? Au revoir, j’espere.” 
Casals response was so disappointing to say the very least - in fact, he couldn’t be bothered to reply, despite she having been her sentimental partner during seven years. It was left to Dr. René Puig, who ran the Prades festival office, to answer her letter apologising for his friend, who - he assured her - was too busy to reply himself but very moved by her words. 
This was definitely the last contact between the two; Guilhermina gave her last ever concert on the 30th of this month, and she passed away barely two months later.

** 1956 - Daniil Shafran (Cello) and Nina Musinian (Piano) record Andaluza (Danzas Españolas Op.37/5) by Enrique Granados

** 1970 - birth of Rafael Figueroa (Puerto Rico)  
cellist, orchestra principal cello & cello professor {based USA}

** 1973 - in the Kennedy Centre (Washington, U.S.A.), a solo recital (the second of two in spring of that year) of music of J.S. Bach was given by cello soloist Thomas Igloi, marking his American debuts.

** 1996 - release date of epic debut CD “Plays Metallica by Four Cellos” by the Finnish cello rockers ‘Apocalyptica’

11 May

** 1821 - a two-part concert of predominantly eighteenth-century vocal music (in the style of the Concerts of Ancient Music), but with orchestral/instrumental items at the beginning of each part, was presented at the King's Concert Rooms, Hanover Square, London. Franz Cramer and Robert Lindley performed the solo obbligato violin and cello parts.

** 1875 - birth of Paul Hahn (Reutlingen, Stuttgart, Germany) d. 1962  
cellist & businessman {based Canada}

** 1898 - a ‘Grand Afternoon Concert’ was given at Stafford House’, London, on 11th May 1898, for the benefit of Charing Cross Hospital. This was a two-part orchestral concert of vocal and instrumental solos, with various recitations and musical sketches. Instrumental soloists included Johannes Wolff (violin), Master H. Vernon Warner (piano) and Mr W.H. Squire (cello).

** 1945 - birth of Ross Pople (Auckland, New Zealand)
cellist, orchestra principal Bath/Menuhin Festival Orchestra (1969-75), principal cello BBC Symphony Orchestra (1976-86), conductor & artistic director London Festival Orchestra, artistic director of  ‘The Warehouse’; professor

** 1968 - Pedro Corostola/cello and Francisco Corostola/piano performed Rodolfo Halffter - Sonata for cello and piano, Op.26, recorded live by Spanish National Radio
Auditorio del Ministerio de Información y Turismo, Madrid

** 1977 - first performance of Rodrigo - Sonata a la Breve, for cello and piano, Xavier Monsalvatge - Microrapsòdia (A la memoria de Pau Casals): paráfrasis concertante (1976), and Joaquím Homs Oller - “In memoriam Pau Casals” for cello and piano, by Pedro Corostola/cello and Manuel Carra/piano, and the live concert recorded by Spanish National Radio.
(Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona) - pieces comissioned by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia through the Dirección General del Patrimonio Artístico y Cultural (Comisaría Nacional de la Música) to conmemorate the centenary of Pau Casals´ birth

** 1978 - birth of Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso (Helsinki, Finland)
cellist (Apocalyptica)

** 1983 - Richard Talkowsky/cello and Ludovica Mosca/piano performed Jesús Rodríguez Picó - Fantasia for cello and piano (1982) [note: this ten minute work received the First Prize at “Concurso de Jóvenes Compositores de Juventudes Musicales de Barcelona, 1982”]
Galería Maeght, Barcelona, Catalonia

** 1984 - release date (premiere), in France, of ‘Fort Saganne’ - a film about the French civilization in the desert.
A French peasant serving the Foreign Legion in North Africa must confront his comrades in arms over their social differences, over a woman and his longing to be considered a hero. He catches the eye of Madeline, the daughter of the regional administrator. He leads a gallant defense against Sultan Omar, is awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, and marries Madeline. Then the Great War puts at risk his success and happiness.
A beautiful screen music score begins with a heartbreaking cello solo, which gives life to a melody full of feeling and affliction, but also romanticism. The composer alternates, henceforth, martial court music with dramatic themes, especially a requiem of singular delicacy. The music was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, featuring Xavier Gagnepain as cello soloist.
An extended version was premiered on 10th January 1986 as a TV premiere

** 1987 - André Bak/cello and Rosalina Caballín/piano performed Patxi Larrañaga - Sonata for cello and piano, in a performance recorded by Spanish National Radio
Escuela Superior de Canto, Madrid

** 1998 - Multi-cellos: New works for eight cellos are performed for the first time, in Beauvais:  Korót by Luciano Berio; Sonata à 8 by Betsy Jolas; and Neiges by Kaija Saariaho 

12 May

** 1739 - birth of Johann Baptist Vanhal (Nové Mitrovice, Czech Rep) d.1813
composer, violinist, cellist, organist & choirmaster

** 1782 - cellist Jean Tricklir performed with the violinist E. Schick, at Leipzig on 12th May 1782 - on the programme both are described as chamber virtuosos to the Elector of Mayence

** 1828 - cellist Max Bohrer (born in 1785 on Munich) played duets with his violinist brother at a Philharmonic concert in London

** 1882 - first performance of Claude Debussy - Nocturne et Scherzo for cello and piano
(Paris) - the Nocturne still exists (unpublished), the scherzo has disappeared!

