Cello
TOR / Modules / Instruments / Qualities / Cello
Quotes describing the timbres of the cello, extracted from various orchestration treatises. The list of descriptors is adapted from Wallmark (2019).
aching
“It is scarcely necessary to describe the poignant aching quality of the Cello top-string, which, in the three semitones of Tristan, is able to foretell a drama.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
assertive
“It is common to find the cello scored above the viola, for in that area of its range it is very assertive.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
austerity
“In solo passages they have a certain mingled smoothness and austerity which fits them for the performance of very serious and deeply-felt passages.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 43
bite
“The D string has very little bite and is quite tranquil in quality.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
bright
“The D string is brighter, with a warm and ingratiating quality, while the A string possesses a vibrant, singing tone all its own.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
bright
“The top string on the violin (E) is brilliant in character, that of the viola (A) is more biting in quality and slightly nasal; the highest string on the cello (A) is bright and possesses a chest-voice timbre.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 9
brilliant
“The A is the most brilliant and piercing” Adler, 2002, p. 77
brilliant
“As in the case of the Violin and Viola, the first string of the Cello is the most brilliant, the one to which the melody is usually given, and which creates the most intense impression.” Widor, 1906, p. 176
caressing
“On the other hand, the Cello "D" is characterized by a sort of caressing reticence. In fact, it is not going too far to say that, of all the soft, silky sounds in the orchestra, it is the softest and silkiest.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
centered
“The pitch is well focused and centered.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
charming
“In this medium even the simple alternation of tonic and dominant sounds charming.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 426
chivalry
“The singing ecstatic quality of the Cello top-string is not for all tunes. Unless they have something of grief, of passion, or of chivalry they will suffer from an excess of emphasis.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
clear
“It is pitched an octave below the viola and possesses a rich, warm, clear tone.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
clear
“As a bass, it is clear, well focused, and capable of the most subtle nuances or the most aggressive or exaggerated gestures.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
commanding
“As a solo voice, it is very commanding in the upper register, but equally at home in the middle and lower ranges.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
ecstatic
“The singing ecstatic quality of the Cello top-string is not for all tunes. Unless they have something of grief, of passion, or of chivalry they will suffer from an excess of emphasis.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
even
“The third string even, may be used in a solo with very good effect, but it more frequently has the bass of the harmony to play, like the fourth, whose full quiet tone is able to sustain the weight of a considerable orchestral mass.” Widor, 1906, p. 176
expressive
“The A string is very expressive, powerful, rich and melodious, perhaps the most powerfully expressive string on any string instrument.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
expressive
“The violas, as we know, being on their C string will impart a dark and strongly characterized tone-colour to the cellos who will be playing in a very sweet and expressive though rather sombre part of their compass.” Jacob, 1982, p. 45
full
“Their tone is full and rich in overtones, the C being slightly more ponderous than the G, in forte.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
full
“The third string even, may be used in a solo with very good effect, but it more frequently has the bass of the harmony to play, like the fourth, whose full quiet tone is able to sustain the weight of a considerable orchestral mass.” Widor, 1906, p. 176
full-bodied
“The two bottom strings (the C string in particular) are rich and full-bodied; passages played on them have a way of sounding grave and somehow reflective.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
grave
“The two bottom strings (the C string in particular) are rich and full-bodied; passages played on them have a way of sounding grave and somehow reflective.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
grief
“The singing ecstatic quality of the Cello top-string is not for all tunes. Unless they have something of grief, of passion, or of chivalry they will suffer from an excess of emphasis.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
harsh
“Widor remarks that the four semitones, <Eb, E, F, F#>, when played on the 3rd string are "‘bad notes . . . their tone is rough, harsh, incongruous, and uncertain; this is equally true of all Violoncellos used for orchestral purposes, whoever may be the maker.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 410
