A leading player who features prominently is Crouch Hill-based Natalie Clein, who told me recently “it’s a cliché that the cello is the closest any man-made instrument comes to the human voice, but true. The range of notes is much the same. And whenever I work with singers – as I will during the “Unwrapped” season – I always feel that my bowing arm is related to the way the singer breathes.
“Of course I’m biased, but I think this human quality is the reason why composers are often inspired to write their most heartfelt music for us. For virtuosity they go to the violin, but for sincerity it’s the cello”.
Ideals aside, though, there’s another explanation she advances for the clubbability of cellists: the “shared trauma”, as she calls it, of travelling with an instrument almost as big as yourself.
“Everyone knows the stories, but I can’t tell you how stressful it is, endlessly turning up at airports and being faced with problems – even when you’ve booked a second ticket in the name of Mr Cello and think it’s sorted out.
“My cello once ended up in the cockpit with the pilot, because the plane was overbooked. Appealing to the pilot is often the only way to get yourself and the instrument on board. I’ve been through it all, time and again. And only another cellist really understands what it’s like. No wonder we stick together”.
“Cello Unwrapped” opens at Kings Place, Jan 7 at 7.30pm, followed by a late-night performance of Kodaly’s monumental solo sonata at 9.45pm. Series continues 11, 13, 14 Jan, and into the year.
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