** 1900 - a young Bela Bartok (then just19 years old) meets David Popper for the first time at Popper’s home (he was to accompany the cellist at a forthcoming concert!)

** 1906 - a series of “Five Historical Violoncello Recitals” was presented by Boris Hambourg at the Aeolian Hall, London. The performances were given 'to illustrate the development of the cello literature from its earliest beginning to the present day'. On this very day he played the concert:
1. Italian and other Masters of the 17th and 18th Centuries - 12 MAY

** 1932 - a Recital by Keith Falkner (baritone), Antonia Butler (cello) and Michael Mulliner (piano), for the Oxford Subscription Concerts (England)

** 1942 - birth of Arto Noras (Turku, Finland)
cellist

** 1946 - the Brahms - Double Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra was performed on today’s date in Berlin by soloists Siegfried Borries & Tibor de Machula with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Celibidache

** 1986 - first modern performance of Richard Strauss - Romanze
(soloist - Jan Vogler with Orchestra of Dresden Semperoper, conducted by Günter Neuhold)

** 1997 - first performance of Velislav Zaimov - Sexted, for six cellos
cellists: the cello class of Ani Atanasova (Bulgaria)

13 May

** 1852 - birth of Julius Leopold Loeb (Strasburg, Alsace, France)
cellist, principal cello in the Paris Opera Orchestra, cellist of Marsick String Quartet

** 1854 - birth of Paul Klengel (Leipzig) d.1935
violinist, violist, pianist, conductor, composer, editor and arranger {brother of cellist Julius Klengel}; a "house arranger" for Simrock, Brahms' music publisher - he probably arranged Brahms' G Major Violin Sonata Op. 78 for cello, transposed into D Major (often republished as arranged by Brahms).

** 1856 - on this day Clara Schumann played with Piatti for the first time in duo together in public, at the ‘Musical Union’. After this concert Alfredo Piatti came to play Robert Schumann’s compositions much more regularly, and was in due course entrusted to give the British premiere of his Cello Concerto in A minor in April 1866.

** 1884 - birth of Otto Urack (Berlin) d.1963
cellist, orchestra principal cello, composer & conductor

** 1888 - birth of Theodore du Moulin (Chicago, USA) d.1978
cellist, orchestra principal cello & chamber musician

** 1896 - in the London Queen’s Hall there took place a ‘Miss Harding’s Concert’ - this was a vocal recital, given by Miss Harding, Mrs Emslie-Cran, Mr David Bispham, Mr Theodore Byard and Mr Jack Robertson, but also featured cello solos performed by Monsieur Hollman, the whole accompanied by Mr Henry Bird. The performance also included a recitation by Miss Fay Davis.

** 1922 - first performance of Fauré - Cello Sonata No.2 in G minor, Op.117
Gérard Hekking/cello and Alfred Cortot/piano (Paris, Société Nationale de Musique)  

** 1933 - one of the most unusual cellist events in history on this day! Solo cellist Beatrice Harrison organized “A Nightingale Festival” in aid of The Royal Society for the Protection of Wild Birds, and with the assistance of the Gramophone Company (His Master’s Voice). It is understood that the event, starting at 4.00pm that Saturday lasted all night until Sunday dawn, during which time the cellist tried to enter conversation by her cello once again with the singing of the nightingales (and other birds)

** 1953 - Mstislav Rostropovich/cello and Sviatoslav Richter/piano play all five Beethoven cello sonatas in a single concert performance
(St. Petersburg)

** 1967 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier finished the recording in Lucerne of Haydn - Cello Concerto in C Major, with the Lucerne Festival Strings, conducted by Rudolf Baumgarther with the Lucerne Festival conducted by Rudolf Baumgartner (he started the recording the previous day)

** 1996 - last British performance of Daniel Shafran (with pianist Anton Ginsburg, Wigmore Hall, London)
cello sonatas by Brahms, Schnittke, Britten and others.

14 May

** 1792 - birth of Johann Georg Herman Voigt (Osterwick, Germany)
cellist and organist, organist St. Peter’s Church, Leipzig, principal cello ‘Grosse Concert’ (later ‘Gewandhaus Concerte’) {father of Karl Ludwig Voigt}

** 1809 - birth of Johann Benjamin Gross (Elbing, Germany) d.1848
cellist, member Royal Orchestra of Berlin, member Konigstadter Theatre Orchestra, principal cello of the theatre at St. Petersburg, chamber musician and composer

** 1880 - birth of May Mukle (London) d.1963
cellist

** 1902 - William Henry Squire performed his own Bourree, Op.24, and his Sérénade at the Bechstein Hall, London, as solo cello items on a vocal recital.

** 1915 - cellist May Mukle recorded Adolphe Fischer - By the brook (Au bord du ruisseau) for violoncello and piano Op.6, and Edward MacDowell - ‘Nautilus: a Fairy Sail and a Fairy Boat’ for violoncello and piano, with George Falkenstein (piano), in New York

** 1926 - birth of Denis Vigay (London) d.2015
cellist, principal cello in the Sadler's Wells Opera Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields; freelancer, cello professor at the Royal Academy of Music, cello tutor to the National Youth Strings Academy.