harsh
“Covered strings (G), on the violin (G and C), on the viola and cello are rather harsh.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 9
heavy
“The low C string has a heavy, rich tone quality; the G string, though of a similar sound, is a little lighter.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
hollowness
“One may note that, in those cases where the Cellos alone are supporting the weight of the other strings, they do so more satisfactorily when their notes are fairly near the rest of the harmony. When, in these circumstances, they descend to their bottom-string, a certain hollowness becomes apparent.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 432
ingratiating
“The D string is brighter, with a warm and ingratiating quality, while the A string possesses a vibrant, singing tone all its own.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
intense
“Haydn undoubtedly wished to feature the richer, more intense quality of the cello in that register; had the melody been assigned to the second violin, it would fall in the violin's weakest register” Adler, 2002, p. 114
intense
“Melodies played on it take on a strongly espressivo quality that becomes more intense and poignant as one goes higher on the string.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
intense
“The A-string of the 'cello is characterized by much expressive warmth and intensity, as well as dynamic power.” Piston, 1969, p. 92
intense
“The powerful sonority of the 'cello section and the intensity of the cello A-string combine to justify the frequent procedure of dividing the group so that half play the melody.” Piston, 1969, p. 95
intense
“The cellos seem out of place in these doublings because the intensity of the high tones on the A-string contrasts with the tone quality of the other instruments.” Piston, 1969, p. 417
light
“The low C string has a heavy, rich tone quality; the G string, though of a similar sound, is a little lighter.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
lyrical
“The D is the most musically captivating string on this instrument, exuding a warm and lyrical quality.” Adler, 2002, p. 77
male voice
“The Cello is, in the instrumental force, the vocal complement of the Violin. The one is the poet of the orchestra, the other the poetess. The one associates itself with our ideas of the Male-Voice, the other with those of the Female-Voice.” Forsyth, 1935, p. 429
mellowness
“The cello has a reputation, amply deserved, for mellowness and warmth of tone.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
melodious
“The A string is very expressive, powerful, rich and melodious, perhaps the most powerfully expressive string on any string instrument.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
mysterious
“The little " clip " mutes scarcely veil the tone at all. In fact they rob the instrument of its romantic tone-colour, and do not substitute for it the proper mysterious muted quality.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 425
mysterious
“Special mention should be made of the bowed tremolo sur Ia touche on the two lower
strings of the cello. It has a mysterious quality unlike any other tremolo.” Piston, 1955, p. 88
nasal
“The D-string is smooth and unobtrusive, less nasal than the A.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
passion
“The singing ecstatic quality of the Cello top-string is not for all tunes. Unless they have something of grief, of passion, or of chivalry they will suffer from an excess of emphasis.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
penetrating
“Here, if the cellos are equally divided, the balance will be satisfactory because of the powerful and penetrating tone of the 1st cellos on their top string.” Jacob, 1982, p. 9
penetrating
“The Mute is employed to damp the strength of the vibrations of the strings of Violins, Violas, and Violoncellos, while it at the same time renders their timbre more penetrating.” Widor, 1906, p. 190
piercing
“The A is the most brilliant and piercing.” Adler, 2002, p. 77
poetry
“Then, again, light wooden mutes without sufficient substance are often chosen so that their loose clutch shall not harm the bridge. In either case the result is disappointing. The lower strings are enfeebled without being much altered, while the tone-colour of the top-string changes, not from one kind of poetry to another, but from poetry to prose.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 425
poetry
“The Cello is, in the instrumental force, the vocal complement of the Violin. The one is the poet of the orchestra, the other the poetess. The one associates itself with our ideas of the Male-Voice, the other with those of the Female-Voice.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 429
poetry
“Forceful it cannot be called, but when unaccompanied, or only lightly accompanied, it is capable of expressing the most poetical feelings.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
poignant
“It is scarcely necessary to describe the poignant aching quality of the Cello top-string, which, in the three semitones of Tristan, is able to foretell a drama.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
