Cello — More Than Just Background Music

By Laurie Borst

Gideon Freudmann brought his Cello Bop show to several Newtown schools recently. He entertained students at Reed Intermediate School and Middle Gate School on September 28 and Sandy Hook School on October 5.

Mr Freudmann has been playing cello for more than 36 years. He has recorded 12 CDs and performed on 40 others. He plays both acoustic and electric cello. His show combines music history, music theory, and demonstration of technique.

When the cello first appeared, in the early 17th Century, it was used solely as part of an ensemble, playing the baseline. In the early 18th Century, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a number of pieces for solo cello, unheard of before this time. Bach’s music changed the way people thought about the cello.

While Bach’s contributions gave the cello a more prominent place in music, it would be another couple centuries before the cello gained a place in popular music.

“About 100 years ago, people thought the cello was old-fashioned,” Mr Freudmann told the audience. Gasps could be heard, presumably from the cellists in the crowd. “Blues and jazz were popular, utilizing guitars, not violins and cellos.”

Mr Freudmann demonstrated how truly versatile the cello can be. He played a blues piece that got the audience members tapping their feet. He showed the students how the cello can be strummed like a guitar, playing a bluegrass riff.

He demonstrated the variety of sounds that can be created by using either the fingers or the bow. A tremolo effect is created by moving the bow back and forth very fast. The cellist can play one string at a time or move the bow over two.

Mr Freudmann produced a staccato sound by tapping the bow on the strings. He joked, “You can turn the bow over and use the wooden side… No, not really, nobody does that.”

Lifting the finger quickly creates a trill. Shaking the finger on a string creates vibrato. Sliding the finger up and down the string along the neck produces a rapid change in pitch.

Mr Freudmann explained the parts of the cello and how the acoustic instrument produced sound. He then discussed that revolutionary innovation approximately 70 years ago, the electric guitar. Virtually any instrument can be electrified.

He brought out his electric cello and proceeded to astound the audience with multitude of sounds that can be produced. Various electronic controllers can create echoes, making it sound like several cellos are playing at once.

Mr Freudmann demonstrated how a looper can take a musical phrase and repeat it. He started a loop, and then played a melody line over it. It sounded like a duet. Adding a third loop provided baseline, melody, and harmony.

Before he was finished, he had added seagull and whale sounds, and horns, reminiscent of Charles Ives’ cacophonous compositions. The number of sounds that could be produced with the electronic equipment was astounding, creating a roomful of music with one instrument.