** 1956 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier made a live recording of Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor, in Vienna, with the Sinfonie-Orchester des Norddeutschen Rundfunks Hamburg, conducted by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt

** 1965 - the American debut of cellist Jacqueline Du Pre (Elgar Cello Concerto with BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Antal Dorati - New York)

** 1974 - first ‘modern’ performance of Brahms - Cello Sonata in G Major, Op.78 {perhaps reworked by Brahms - or Paul Klengel? - from his Violin Sonata in D Major}
(performers?) Vienna

** 1979 - birth of Danjulo Ishizaka (Bonn, Germany)
cellist and professor

** 1986 - birth of Hermine Horiot (Dijon, France)
cellist, orchestra principal cello

** 1990 - Gheorghe Motatu/cello and Assumpta Coma/piano gave the premiere of Alejandro Gabriel Civilotti Carvahlo - Capriccio for Cello and Piano (1985), and Francesc Taverna-Bech - Temperaments (1990)
Barcelona, Catalonia

** 1991 - Dimitar Furnadjiev/cello and Zdravka Radoilska/piano performed José de Uruñuela Fernández - ‘Jorrai-dantza variata’ and ‘Pavana’ for cello and piano, in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio
Church of Capuchinos, Rentería (Guipuzcoa), Basque Country

15 May

** 1754 - Anton Fils, just 20 years old, is appointed cellist to the electoral court of Mannheim - and the appointment is retroactive to 1st February!

** 1794 - cellist Robert Lindley appeared as a soloist on this day in a concert at the King’s Theatre, London

** 1891 - in the Princes’ Hall, Piccadilly (London) a recital featured Signor Piatti (cello) and Madame Torricelli (piano)

** 1897 - in the Queen’s Hall Symphony Concerts (London) a Tchaikovsky Concert featured the cello soloist ‘Monsieur Hollman’. This concert also included the first English performances of Tchaikovsky - Overture from the Opera Voievode, and his Suite for Orchestra, No. 3 in G, Op.55.

** 1924 - The famous composer Paul Hindemith marries a cellist! On 15th May 1924 Paul Hindemith married Johanna Gertrude Rottenberg (usually called Gertrud). And distinguished onlookers; the witnesses were the artistic director of the Frankfurt Radio, Dr. Hans Flesch (who was married to Gertrud's elder sister Gabriele!) and the painter Rudolf Heinisch

** 1930 - Antonia Butler gave a cello recital at the Drawing Room, The Mansion House, London

** 1944 - an extremely bleak day for the history of the cello - as the political climate in Germany changed, most notably for Jews, and became more threatening, Paul {Pál} Hermann - an excellent Hungarian cellist and a cello professor in Germany - decided to move, first of all to Brussels from 1934–1937, and later to Paris from 1937 to 1939, and then on to the south of France. But he was deported under the Vichy France régime in February 1944 from Toulouse to the internment camp of Drancy.But on today’s date in 1944 - 15th May - he was sent to the Baltic States on the Drancy Convoy 73, and was never heard of again.

** 1955 - on this day cellist Paul Tortelier made a recording of Hindemith - Cello Concerto, in the Dvorak Hall, Prague, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conductor by Karel Ancerl

** 1970 - first performance of Alun Hoddinott - Cello Sonata No.1, Op.73/2
George Isaac/cello and Eric Harrison/piano (Wigmore Hall, London)

** 1999 - Ángel Luis Quintan/cello and Alberto Rosado/piano performed Gonzalo de Olavide Casenave - “Precipiten: para violonchelo y piano” (1993) in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio
Museo “Thyssen-Bornemisza”, Madrid

16 May

** 1764 - the young cellist Giovanni Battista Cirri (born in I740, at Forli, Italy) made his debut in London at a concert of the violinist Marella, on May 16th, I764.

** 1834 - birth of Hippolyte Müller (Hilburghausen, Germany) d.1876
cellist, ‘court band’ solo cellist & teacher  

** 1837 - František Hegenbarth completes his conservatoire training on this day, on a scholarship from Prince Kinsky - it was a well worthwhile inversion for in 1838 he was appointed solo violoncellist at the theatre at Gratz, and afterwards went to Linz in the same capacity.

** 1850 - birth of Auguste Van Biene (Rotterdam, Holland) d.1913
cellist (“The Magician of the Cello”) and Theatre Production manager

** 1874 - birth of Jules Marneff (Belgium)
cellist, principal cello Lamoureux Orchestra (Paris), member of Fermin Touche String Quartet, and co-founder of ‘Double Quintet of Paris’ of wind and strings

** 1891 - birth of {Patricia} Ruth Waddell {sometimes written Waddel} (Edinburgh) d.1981
cellist, member of the Reid (Symphony) Orchestra; violoncello teacher and performer

** 1897 - cellist Leontine Gärtner performed as invited soloist with the New York Women's String Orchestra under the direction of Carl Lachmund

** 1918 - in the Wigmore Hall (London), a recital was given by Beatrice Harrison (cello) and Hilda Saxe (piano).

** 1957 - birth of Doron Toister (Durban, South Africa)
cellist, orchestra principal cello, pianist, composer and classical music arranger {based Israel}

** 1978 - first performance of Günter Bialas - Assonanzen, for 12 Cellos
The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Schwetzinger Festspiele, Schwetzingen, Germany) 

** 1996 - the Prague Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jirí Belohlávek, featured cello soloist Ralph Kirschbaum at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham (England).