poignant
“Melodies played on it take on a strongly espressivo quality that becomes more intense and poignant as one goes higher on the string.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
ponderous
“Their tone is full and rich in overtones, the C being slightly more ponderous than the G, in forte.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
powerful
“The A string is very expressive, powerful, rich and melodious, perhaps the most powerfully expressive string on any string instrument.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
powerful
“Here, if the cellos are equally divided, the balance will be satisfactory because of the powerful and penetrating tone of the 1st cellos on their top string.” Jacob, 1982, p. 9
powerful
“The powerful sonority of the 'cello section and the intensity of the cello A-string combine to justify the frequent procedure of dividing the group so that half play the melody.” Piston, 1955, p. 95
prose
“Then, again, light wooden mutes without sufficient substance are often chosen so that their loose clutch shall not harm the bridge. In either case the result is disappointing. The lower strings are enfeebled without being much altered, while the tone-colour of the top-string changes, not from one kind of poetry to another, but from poetry to prose.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 425
quiet
“The third string even, may be used in a solo with very good effect, but it more frequently has the bass of the harmony to play, like the fourth, whose full quiet tone is able to sustain the weight of a considerable orchestral mass.” Widor, 1906, p. 176
reflective
“The two bottom strings (the C string in particular) are rich and full-bodied; passages played on them have a way of sounding grave and somehow reflective.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
reticence
“On the other hand, the Cello "D" is characterized by a sort of caressing reticence. In fact, it is not going too far to say that, of all the soft, silky sounds in the orchestra, it is the softest and silkiest.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
rich
“Because of its weight and thickness, the C, the lowest string, is a richly sonorous bass.” Adler, 2002, p. 77
rich
“Haydn undoubtedly wished to feature the richer, more intense quality of the cello in that register; had the melody been assigned to the second violin, it would fall in the violin's weakest register.” Adler, 2002, p. 114
rich
“It is pitched an octave below the viola and possesses a rich, warm, clear tone.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
rich
“The low C string has a heavy, rich tone quality; the G string, though of a similar sound, is a little lighter.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
rich
“The A string is very expressive, powerful, rich and melodious, perhaps the most powerfully expressive string on any string instrument.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
rich
“The rich sound of three or four Cellos playing in harmony on their top-string makes a delightful change from the eternal Horn-harmony.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 433
rich
“The two bottom strings (the C string in particular) are rich and full-bodied; passages played on them have a way of sounding grave and somehow reflective.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
rich
“Their tone is full and rich in overtones, the C being slightly more ponderous
than the G, in forte.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
rich
“Such melodies are usually laid out for the top string (A) which possesses a wonderfully rich quality.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 38
ringing
“The cello pizzicato is quite successful, having excellent ringing properties and wide dynamic range.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
romantic
“The little " clip " mutes scarcely veil the tone at all. In fact they rob the instrument of its romantic tone-colour, and do not substitute for it the proper mysterious muted quality
rough
“Widor remarks that the four semitones, <Eb, E, F, F#>, when played on the 3rd string are ‘bad notes . . . their tone is rough, harsh, incongruous, and uncertain; this is equally true of all Violoncellos used for orchestral purposes, whoever may be the maker.’” Forsyth, 1914, p. 410
scratchy
“It takes good players to perform figures like the following without scratchiness.” Piston, 1955, p. 95
silky
“On the other hand, the Cello "D" is characterized by a sort of caressing reticence. In fact, it is not going too far to say that, of all the soft, silky sounds in the orchestra, it is the softest and silkiest.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
singing
“The singing ecstatic quality of the Cello top-string is not for all tunes. Unless they have something of grief, of passion, or of chivalry they will suffer from an excess of emphasis.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
singing
“The D string is brighter, with a warm and ingratiating quality, while the A string possesses a vibrant, singing tone all its own.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
