Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 42629-h.htm or 42629-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42629/42629-h/42629-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42629/42629-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See http://archive.org/details/violoncelloitshi00wasi Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). A carat character is used to denote superscription. A single character following the carat is superscripted (example: M^e). Multiple superscripted characters are enclosed by curly brackets (example: 4^{ta}). THE VIOLONCELLO AND ITS HISTORY. [Illustration: Robt. Lindley] THE VIOLONCELLO AND ITS HISTORY by WILH. JOS. V. WASIELEWSKI Rendered into English by Isobella S. E. Stigand With Illustrations, Musical Examples and Portrait of Robert Lindley (From the Original Oil Painting). London: Novello and Company, Limited and Novello, Ewer and Co., New York. 1894. All Rights Reserved. THIS TRANSLATION IS INSCRIBED TO My dear Sisters. AUTHOR’S PREFACE. In the following pages I present to the musical world the History of the Violoncello and Violoncello playing. I have preceded it by the History of the Viola da Gamba, for the reason that this instrument must be considered the precursor of the Violoncello. For my work I have made use of the musical dictionaries extant, especially Gerber’s old and new musical Lexicon as well as Fétis’s “Biographie Universelle des Musiciens.” What has been borrowed from other works will be indicated in the course of the narrative. The great courtesy of Herr Friedrich Grützmacher, the Royal Concert-director of Saxony, in placing at my disposal his extensive collection of old and new Violoncello Literature, has been of especial value to me in my undertaking. By its means I have been enabled to find my way through the historical development of Violoncello composition. I willingly seize this opportunity of expressing my thanks to him for it. V. WASIELEWSKI. SONDERSHAUSEN, _December, 1888_. TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE.