Mandocello solo and duo recordings playlist

[Martin Jonas]

Further to all the good work by Jim on unearthing and promoting mandocello repertoire, I have now organised my own mandocello recordings over the past few years into a new playlist:

Mandocello solo and duo recordings

This contains only those pieces where the mandocello takes the solo part (with or without accompaniment) or is playing as a duo with another instrument, including mandocello duets. It does not have the recordings where the mandocello is playing accompaniment or rhythm parts only. 26 recordings in total so far.

Martin

[NotMelloCello]

Bookmarked!

[Charlieshafer]

Are these only for classical? There are all the Mike Marshall/Darol Anger duo recordings.

[Martin Jonas]

Are these only for classical? There are all the Mike Marshall/Darol Anger duo recordings.

Sorry if this wasn't clear from my post: this is a playlist of my own recordings -- I'm playing all the instruments on all the tracks. No Mike Marshall, I'm afraid. It's mainly classical and Baroque but there are a few non-classical pieces: a couple of Celtic tunes, a tango from the movie Gilda and my mandocello-led version of The Rains Of Castamere from Game of Thrones. I'll probably turn my hand to some more Irish slow airs soon, as they suit the mandocello.

Martin

[Martin Jonas]

I've added new recordings of three simple Baroque duets to my mandocello playlist. All are adapted from brief keyboard pieces widely used in beginners' teaching. They make useful simple duets for mandocello players to dip their toes into Baroque repertoire. They are also musically very pleasant.

The first of these is a mandolin and mandocello duet, the other two are duets for two mandocellos.

1) Purcell: Air in D Minor, ZT 676

This short air for keyboard is a well-known beginners' piano piece. It also makes for a nice straightforward plucked instrument duet, in this case on mandolin and mandocello. To mix things up a bit, I swap the treble and bass parts around halfway through the tune -- an idea I got from a setting for trumpet and bassoon I found on Musescore:

https://musescore.com/user/589196/scores/1189776

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



2) Purcell: Rigadoon (Z.653)

This is a short and simple keyboard piece, which also appears in the Suzuki Method for Cello (Book 1, No. 13). This setting for two cellos is from Musescore:

https://musescore.com/user/17201831/scores/4854542

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello (x2)



3) JS Bach: Minuet (BWV 822)

This is a short and simple Bach keyboard piece, which also appears in the Suzuki Method for Cello (Book 2). This setting for two cellos is from Musescore:

https://musescore.com/user/17201831/scores/4854194

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello (x2)



Martin

[Jim Imhoff]

This is really impressive, Martin! For me it all started with a notice in the CBOM column, and it is very rewarding to find out that, thanks to people like yourself, all this great music was out there. My hope was not just to find a few tunes but to see if there could be a network, building repertoire and exchanging ideas. (The facebook mandocello group seems to be more focused on selling conversions and people showing off their instruments, less on the music itself.)
This goes beyond a one-time CMSA workshop, now we have compositions, editions, and arrangements to work with. I will be using one of the pieces from my workshop (an original by August Watters) in my next lesson with MM, and it will be posted in the Artistworks video base. Maybe another place to promote solo mandocello music.
To be clear, CMSA policies lean away from "arrangements" based on cello or viola da gamba: they want specifically plucked. But for MC players at large, you have given us a whole new-ish body of music. I agree that the baroque and earlier classical music lends itself to this approach, as much of it was played on whatever "instrument in C" was available.
By the way--North Wales: one of our favorite TV series (on BBC by way of Netflix) is "Vera," the rumpled cheery detective. Is that filmed anywhere near you?

[Martin Jonas]

Many thanks for those kind words. There is really an infinite amount of public domain repertoire out there -- it's just a question of trying out what works for the different tonality of the plucked mandocello, and what I can physically play with my limited technical ability and limited practice time. Not everything I try out works, but it's fun exploring.

By the way--North Wales: one of our favorite TV series (on BBC by way of Netflix) is "Vera," the rumpled cheery detective. Is that filmed anywhere near you?

I think that's filmed in Northumbria, not North Wales. Not particularly close, although we do have that sort of landscape here as well.