smooth
“The D-string is smooth and unobtrusive, less nasal than the A.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
smoothness
“In solo passages they have a certain mingled smoothness and austerity which fits them for the performance of very serious and deeply-felt passages.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 431
soft
“On the other hand, the Cello "D" is characterized by a sort of caressing reticence. In fact, it is not going too far to say that, of all the soft, silky sounds in the orchestra, it is the softest and silkiest.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 430
sombre
“The violas, as we know, being on their C string will impart a dark and strongly characterized tone-colour to the cellos who will be playing in a very sweet and expressive though rather sombre part of their compass.” Jacob, 1982, p. 45
sonorous
“Because of its weight and thickness, the C, the lowest string, is a richly sonorous bass.” Adler, 2002, p. 77
sonorous
“The powerful sonority of the 'cello section and the intensity of the cello A-string combine to justify the frequent procedure of dividing the group so that half play the melody.” Piston, 1955, p. 95
sonorous
“The cello pizzicato is especially sonorous and vibrant, and it finds frequent and varied employment in the orchestra.” Piston, 1955, p. 90
sweet
“The violas, as we know, being on their C string will impart a dark and strongly characterized tone-colour to the cellos who will be playing in a very sweet and expressive though rather sombre part of their compass.” Jacob, 1982, p. 45
sweet
“The A and D strings on the violin and the D string on the violas and cellos are somewhat sweeter and weaker in tone than the others.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 9
tranquil
“The D string has very little bite and is quite tranquil in quality.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
tubby
“As with the Violin and Viola, shakes, both whole-tone and half- tone, may be employed through practically the whole of the playing compass. As the pitch descends, however, the slowness of the vibrations produces, on the Cello, a somewhat tubby effect.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 424
unobtrusive
“The D-string is smooth and unobtrusive, less nasal than the A.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
veiled
“The veiled quality of the second string is also very useful.” Widor, 1906, p. 176
vibrant
“The D string is brighter, with a warm and ingratiating quality, while the A string possesses a vibrant, singing tone all its own.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
vibrant
“In this version the division is somewhat compensated for by the fact that the upper cellos are in their high, vibrant register where they will come through rather prominently.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 37
vibrant
“The cello pizzicato is especially sonorous and vibrant, and it finds frequent and varied employment in the orchestra.” Piston, 1955, p. 90
vocal
“The Cello is, in the instrumental force, the vocal complement of the Violin. The one is the poet of the orchestra, the other the poetess. The one associates itself with our ideas of the Male-Voice, the other with those of the Female-Voice.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 429
warm
“The D is the most musically captivating string on this instrument, exuding a warm and lyrical quality.” Adler, 2002, p. 77
warm
“It is pitched an octave below the viola and possesses a rich, warm, clear tone.” Blatter, 1997, p. 61
warm
“The A-string of the cello is characterized by much expressive warmth and intensity, as well as dynamic power.” Piston, 1955, p. 92
warmth
“The cello has a reputation, amply deserved, for mellowness and warmth of tone.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
warmth
“The D string is brighter, with a warm and ingratiating quality, while the A string possesses a vibrant, singing tone all its own.” Kennan and Grantham, 2002, p. 24
weak
“The A and D strings on the violin and the D string on the violas and cellos are somewhat sweeter and weaker in tone than the others.” Rimsky-Korsakov, 1912, p. 9
well-focused
“As a bass, it is clear, well focused, and capable of the most subtle nuances or the most aggressive or exaggerated gestures.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
well-focused
“The cello pizzicato is quite successful, having excellent ringing properties and wide dynamic range.” Blatter, 1997, p. 62
whispering
“To the sustained chord of the piano version in measure 28 he adds in the orchestral version a "whispering" tritone in the cellos and a timpani roll. To accommodate all this extra motion that enlivens this sustained chord, Bizet changes the dynamic from pp to ppp.” Adler, 2002, p. 689
wolfy
“Occasionally, in instruments of a poor quality, there may be some note or notes of a "wolfy" quality. This, however, is by no means a characteristic feature of the instrument.” Forsyth, 1914, p. 409
wooden
“For the high notes, the tone quality in pizzicato remains good well over an octave above the open A. Then it begins to take on a rather wooden sound, suitable for special effects.” Piston, 1955, p. 90
