On this cello day

** 1651 - birth of Domenico Gabrielli (Bologna, Italy) d.1690 [*alternative birthdate given as 19 Oct, 1659]
cellist, court & church orchestral musician & composer

** 1776 - birth of Joseph Valentin Dont (Nieder-Georgenthal, Bohemia)
cellist, opera orchestra musician, theatre orchestra musician {father of well-known violinist Jacob Dont}

** 1796 - on this day an advertisement appeared in the ‘Diario of Madrid’ announcing the sale of “a violoncello school with all the art and ‘explanation of the instrument’, several copies of works of various kinds and authorship and two very good cellos for solo and chapel”.

** 1890 - in the Princes’ Hall, Piccadilly (London) Carl Sachs gave a cello Recital, accompanied by James Mantell

** 1898 – birth of Sela Trau (Gorlice, Poland) d.1991
Cellist. She was a prominent cellist and cello teacher born in Poland who developed much of her career in the United Kingdom and Australia, known for her detailed interviews about her life and career, her training in Berlin with Erich Hollaender, her moves due to Nazi persecution, and her influence on musicians and artists in Australia, leaving an important legacy through her recordings and teaching. In 1975 Larry Sitsky wrote “Atman : a song of serenity: for cello, violin & piano” with sub-title: "In homage to Sela Trau: a concert trio"

** 1902 - birth of Anthony Pini (Buenos Aires) d.1989
cellist, orchestra principal cello, chamber musician & professor

** 1903 - at the Beethoven Hall, Berlin, a ‘Sonata evening’ was given by Raoul Pugno (piano) and Jean Gerardy (cello).

** 1912 - the sinking of the RMS Titanic, in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship's eight musicians - members of a three-piece ensemble and a five-piece ensemble - boarded at Southampton and travelled as second-class passengers.
There were THREE cellists who lost their lives in the tragedy:
++ Roger Marie Bricoux (Cosne-sur-Loire, France) - a French cellist on the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage - he died in the disaster aged 20 years old
++ John Wesley Woodward (West Bromwich, England) - a British cellist on the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage - he died in the disaster aged 32 years old
++ Percy Cornelius Taylor (London) - a British cellist on the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage - he died in the disaster aged 32 years old

** 1912 - birth of Giuseppe Selmi (Modena, Italy) d.1987
cellist, professor & composer. Principal cello in the RAI Symphony Orchestra of Rome, solo concert performer throughout Europe; a transcriber, reviser - he has also composed didactic works, chamber music and sacred music.

** 1937 – in the “Novedades Radio Fénix” project of Buenos Aires, the maestro Von Hermann was announced as being given the role of preparing orchestral ensembles, counting on the concert artists Ángel Juan Reta (violin) and Ulderico Valzangiácomo (cello).

** 1945 - on this day the cellist Anita Laster-Wallfisch was liberated from tortures in the concentration camp of Auschwitz the German authority crumbled, and she became an interpreter for the British army (speaking German, French and English!)

** 1955 – cellist Janos Starker performed as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 58 with Fritz Reiner, conductor (14th and 15th April)

** 1955 - The first public performance of Saygun’s ‘Partita’ was given by German cellist Martin Bochmann in Istanbul (Turkey) on this April day in 1955; Bochmann was the cello professor at Ankara State Conservatory during that time. Saygun dedicated the Partita ‘in memory of Schiller’. The story of the work was:
Max Meinecke, the director of the Istanbul City Theatres suggested a title for the work like: ‘Requiem/Cello Suite’. In 1955, Max Meinecke had put the famous philosopher, poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller’s ‘Kabale und Liebe’ (Intrigue and Love) on the theatre’s programme. He commissioned Saygun to write a solo piece for cello to be performed before the play.

** 1959 - Rohan De Saram (cello) and Edmund Rubbra (piano) gave a London Wigmore Hall recital, including Rubbra - Cello Sonata Op.60

** 1970 - a special homage to Pau {Pablo} Casals took place on this day in New York, with a brief performance by an amazing cello ensemble of ONE HUNDRED players, headed by Bernard Greenhouse, as principal. Others included Orlando Cole, Fritz Matz, Leopold Teraspulsky, Bonnie Hampton, Madeline Foley, Maurice Eisenberg, Robert Jamieson, Gabor Retjo, Dimitri Markevitch, Ko Iwasaki, Naoum Benditzky, Takayori Atsuni, Louis Potter Jr., Gordon Epperson, Alan Shulman, Fortunato Arico, Jascha Silberstein and Janos Scholz. Unfortunately, no New York Philharmonic cello players were able to be present among the 100, because the Philharmonic had an unavoidable double rehearsal on that particular Wednesday. The featured work was by Casals - his “Sardana”, composed in 1926.

** 1973 – the premiere of Vivian Fine’s “Missa Brevis”, for Four cellos and taped voice (mezzo-soprano), took place at Finch College Concert Hall, New York City. The cellists were Gail Alcock, Lori Barnet, Michael Finckel, and Barbara Mallow, and the taped voice was handled by Jan DeGaetani.
The cello class of George Finckel - Fine’s longtime colleague at Bennington College - was the inspiration for her Missa Brevis. Over her 70-year career, Vivian Fine (1913-2000) became one of America’s most important composers. She wrote virtually without a break for 68 years, producing over 140 works, perhaps best known for her chamber music.

** 1982 - first performance of Rodrigo - Cello Concerto No.2 “Concierto como un divertimento’
soloist Julian Lloyd Webber with London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jesús López Cobos (London, Royal Festival Hall)