17 May

** 1822 - birth of Bernhard Cossmann (Dessau, Germany) d.1910
cellist, composer, arranger and pedagogue

** 1848 - birth of Hugo Jäger (Warmbrunn, Silesia)
cellist, solo cellist positions in Ems, Altenburg, Brunswick and Pawlowsk (near St. Petersburg); first solo cello in theDucal Chapel of Dessau

** 1897 - birth of Enrico Mainardi (Milan, Italy) d.1976
cellist, composer, arranger & pedagogue

** 1910 - first performance of Kodaly - Sonata for cello and piano
Jenö Kerpely/cello and Bela Bartok/piano  

** 1942 - at the Cambridge Theatre (London) the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron, performed with invited cello soloist Anthony Pini.

** 1955 - first performance of Einar Englund - Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
(Helsinki)

** 1971 - first performance of Joan Tower - Six Variations for cello
(New York)

18 May

** 1919 - cellist Juan Ruiz-Casaux was said to have given a masterly performance as soloist in Strauss - Don Quixote, in Lisbon

** 1949 - first performance of Poulenc - Cello Sonata, Op.143
Pierre Fournier/cello and the composer at piano (Salle Gaveau, Paris)

** 1959 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier made a live recording of Kodaly - Solo Cello Sonata, Op.8, for the Czech Radio in Prague

** 1962 - on this day cellist Enrico Mainardi made a live recording, of Pizzetti - Cello Concerto, with the Orchestra del’RAI, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini

** 1979 - first performance of Alan Bush - Pro Pace et Felicitate Generis Humani, Rhapsody for cello and piano
Cathy Giles/cello and the composer at piano (British Bulgarian Friendship Society, Camden Town Hall, London)

** 1989 - first performance of Iannis Xenakis - Epicycle for cello and 12 instruments (London)

** 1993 - live first recording of Norberto Almandoz Mendizábal - Pequeña Elegía (Small Elegy) for Spanish National Radio by María Lourdes Lekuona/cello and Alejandro Zabala/piano
Church of Capuchinos, Renteria, Basque Country

** 1994 - live recording by Pilar Serrano/cello and Miguel Ángel Samperio/piano, for Spanish National Radio, of Legido González - Fantasía for cello and piano (1984). On the same programme they performed José María García Laborda - ‘Entre Deux III’ (1981), Francisco Otero Pérez - ‘Clamores de fondo en la escena de la decadencia’ (1994), Miguel Ángel Samperio - Sonata for cello and piano (1966, rev.1974), and Jesús María Legido González - ‘Confidencias’
San Luis de los Franceses, Madrid

19 May

** 1740 - birth of Joseph Franz Weigl (Bavaria, Austro-Germany) d.1820
cellist, Esterhazy family orchestra member {father of Joseph Weigl} 

** 1824 - birth of Louis Van der Wulp (The Hague, Holland) d.1850
cellist, director of music at Gouda

** 1849 - cellist Robert Lindley performed the continuo cello part to ‘Qui Tollis peccata’ (Handel), accompanying the great German oratorio singer Staudigle at the ‘Ancient Concerts’ (London)

** 1906 - a fine review on this day in 1906 for the Chaplin Trio (with Mabel Chaplin as cellist) appearing in The Times newspaper:
 “with just the right feeling, quite simply and straightforwardly, like everything else that these players gave us, and without the slightest pose or attempt at archaism…”

** 1906 - a series of “Five Historical Violoncello Recitals” was presented by Boris Hambourg at the Aeolian Hall, London. The performances were given 'to illustrate the development of the cello literature from its earliest beginning to the present day'. On this very day he played the concert:
2. German Masters - 19 MAY

** 1908 - the Thibaud-Casals-Cortot trio recorded Beethoven - Trio in Eb Major, Op.79/1 in Paris - some ten performances of the work by this trio were later given in concerts

** 1920 - birth of Eberhard Finke (Bremen, Germany) d.2016
cellist, orchestra principal cello (Berlin Phil Orch) 1950-85 & professor - member of ‘The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic’ 

** 1924 - Beatrice Harrison is credited as playing the cello alongside a nightingale singing in her garden at 10.45pm, and being recorded by the BBC!

** 1936 - first performance of David Diamond - Sonata for cello and piano 
(Princeton, NJ, USA)

** 1940 - first performance of Martinu - Cello Sonata No.1        
Pierre Fournier/cello & Rudolf Firkušný/piano (Paris)

** 1962 - first modern performance of Haydn - Cello Concerto in C Major   
soloist Milos Sadlo with Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Mackerras     

** 1967 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier made a live recording of Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, in Munich, with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Paul Kletzki

20 May

** 1850 - English cellist Robert Lindley performed, with Lucas (2nd cello) and Howel (double bass), a sonata of Corelli - Lindley’s last known performance of a Corelli work (his favourite bassist, Dragonetti, with him he had closely collaborated, had died in 1846).