Martin

[Martin Jonas]

2) Purcell: Rigadoon (Z.653)

This is a short and simple keyboard piece, which also appears in the Suzuki Method for Cello (Book 1, No. 13). This setting for two cellos is from Musescore:

https://musescore.com/user/17201831/scores/4854542

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello (x2)

Update: I've just noticed that I used the wrong audio file for the Purcell Rigadoon -- this was a preliminary take which wasn't fully synchronised. Now replaced:



Apologies!

Martin

[tmsweeney]

I can never get enough mandocello - thanks so much for posting, very nice playing indeed!

[Martin Jonas]

I have added two more pieces to my mandocello playlist. These are both adapted from urtext scores I found in a 1994 book of early dances for keyboard/piano, published by Könemann Music Budapest. Although these were written for keyboard, they translate just fine to duets of mandolin and mandocello, played straight from the piano scores. No free scores online for either piece, as far as I can see.

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784): Bourrée in B Minor

This is a lively bourrée, originally for keyboard, written by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, the oldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The only online score I have found is at IMSLP, but as an arrangement for two guitar and transposed to F# minor. For my instrumentation, the original key of B minor sits much better.

This is fun both both players when played as a duet, as the two voices are echoing each other with both of them sharing the melodic material. Especially enjoyable for the mandocello player.



Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757): Gigue in D Minor

This is a lively gigue, originally for keyboard, written by Domenico Scarlatti. The mandocello part in this one is very simple, marking the beat metronomically (with one single exception). Good for beginning mandocello players duetting with a more advanced mandolinist.

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



Martin

[Jim Imhoff]

I don't have the playing time or thumb joint strength to keep up with you! Have you thought about compiling all these and publishing? I suspect many of the baroque pieces are public domain.

[Martin Jonas]

Here are two more pieces, combined in one video.

1. Passepied in D Major (Anonymous) - 0:00
2. Passepied in B Minor (Johann Ludwig Krebs, 1713-80) - 1:30

These are two Baroque passepieds, originally for keyboard but played here as duets of mandolin and mandocello. I learned both from a book of urtext editions of dances for piano ("Early Dances", Könemann Music).

All art by Jean Baptise Pater, a pupil of Watteau (and painting in much the same fete galante rococo genre).

1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



The anonymous piece is difficult to find online -- there are a number of anonymous passepieds in D major, but I didn't find one that matches the tune I learned from the book. The Krebs passepied is online. I attach a score I found, which differs slightly from the urtext I use, mainly in the dynamic marks added by the editor, which I didn't use, and in slightly different ornamentation (the triplets in the score were marked as trills in the urtext).

Martin

[Martin Jonas]

Here is a new mandocello duet I've recorded today.

This hornpipe was written by John Goodin in 2005 and published in his 2018 collection "May Frost":

http://www.mandotopia.com/MayFrost.html

John has arranged the piece with two harmony parts (high and low harmony). As the melody and low harmony are both playable in first position on the mandocello, I thought it would make a nice mandocello duet. I've added the high harmony part on mandolin for the repeat, as well as a gentle tenor guitar rhythm.

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello (x2)
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar
1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin



Martin

[wildpikr]

Here is a new mandocello duet I've recorded today.

This hornpipe was written by John Goodin in 2005 and published in his 2018 collection "May Frost":

http://www.mandotopia.com/MayFrost.html

John has arranged the piece with two harmony parts (high and low harmony). As the melody and low harmony are both playable in first position on the mandocello, I thought it would make a nice mandocello duet. I've added the high harmony part on mandolin for the repeat, as well as a gentle tenor guitar rhythm.

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello (x2)
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar
1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin



Martin

You were right - it did make a nice mandocello duet...thanks!

[Jim Imhoff]

Since Martin mentioned my search in the opening of this thread, I should clarify my mission. I am looking for (and have found!) music written specifically and originally for the solo mandocello. I will do a follow up presentation with more such material at CMSA 2019, more details once that has been announced by CMSA. Personally I love any music that might be played on the MC, from Early part music to the well known Bach Cello Suites, and the duets and trios are great. I love reading through string quartet literature with friends. But I do want the distinction to be clear, as many people assured me "there was no music for solo mandocello." We're fixing that problem!

