Anner and his legacy for just 19,95!

[Valentino]

 
Well at least mine spells Anner Bijlsma on the cover!

[Harry]

I have the English version, but no booklet at all.
Rather annoying that.
And of course the name spelled wrong, Bylsma, instead of Bijlsma.

[FideLeo]

Dear Fl,

I have found the Smithsonian site for their instrument collection and they allow questions and comments to be posted.  I have no idea whether the question about possible changes to the cello will be accepted or answered, but I cobbled together a question from your posts as to whether any other changes were made when the endpin was added by Servais.  Here is a link to the site and a copy of my question (and yes, I have quoted you freely. )  I have added another picture of the cello in it's case, and perhaps you can tell whether the construction fo the fingerboard and bridge are baroque or 19th century.

Hi Bunny,

Sorry for a rather late return to this thread.  I guess I just kind of put it away in a backburner in my mind.  

I recently attended a concert given by Devon Baroque (HIP group directed by Margaret Faultless) and the finger boards on their period cellos do look a bit wider and flatter, and their necks shorter, than those seen on the Servais instrument.  If that is any indication at all, I would say some changes may have been made to those parts, if not to the body itself.  But this is only based on very crude observations (even though from close up), so take it with a very big grain of salt if you wish.  

Thanks for the link, and I will go take a look later.  

EDIT

A graph I found that shows the different setups for a Baroque cello and the later one (profile angle):



and a baroque cello made by William Baker in Oxford in 1672



for comparison.

[Bunny]

The third image is a reproduction of the servais strad by the luthier Jonathan Franke showing the endpin in place.  The fourth image is of the actual Servais Strad from the Servais Society website.  I've received no answers from the Smithsonian on my query as to whether any changes have been made to the bridge or neck of the instrument.  From the pictures, it's really too difficult to tell whether there have been any changes to the neck and bridge.  However, the neck of the Servais Strad does look a trifle more arched (modern).

Below are pictures of Kenneth Slowik playing the Servais Strad and a painting of an early 18th century cellist for comparison.

[Bunny]

I have the English version, but no booklet at all.
Rather annoying that.
And of course the name spelled wrong, Bylsma, instead of Bijlsma.

Harry, I seem to have gotten a "hybrid" version of the set from HMV UK:  The box spells the name Bijlsma, the booklet also has the correct name spelling, has the track information in English, main titles in English, but the notes by the Smithsonian Curator Kenneth Slowik are only in Dutch with no translation.

[Harry]

Well count yourself lucky, you at least have a booklet, although in Dutch.
If you have no use for it, send it to me, I would be grateful!

[Valentino]

Yours seems to be the same as mine, Bunny. Must be the HMV version...

They didn't do too much QC on the packaging. My heart sank when I saw the "Servais" suites covers on the first two disks, but, the info on the back is correct. It's of course the '79 recording, and it also sounds like a nice addition to my collection. I've only sampled briefly thus far.

[FideLeo]

Thanks Bunny for more pictures.  I think I will focus on two details that kind of stand out for me:

First, the (much) extended fingerboard closer to the tone holes, and, two, the bridge appears to be
quite high compared to the usual baroque type.   Both would make more sense if the cello has been
set up to the modern style according to the profile line drawing which I quoted in the post above.  
My most immediate response is that the Servais has an more arched neck, a longer (and narrower)
fingerboard, and a more highly raised bridge than most baroque cellos replicas or unaltered originals.  

The instrument shown in the "Boccherini" portrait appears to be not so much a Baroque cello than
a Classical one.  As for when the change actually took place, one might have to consult more
autheritative sources of information.   Is there a Cambridge Companion for the Violoncello yet?  

[Bunny]

Well count yourself lucky, you at least have a booklet, although in Dutch.
If you have no use for it, send it to me, I would be grateful!

Will you do me the great favor of translating the notes?  I will be happy to send you a copy of the booklet. Just send me the mailing information, or if I can, I will get the booklet scanned so that I can email it to you.

