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{chel'-oh}
The cello, or violoncello, is the second largest member of
the VIOLIN family of musical instruments. It is tuned an octave
below the VIOLA and serves both as a melodic and bass instrument
in chamber and orchestral music. The body of the cello is
approximately 76 cm (30 in) long and is much deeper than those
of the violin and viola. The cellist is seated and supports
the instrument between his calves, with its lower end raised
off the floor by an endpin. The cello emerged as part of the
violin family in the 16th century and was used primarily as
a sustaining instrument in FIGURED-BASS accompaniments for
half of the 17th century, after which a solo literature began
to develop. The warm tone and wide range of the cello have
appealed to composers, who have produced a wealth of solo
and chamber music for it. The standard solo literature begins
with the unaccompanied suites by Johann Sebastian Bach and
includes sonatas and concertos from every subsequent period,
the concertos by Josef Haydn, Robert Schumann, and Antonin
Dvorak being among the favorites. Pablo Casals, Gregor Piatigorsky,
and Mstislav Rostropovich are 20th-century cellists who have
increased the popularity of the instrument.
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