\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Playing Schubert\u2019s Sonata <\/b>D 821 (\u2018Arpeggione\u2019) on a 7\/8 Stradivari-Type Five String Cello<\/b><\/p>\n
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The <\/b>arpeggione is a small knee-held string instrument equipped with six strings in guitar-tuning (E\u00a0\u2013\u00a0A\u00a0\u2013\u00a0d\u00a0\u2013\u00a0g\u00a0\u2013\u00a0h\u00a0\u2013\u00a0e\u2019). Its shape resembles both a cello and a viola da gamba. Its E-string\u2019s sound is quite different from a four string cello\u2019s relevant high positions’ sound of the A-string, having a pronounced nasal, viol-like quality.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 The arpeggione was introduced in the early 1820ies<\/sup> and its popularity only lasted for about a decade. Nowadays the instrument is extremely scarce and the sonata Schubert wrote for it is mostly performed by cellists and viola players.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 Playing the work on a four string cello puts extreme technical demands on the player \u2013 it is one of the most difficult pieces played on a Stradivari-type cello. Like on the guitar the highest string on an arpeggione is an E; the passages which were intended for that string force a four string cellist into very high positions on the A-string as well on the D-string.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Using a five string cello still presents many technical challenges, lacking one string, but the fact that its highest string also is an E \u2013string might offer some facilitations.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I. Allegro moderato:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b>II. Adagio:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n (The measure numbers are consecutive for the movements II and III since the only double bar is at the end of the third movement.)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n III. Allegretto:<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING <\/strong>D 821<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Stylistically there shouldn\u2019t be any problems when performing the piece on a five string cello – the sound-quality of a high-level five string cello will possibly be quite similar, if not better, to the quality of an arpeggione, which sounds very much like a viola da gamba. Speaking from a strictly technical standpoint there is no doubt that the execution of the piece becomes\u00a0 easier when using an additional string. It still is a difficult piece but the fifth string allows more frequent uses of low positions and saves many difficult shifts.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 The remaining crucial question is whether the possibly costly investment in purchasing such an instrument in order to perform one single piece of music is reasonable. Further research will strive to answer the question if there might be other compositions suggesting the use of a five string cello.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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