[Harry]

Will you do me the great favor of translating the notes?  I will be happy to send you a copy of the booklet. Just send me the mailing information, or if I can, I will get the booklet scanned so that I can email it to you.

Yes I will do that, if you are not in a haste that is, for I have loads of work on my desk.
If you cannot scan it, I will  PM you the mailing details.
My email is in the profile.

[Bunny]

Thanks Bunny for more pictures.  I think I will focus on two details that kind of stand out for me:

First, the (much) extended fingerboard closer to the tone holes, and, two, the bridge appears to be
quite high compared to the usual baroque type.   Both would make more sense if the cello has been
set up to the modern style according to the profile line drawing which I quoted in the post above. 
My most immediate response is that the Servais has an more arched neck, a longer (and narrower)
fingerboard, and a more highly raised bridge than most baroque cellos replicas or unaltered originals. 

The instrument shown in the "Boccherini" portrait appears to be not so much a Baroque cello than
a Classical one.  As for when the change actually took place, one might have to consult more
autheritative sources of information.   Is there a Cambridge Companion for the Violoncello yet?   

I thought Oxford was publishing all of those "companion" tomes.

But yes, it would appear that some changes were made to the neck and bridge of the instrument, perhaps by Servais himself.  The interior, however has had no changes made (no altered bass bar) so at least we have that to go on.

Meanwhile, I have loaded the cds of the suites from the set into Itunes and Gracenote has identified them as the 1979 set of suites, ie, the earlier set that was not performed on the Servais Strad.  I hope no buyers will be disappointed by this.

[Valentino]

I did a check by ear, and can verify that it's not the "Servais" set that's in the box.

[FideLeo]

I thought Oxford was publishing all of those "companion" tomes.

This is what I had in mind, and yes it is published by Cambridge University Press.  

http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521629287

The Cambridge Companion to the Cello

Edited by Robin Stowell
University of Wales College of Cardiff


n.b. The "Boccherini" Portrait is indeed his likeness and was dated to c. 1765-67.  It is now in the collection of National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.

[FideLeo]

I did a check by ear, and can verify that it's not the "Servais" set that's in the box.

It is the "Matteo Goffriller 1695" set - and a better interpretation to my ears! 

[Valentino]

Whoa, do you have information on this instrument too? I've been following the discussion on the Servais with great interest.

[Bunny]

Whoa, do you have information on this instrument too? I've been following the discussion on the Servais with great interest.

I don't doubt that Fl. has the correct information, but later I'll look it up in the origional version of the set which I also have.

[FideLeo]

My seon Bijsma cd's have the same graphics as this LP set: Looks like Anner wasn't having so much fun playing Bach



It's Bylsma's own instrument anyway, but the back cover also states he used the Goffriller instrument for the recording.  

[stingo]

Booklet? There's a booklet? I got my set from jpc and it wasn't shrinkwrapped, and had no booklet... Am I the only one this has happened to?

[FideLeo]

Booklet? There's a booklet? I got my set from jpc and it wasn't shrinkwrapped, and had no booklet... Am I the only one this has happened to?

No. 

[Bunny]

Booklet? There's a booklet? I got my set from jpc and it wasn't shrinkwrapped, and had no booklet... Am I the only one this has happened to?

I bought mine from HMV UK; I don't recall if it was shrink wrapped.  The box arrived with a serious crease in the spine from being squashed in the post.  As everything else in the box was in perfect condition, I didn't bother to ask for an exchange  which is pretty dicey when it's shipped overseas. Anyway, I'm not that fussy about cardboard.  It did come with the infamous booklet -- which as I noted before is little more than the track listings which are also on the cardboard cd covers, and an essay which I suspect is more about Anner Bijlsma than the music, in Dutch by the American cellist Kenneth Slowik.  There is nothing about the instruments used by any of the musicians, although they are credited.  Some of the track listings are also inaccurate - especially for CD 7 Music for the King of Prussia.  It's pretty much a bare bones set, but the music is really what counts, and that's all there -- except the Servais Strad Bach, which turned out to be the earlier Bach recording.