On this cello day

** 1775 - birth of Charles François Dumoncheau (France) d.31st Dec or 1st Jan 1820/21
piano virtuoso, but also cellist. Composer

** 1786 - birth of Johann Friedrich Kelz (Berlin) d.1862
cellist, royal chamber musician in Berlin, prolific composer of at least 280 works for the cello (unfortunately none survive)

** 1831 - English cellist Robert Lindley performed, with second cellist Brooks and the double bassist Dragonetti, the 11th sonata of Corelli.

** 1836 - English cellist Robert Lindley performed, with second cellist Lucas and the double bassist Dragonetti, a sonata of Corelli.

** 1874 - at the Crystal Palace Saturday Orchestral Concerts (South London) the featured invited soloists on this day were Madame Noriny, Herr Noriny and the Swedish Ladies' Quartette with Madame Norman-Neruda (violin), ‘Signor Piatti’ (cello) and Charles Hallé (piano).

** 1885 - at the Crystal Palace Saturday Orchestral Concerts (South London) the featured invited soloists on this day were Madame Hughes-Paltzer and Signor Marini (vocal) with Adolph Fischer (cello).

** 1891 - in the Princes’ Hall, Piccadilly (London) a Violin and Cello Recital by Willy Hess and Hugo Becker took place, with contributions from Miss Marie Fillunger (vocal) and Mr Leonard Borwick (piano), accompanied by Theodor Frantzen.

** 1891 – the premiere took place in Prague of Dvorak’s “Dumky Trio” in E minor, Op.90 (B166), with Ferdinand Lachner, cellist Hanus Wihan, and Antonin Dvorak himself on piano. Its inclusion is certainly warranted here for the melodic importance of the cello part!

** 1896 - after the London world premiere of Dvorak - Cello Concerto in B minor, the same soloist Leo Stern almost surely also gave the second performance of the work on this day in 1896, and later in the year repeating the work again in London

** 1899 - after a solo concert by cellist Flavie van den Hende, the ‘Elmira Daily Gazette and Free Press’ wrote:
“The ’cello on which Miss Van Den Hende played was the instrument of a master. It was a rare old ’cello and she obtained beautiful, full, strong tones – especially strong for a woman. Her bowing was excellent”
For those interested, she owned a cello made by Giovanni Paolo Maggini

** 1906 - birth of José Trotta Millán (Barcelona) d.1979
cellist, principal cellist of the Pau Casals Orchestra and ‘concertmaster’ of the Municipal Orchestra of his city (in which he succeeded Lluís Millet) and later of the City of Barcelona Orchestra

** 1959 - on this day cellist Antonio Janigro finished recording Strauss - Don Quixote, in Chicago, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner (with Milton Preves as viola soloist)

** 1964 - birth of Johann Sebastian Paetsch (Colorado Springs, USA)
cellist, orchestral principal, chamber music artist and cello arranger.  Since 1992 Paetsch has served as principal cello of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland. He also was a founder member of the piano trio ‘Trio Ceresio’.
He is a daring arranger, transcribing repertoire that no-one else has dared! – examples include the Franz Liszt - Piano Sonata in B minor (arranged in 2013) and of J.S. Bach the Toccata and Fugue BWV 565, the Chromatic Fantasia BWV 903 and the Chaconne from Partita No. 2 BWV 1004 (all in 2015).
His father, Günther Paetsch who was also a professional cellist.

** 1965 – premiere of Björn Johansson’s Cello Concerto (composed during 1962-1964), with cellist Guido Vecchi and the Symfonikerna, conducted by B. Leskovic, in Gotenburg, Sweden.

** 1975 – cellist Zara Nelsova performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Schumann - Cello Concerto, Op.129. Three concerts, in Amsterdam (10th and 12th February), and Den Haag (11th April), conducted by Bernard Haitink

** 1978 – on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 11th of this month, cellist Lorne Munroe performed as invited soloist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Jochum), in the Avery Fisher Hall (New York)

** 1991 – cellist Antonio Meneses performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No.2, Op.126. Two concerts, in Amsterdam (11th April), and Den Haag (12th April), conducted by Herbert Blomstedt

** Birthday greetings - Barbara Hedlund North-American cellist, orchestra principal cello, soloist and professor