ABSTRACT
In 1824, the anonymous author of 'On the Rise and Progress of the Violoncello' began with a stirring affirmation: 'The violoncello has been rising since the beginning of the last century into estimation, and may now be said to enjoy an almost equal reputation with the violin as a concerto instrument, and as an accompaniment its merits as well as its character are far higher.' Perhaps a Briton accustomed to bass parts played suavely by viols would have written just as caustically about the strident sound of a cello when the first Italian cellist arrived in England in 1701. When it was new, the cello was identified by a bewildering variety of names. By the early eighteenth century, only three alternatives were still common: bass violin in Britain, basse de violon in France, and violone in Italy. The overwhelming prevalence of two-part pieces is undoubtedly explained by their eminent suitability for teaching purposes.