** 1859 - birth of William Edward Whitehouse (London) d.1935
cellist and pedagogue

** 1868 - (probably) London debut concert of Friedrich Grützmacher
(Philharmonic, London)

** 1899 - London debut concert of Pau Casals
Lalo - Cello Concerto, at the Crystal Palace

** 1917 - birth of Eleanor Aller {Slatkin} (New York City) d.1995
cellist, orchestra principal cellist, chamber musician, film and session musician

** 1973 - first performance of Gian Carlo Menotti - Suite for two cellos and piano 
(New York)

** 1975 - first performance of David Diamond - Solo Cello Sonata

** 1975 - first performance of Werner Thärichen - Hommage aux Douze, for 12 Cellos
The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Philharmonie, Berlin)

** 1987 - Demetri Motatu/cello and Sebastián Mariné/piano performed Jesús María Legido González - ‘Fantasia’ for cello and piano (1984) and ‘Confidencias’ for cello and piano in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio [note: the Fantasia is a second version of Elegíaca for viola and piano (1980)]
Paraninfo de la Universidad, Valladolid, Castilla y León, Spain

** 1987 - Felipe Alfonso Temes Hinojosa/cello and Juan Padrosa/piano performed José María Usandizaga - ‘Fantasía’ for cello and piano, in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio
Iglesia Capuchinos, Renteria, Basque Country

21 May

** 1856 - in the Exeter Hall, London was Monsieur Benedict's Annual Grand Evening Concert - this was a two-part vocal and orchestral concert in which Benedict featured as conductor, piano soloist, and composer. The programme lists the various vocal and instrumental soloists, including Herr Reichardt, Signor Belletti, Madame Goldschmidt Lind and Madame Pauline Viardot (vocal), Miss S. Goddard and Miss B. Williams (piano), Signor Piatti (cello) and Herr Ernst (violin).

** 1871 - birth of Carl Müller (Kreuznach on the Nahe, Germany)
cellist, co--founder Hich String Quartet, principal cello National Theatre Orchestra of Mannheim, cellist of Mannheim Quartet, organizer of ‘sonata soirées’

** 1885 - birth of Julien Paul Blitz (Ghent, Belguim) d.1951
cellist, conductor, and teacher {based U.S.A.}

** 1894 - in a concert of the Wolff Musical Union (1894), the programme featured Chaminade and Widor, including the first performances of Widor, Piano Quartet and Duets for Piano and Cello.  ‘Monsieur Delsart’ was credited as the cellist.

** 1951 - birth of Arthur Russell (Iowa, USA) d.1992
cellist (avante-garde, Indian classical music), composer & singer

 ** 1984 - birth of Rupert Gillett (England)
principally a jazz cellist, but also singer, composer & multi-instrumentalist active on the social networks´{based London}

** 1991 - José Santos Gómez /cello and Alvaro Medina Castejón /piano made a live recording for Spanish National Radio of Gaspar Cassadó - Sonata nello stile antico spagnuolo for Cello and Piano (1925)
Sala Zuloaga, Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain

** 1997 - Arnau Tomás/cello and Javier Pérez de Azpeitia/piano performed Luis Aramburu Martínez - ‘Aria: estilo antiguo’, Cleto Zabala Arámbarri - ‘Melodía Dramática’, and José de Uruñuela Fernández - ‘Pavana’, in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio
Iglesia Capuchinos, Renteria, Basque Country

22 May

** 1764 - cellist Carlo Graziani announced a concert to be given on 17th May, 1764, at Hickford’s Rooms in Brewer Street, London. The young Mozart was to appear on that occasion, but on account of rehearsals for Giardini's Opera’ “Enea and Lavinia” at the same time, the concert was slightly postponed to 22nd May, when even Giardini paid him the compliment of participating for him, although he had by then given up playing in public. However, Mozart did not appear on account of ‘indisposition'.

** 1846 - birth of Jacques Rensburg (Rotterdam, Holland) d.1910
cellist, orchestra principal cello, chamber musician, teacher, occasional composer

** 1863 - birth of W. Noel Johnson (Repton, Derby, England)
cellist, soloist, composer and teacher; in later life concentrated more on conducting & composing, conductor of the Criterion Theatre

** 1929 - James Simon (1880-1944, a holocaust victim) finishes writing ‘Arios’ for solo cello in just two days. It was dedicated to cellist Eva Heinitz

** 1947 - William Pleeth (cello) and Margaret Good (piano) performed in St. Bartholomew the Great Church Summer Concert Series (London), in a programme including Rubbra - Cello Sonata, Op.60

** 1972 - Pedro Corostola/cello and Luis Rego/piano gave the premiere of Xavier Montsalvatge - Sonata Concertante (1971-72)
Church of San Román, Toledo, Spain

23 May

** 1828 - birth of Petrus Rudolf Bekker (Winschoten, Holland) d.1873
cellist, court ‘solo violoncellist’ to King of Holland & teacher

** 1841 - In a concert featuring the young Anton Rubinstein at the Pleyel Hall, Paris, the then famous cellist Franchomme helped out by playing his own piece ‘Fantasia’

** 1890 - at the Town Hall, Kensington (London) a Grand Evening Concert took place, with invited soloists Mademoiselle Jeanne Douste (piano), Joseph Hollmann (cello) and the Euterpe Quartet, conducted by Mr Fountain Meen and Mr Wilfred Bendall.

** 1895 - birth of Jean Witkowski (Lyon, France) d.1953 {son of Georges Martin Witkowski}
choral conductor, cellist, orchestra cello, timpanist & pianist {he volunteered and was seriously wounded at the Battle of the Somme in 1916}

** 1902 - birth of Hideo Saito (Akashicho, Chūō, Tokyo) d.1974
cellist, conductor & lecturer

** 1903 - birth of Joseph Schuster (Constantinople, Turkey) d.1969
cellist, orchestra principal cello, chamber recitals

** 1909 - birth of Arnold Rezler (Moszczenica, Poland) d.2000
cellist, conductor & composer

** 1938 - the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini gave a concert in the London Music Festival featuring soloists Emanuel Feuermann (cello) and Bernard Shore (viola).

