On this cello day

** 1681 – records on this day show a certification of baptism for Giorgio Antoniotto (Giorgio Antoniotto d’Adurni), in the church of S. Matthia della Moneta, Italy. He was noted as being both a violinist and cellist, and who was the author of a musical treatise, ‘L’arte armonica’, and as an early composer of music for violoncello.
Being a Spanish sympathizer against the Austrians in the War of the Spanish Succession, he was forced to flee Italy and entered the Spanish service where he was engaged many times but happily never wounded. Leaving the Spanish service, he taught in the arts at Geneva, frequenting the courts of Europe at Vienna, Paris, Madrid, and Lisbon. At Paris, presumably as the result of yet another duel, he suffered an injury to his hand with a sword. As a consequence of this injury, he gave up the violin in favour of playing the violoncello.

** 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
A most important teacher; his students included Otakar Berger, Hanuš Wihan, Mořic Blodek, Josef Kompit, Heinrich Grünfeld and the cellist/composer Wilhelm Jeral (1861-1935).  In 1869 František Hegenbarth published 18 Exercises for the Violoncello. Hans Wihan succeeded his teacher as professor of cello at the Prague Conservatory in 1888.

** 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
Imprisoned at Stalag VIII by the Nazis, he performed in the 1941 premiere of fellow prisoner Olivier Messaiaen’s ‘Quatuor pour la fin du temps’.

** 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 apologizing 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.

** 1955 - Paul Gross (1898-1985) a German composer, completed a Cello Concerto in 1955, and the last movement was documented as being finished on 10th May.

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

** 1968 – cellist Janos Starker performed as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Hindemith Cello Concerto, with Jean Martinon, conductor (May 9th and 10th)

** 1968 - Pierre Penassov/cello and Carles Santos/piano gave the premiere of Josep María Mestres Quadreny - ‘Tres Peces per violoncel i piano’
Salón de Tinell, Barcelona

** 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.

** 1974 – cellist Mstislav Rostropovich gave his last concert on Russian soil before leaving the U.S.S.R.

** 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 – on the 10th, 11th, 12th and 15th of May, cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed as invited soloist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Leinsdorf), in the Avery Fisher Hall (New York)

** 1989 – birth of Václav Petr (Prague, Czech Republic)
cellist, orchestral principal and chamber musician. Regular concerto soloist performances throughout the Czech Republic. A member of the Josef Suk Piano Quartet since 2009. In October 2013 he became concertmaster (= principal cello) of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at just 24 years of age, making him one of the youngest concertmasters in the history of the Czech Philharmonic.

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

** 1997 – on the 8th, 9th and 10th of this month, cellist Truls Mork performed as invited soloist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Welser-Möst), in the Avery Fisher Hall (New York)

** 1998 – from the 8th till the 10th May, 1998, cellist Maria Kliegel was immersed in recordings of the music of Eduoard Lalo; his Cello Concerto in D minor (1887), the Sonata for Cello and Piano (1856) and the Chants Russes again for cello and piano, taking place between Budapest and Sandhausen.