** 1969 - birth of Maria-Eugenia Maffi (Italy)
cellist, orchesrtral and chamber music player, professor, violin maker, she has published educational collections for bowed strings, in particular for the cello and for cello ensemble at Éditions da Camera and Éditions Robert Martin

** 1990 - Ignacio Martínez Esparza/cello and Juan Padrosa/piano performed Tomás Garbizu Salaverría - Two Basque Pieces for cello and piano on a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio
Church of Capuchinos, Renteria, Basque Country

** 1992- on this day cellist Janos Starker finished recording (in the London Abbey Road Studios) Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor and Walton - Cello Concerto, with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin (the other recording day was two days earlier)

24 May

** 1910 - the Thibaud-Casals-Cortot trio recorded Beethoven - Trio in D Major, Op.79/1 in Paris - some nine performances of the work by this trio were later given in concerts

** 1954 - birth of Hank Roberts (Terre Haute, IN, USA)
jazz cellist, singer, bandleader & session player. 

** 1980 - Pedro Corostola performed as cello soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Musikaste, conducted by Carlos Ibarra Larrauri, in the closing of the Musikaste Festival, in the Basque Country - the concert was recorded live. The featured cello work was by Basque composer José María Usandizaga, titled ‘Fantasía para cello y orquesta en dos tiempos’ with a duration of over 18 minutes.

** 1988 - birth of Iván Casado (Vitoria, Basque Country)
cellist, chamber musician & professor

25 May

** 1835 - Servais gave a concert on this day in London, as cello soloist at the Philharmonic Society
(however, the reviews were rather critical of his playing, and of his expression and style!)

** 1867 - birth of Ernst Döring (Oldenburg, Germany)
cellist, career as soloist and especially as recital artist

** 1900 - Danish cellist Agga Fritsche received lavish praise from the Leipzig Conservatory archives:
“on a lecture evening on May 25, 1900 she was faced with one of the most difficult tasks in literature: the fantasy on Russian songs  [for cello and orchestra, Op.7]  by Davidoff did an excellent job of completing her public lectures. Ms. Fr. has not a very big, but a very likeable, soft tone, a technique that can cope with even the most difficult problems and phrased with as much taste as intelligence”  

** 1949 - birth of Norman Fischer (Washington D.C., U.S.A.)
cellist, professor at the shepherd School of Music at Rice University, previously teaching at the Oberlin College of Music & Dartmouth College

** 1965 - first performance of Martinu - Cello Concerto No.2       
soloist - Saša Večtomov with Prague Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Zdeněk Košler (Prague City Hall)

** 1966 - first performance of Bax - Rhapsodic Ballad, for solo cello
(Cork Municipal School of Music, Ireland)

** 1969 - birth of Alban Gerhardt (Berlin)
cellist

** 1976 - first performance of Isang Yun - Concerto for cello and orchestra 
(Royan, Fraance)

** 1982 - birth of Michael Glen Block (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
cellist, singer, composer, and arranger  (classical, folk, jazz, bluegrass, rock, pop)

** 1994 - the historic film “The Trout” (by filmmaker Christopher Nupen) featuring Daniel Baremboim, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zuckerman, Jacqueline du Pré and Zubin Mehta rehearsing and playing The Trout quintet at the new Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, London, was screened for the EIGHTH time in Germany, and still drawing the biggest audience of all classical music transmissions on that network during the entire year!

26 May

** 1906 - a series of “Five Historical Violoncello Recitals” was presented by Boris Hambourg at the Aeolian Hall, London. The performances were given 'to illustrate the development of the cello literature from its earliest beginning to the present day'. On this very day he played the concert:
3. Romantic School - 26 MAY

** 1911 - birth of Maurice Louis Baquet (Villefranche-sur-Saone, France) d.2005
actor and cellist

** 1958 - on this day Juan Ruiz-Casaux probably made his last appearance appearing as invited soloist with orchestra, playing the Schumann - Cello Concero in A minor with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, conducted by Pedro Gutiérrez Lapuebte, in a concert in the conservatoire of Málaga.

** 1960 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier finished the recording in Paris of Lalo - Cello Concerto in D minor, with the Lamoureux Orchestra, Paris, conducted by Jean Martinon (the other recording days were the two previous days)

** 1967 - the famous Beatles album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was released on this day in the UK, spending 27 weeks at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart - among the important ‘backing’ musicians was the British cellist Derek Simpson, who played on the songs Eleanor Rigby and Strawberry Fields Forever.

** 1967 - birth of Kristen Marie Pfaff (Buffalo, New York) d.1994
bass guitarrist, cellist (alternative rock)

** 1975 - the Lindsay String Quartet included Thomas Igloi (cello) as special invited guest in a concert given in the Assembly Rooms, Bath (England), as part of the Bath Festival

** 1979 - first performance of Alfred Schnittke - Hymns I-IV for cello and chamber orchestra
(Moscow)

27 May

** 1800 - birth of Carl Dreschler (Camenz, Germany) d.1873 {father of cellist Louis}
cellist, solo cello ‘concertmaster’ & teacher

** 1827 - birth of Heinrich Böver (Germany) d.1875
cellist (formerly violinist) and composer

** 1881 - birth of Théodore Verguet (Villefranche, Saône-Rhône, France)
cellist, principal cello in Grand Theatre Orchestra of Tours, professor at the National School of Music

** 1897 - first performance of Raff - Cello Concerto No.2 in G Major         
soloist Yves Savary, conducted by Giovanni Bria (Catholic Church, Lachen, Germany) 

** 1911 - on this day a performance took place at the Wigmore Hall, London, featuring Jean Gerardy cello and Leopold Godowsky piano

** 1920 - birth of Gwyneth George (The Mumbles, Wales) d.2016
cellist & teacher

** 1941 - William Pleeth - cello & Margaret Good - piano, record for Decca amid the worst bombing in London of the whole 2nd World War - in West Hampstead - Tuesday, 27th May 1941 (they had probably recorded the same pieces in March but wished to improve them!).
Featured works were by Grieg - Sonata in A minor for Cello and Piano and Lyric Pieces, Op.38 No.1 - Berceuse (arranged Joachim Stutschewsky & Isco Thaler)

** 1945 - first performance of Rodrigo - 2 Piezas Caballerescas for 4-voice cello orchestra      
Cello Ensemble of students of Juan Ruiz Casaux (Madrid)   

** 1948 - Daniil Shafran (Cello) and Nina Musinian (Piano) record the Sonata for Cello and Basso Continuo in G Major by Jean-Baptiste Breval

** 1951 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier finished the recording in the Abbey Road studios of London of Haydn - Cello Concerto in D Major (version of Gendron), with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Rafael Kubelik (he started the recording the previous day)

** 1950 - on this day cellist Enrico Mainardi made a live recording, of Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor, with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Eugen Jochum

** 1973 - Paul Tortelier was soloist in Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104, with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Franz Paul Decker, at the Royal Festival Hall (London). The second part of the concert was a performance of Schubert - Symphony No.9. 

** 1990 - first performance of Alfred Schnittke - Concerto No.2 for Cello and Orchestra 
(Philadelphia, USA)

28 May

** 1810 - Weber finishes his ‘Variations for cello and orchestra’, J.94 in Mannheim just two days before the first public performance {see entry for 30 May}

** 1836 - birth of Johann Karlowicz (Lithuania)
cellist, professor (Warsaw Conservatoire) and linguist

** 1889 - in the Princes’ Hall, Piccadilly (London) the second of a series of three chamber concerts took place featuring Josef Ludwig (violin) and W.E. Whitehouse (cello).

** 1895 - on this day young cellist Leontine Gärtner (born about 1874 in Hungary) made her debut in her own promoted concert at the Hôtel de Prusse in Leipzig. Accompanied on the piano by her teacher Julius Klengel, the artist performed David Popper's Concerto No. 2 in E minor, Op. 24, an intermezzo by Klengel and Karl Davidoff's ‘Am Springbrunnen’, Op. 20/2. She then, with Bruno Zwintscher, played Beethoven's cello sonata No.3 in A major Op.69 and finally with Klengel himself on cello the Popper Suite for two cellos Op.16. She received a very fine review too:
“The impression made by the young lady was a very favorable one, in that her game shows that the instructions of her mentor have worked excellently with her and that she is well on the way to becoming a true artist. For she has already known bow and finger technique, and the dexterity of her passage play is also connected with the necessary correctness; then their intonation appears in a purity that cannot be challenged, and finally, as far as the performance is concerned, it is thoroughly musical, lively, and correctly felt.” 

** 1899 - in the series of the Sunday Afternoon Orchestral Concerts given at the Queen's Hall, Langham Place, London, featured soloist was cellist W.H. Squire with ‘Herr Emil Senger’ 

** 1957 - first performance of Bloch - Solo Cello Suite No.1
soloist - Zara Nelsova (BBC recital, England)

** 1983 - birth of Jacob Koranyi (Stockholm, Sweden)
cellist

29 May

** 1764 - birth of Jean-Henri Levasseur {the ‘Younger’} (Beaumont-sur-Oise, France) d.1823 {not related to Pierre-François Levasseur}
cellist, orchestra principal cello & professor

** 1839 - English cellist Robert Lindley performed, with second cellist Crouch and the double bassist Dragonetti, a sonata of Corelli.

** 1860 - birth of Isaac Albéniz (Camprodon, Girona, Catalonia) d.1909  
pianist, composer, conductor…and occasional cellist

** 1903 - birth of Marian Neuteich (Lodz, Poland) d.1943  
cellist, chamber musician, conductor & composer {Nazi Holocaust victim}

** 1907 - Beatrice Harrison makes her professional debut at only 14 years of age(!),playing Saint-Saëns - Cello Concerto No.1 in A minor, Victor Herbert - Suite {a London premiere} and Boellmann - Variations Symphoniques
conducted by Henry Wood (Queen’s Hall, London)

** 1920 - Beatrice Harrison performed for the first time in her career the Elgar Cello Concerto. She announced the event as the “second performance” but, in fact, both the first two performances were given by Felix Salmond. However, she also added - truthfully - “first with piano.”

** 1938 - German cellist Ludwig Hoelscher was soloist in the final concert of the first Reichsmusiktage in Düsseldorf, where the Nazi propaganda exhibition on degenerate music was also shown. Furthermore, Hoelscher had completed some radio recording sessions, which would have also been used for propaganda purposes, and played for the "Lichtfest" in front of the staff of four industrial companies.

** 1951 - a recital for the BBC Home Service Basic at 9.00a.m. featured Haydn Rogerson (cello), Josephine Lee (piano) and Elizabeth Boyd (soprano). Haydn performed a sonata in G minor by Marcello, the Bach-Siloti Adagio in C, and Moszkowski - Guitarre Op.45/2.

** 1957 - Release date (premiere screened in Paris) of the film “Love in the Afternoon”
directed by Billy Wilder, starring Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn and Maurice Chevalier
An American romantic comedy film. Young cello student Ariane Chavasse (Audrey Hepburn) eavesdrops on a conversation between her father, widowed private detective. Hepburn actually did some of the basic playing.

** 1966 - birth of Suzana Stevanovic (Belgrade, Serbia)
cellist, orchestral principal {Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya y Cuitat de Barcelona , Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTVE, orchestras of Belgrade, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Skopje}. Chamber musician and contemporary specialist. Professor of cello in the conservatoires of Liceu en Barcelona and of Guadalajara. 

30 May

** 1764 - birth of Ferdinand Hansmann (Potsdam, Germany)
cellist of private band to Crown Prince of Prussia, chamber musician to the king

** 1810 - first performance of Weber - Variations for cello and orchestra, J.94 - living by pressure; the work was finished just two days previously (finished in Mannheim on 28th May 1810)!
soloist - Alexander von Dusch with Heidelberg Orchestra, Germany

** 1848 - on this day a report appeared praising Christian Laurentz Kellerman in ‘The Illustrated London News’, mentioning:
“Herr Kellerrnan arrived in London last month and first appeared at Mr. Blewett's morning concert, where his performance was received with great several other concerts with enthusiasm. He has since played at equal success.”

** 1891 - in the special series of eleven concerts “Adelina Patti Concerts”, given at the Royal Albert Hall, London (all of which involved the famous vocalist Adelina Patti) the performance on this day included guests Miss Alice Esty, Madame Antoinette Sterling, Mr Edward Lloyd and Signor Foli (vocal) with Monsieur Paderewski (piano), Johannes Wolff (violin) and Joseph Hollman (cello). Also, the Nottingham Philharmonic Choir participated, conducted by Mr Marshall Ward.

** 1949 - a recital at the Wigmore Hall (London) was given by Olga Hegedus.

** 1963 - at the Purcell Room (London South Bank) Nona Pyron (cello) and Chee Hung Toh (piano) gave a recital, including Edmund Rubbra - Cello Sonata, Op.60

** 1974 - on this day cellist Paul Tortelier finished recording Saint-Saëns - Cello Concerto in A minor, in Leicester (England), with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Louis Frémaux (the other recording day was the previous day)

** 1981 - live recorded performance for Spanish National Radio of Armando Blanquer Ponsoda - Elegía for cello and piano (1959)
José Antonio García /cello and Elvira Machín /piano (Auditorium ‘La Consolación’, Ibiza, Baleares, Spain)

31 May

** 1844 - British concert debut of Alfredo Piatti (Her Majesty’s Theatre, London)
Piatti’s first private performance in London took place at the house of one Dr Billing (then the medical adviser at the Opera, alongside the Italian singers soprano Giulia Grisi and tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini). The general London public first enjoyed his playing on 31st May at the Annual Grand Morning Concert given by Mrs Lucy Anderson, pianist to Queen Victoria, the Morning Post reporting:
‘Signor Piatti, a violoncello performer from Milan, made a most successful debut. He played a fantasia on themes from Lucia ... His style resembles that of Servais; and a clear and liquid tone, with great equality all over the board, struck amateurs as being particularly fine … his certainty and precision were unerring.’

** 1892 - birth of Louis (Félix André) Fourestier (Montpellier, France) d.1976)
conductor, composer and cello pedagogue, co-founder of the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris

** 1948 - birth of Mike Edwards (West London) d.2010   
cellist (roc) & professor

** 1950 - on this day Guilhermina Suggia gave her last ever concert - in Averio, near Porto - and then went to London in order to undergo surgery. During her stay in England a flock of admirers took the opportunity to pay her a last visit. Even Queen Mary sent flowers and a note. Debilitated but not yet defeated, Suggia told Ivor Newton, who was supposed to play with her in the following months: “Please do not consider our concerts cancelled, they are only being postponed.” But there was no recovery...she passed away exactly two months later…

** 1955 - first performance of Ernst Krenek - Capriccio for cello and orchestra 
(Darmstadt, Germany

** 1972 - on this day cellist Henri Honegger finished recording all 6 Suites of J.S. Bach, in Geneva (probably the recording days were 26th to 21st May)

** 1981 - Alvaro Campos/cello and Juan Moguel Moreno/piano made a live recording for Spanish National Radio of Gaspar Cassadó - Requiebros for Cello and Piano (pub.1931)
Auditorio La Consolación, Obiz, Baleares, Spain

** 1990 - first performance of Stephen Albert - Cello Concerto
soloist - Yo-Yo Ma with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Zinman (Baltimore, USA)