[Bernie Daniel]

Further to all the good work by Jim on unearthing and promoting mandocello repertoire, I have now organised my own mandocello recordings over the past few years into a new playlist:

Mandocello solo and duo recordings

This contains only those pieces where the mandocello takes the solo part (with or without accompaniment) or is playing as a duo with another instrument, including mandocello duets. It does not have the recordings where the mandocello is playing accompaniment or rhythm parts only. 26 recordings in total so far.

Martin

I subbed your YT channel years ago -- it is an amazing resource! Always been curious on you record and merge your separate recording to a multi-track.

[Martin Jonas]

Thanks, Bernie!

No big secret about my recording technique: I use a cheap Zoom H2n digital recorder, connected as a USB microphone to a laptop running Audacity. With a bit of practice, multi-track recording is fairly straightforward.

I've added another piece to my mandocello playlist: Victor's concert aria "Alla mia bella insensibile", recorded on mandocello instead of baritone voice:



Martin

[Martin Jonas]

It's been a few months since I've added to my mandocello playlist. Here is a baroque piece I've recorded today, as a duet of mandolin and mandocello:

Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657-1714): Aria

P.H. Erlebach was a major German baroque composer in the era just before J.S. Bach. However, the large majority of his compositions were lost in a fire after his death, so that only the music he published during his lifetime survives. This includes a set of 75 vocal arias published in two volumes under the title "Harmonische Freude musicalischer Freunde".

One of the 75 arias (I'm not sure which one) has been arranged for two cellos by Wilfred Wachter:

https://musescore.com/user/668541/scores/3321051

It's a catchy melody which makes a nice duet of mandolin and mandocello. Of course, it would also work as a mandocello duet.

1898 Giuseppe Vinaccia mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



Martin

[Martin Jonas]

I haven't updated my mandocello playlist for a while. Here are three solo mandocello videos I made since lockdown started in March:

Saraband (William Lawes, 1602-1645):



March of the King of Laois (trad. Irish):



The Irish Washerwoman (trad. Irish):



And one tune recorded just before lockdown, on mandocello with computer-generated MIDI piano (NB: mandocello comes in after the 25-second piano intro):

Après un rêve (Fauré):



Martin

[Jim Imhoff]

It's late here in Oregon, so I will listen tomorrow--but thank you once again for your contributions. I will be hosting a mandocello hangout at CMSA, I will certainly tell people about your work.

[Jim Imhoff]

These are wonderful pieces and additions to the repertoire--I will be sure to include your posts in my CMSA mandocello session. Always interesting to hear music from fine but lesser-known composers like Lawes and Erlebach who got overshadowed by revered figures like Bach and Handel. I believe we have exchanged emails (jfimhoff@msn.com) so I would love to see any pdf'ed sheet music for the workshop.

[Martin Jonas]

I haven't added anything to my mandocello playlist for a few months, so here is a new video.

Hubert Ries (1802-1886): Duet for Violin and Cello

I found this little violin/cello duet on Musescore, but know nothing about it other than the attribution "H. Ries". It's a lovely tune, and a joy to play!

Hubert Ries was a 19th century German composer, mainly known for his violin method. His brother (Ferdinand Ries) and his son (Franz Ries) were also composers, and are both more famous than Hubert. I have tried to identify this duet, but have not found it. It's not one of the 23 (very nice) duets in Ries's violin method.

The Musescore link is:

https://musescore.com/user/2775696/scores/946271

1898 Giuseppe Vinaccia bowlback mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



Martin

[Martin Jonas]

This is my instrumental rendition of a song air by Robert Burns, played on mandocello with a tenor guitar accompaniment. Based on a setting by Klaus Stezenbach:

http://www.kstez.de/Winter_It_Is_Past__The__Scot_.pdf

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar

The lyrics used by Burns are based on the older Irish folk song "The Curragh Of Kildare", although that song is these days usually sung to a somewhat different melody.

The winter it is past, and the summer comes at last
And the small birds, they sing on ev'ry tree;
Now ev'ry thing is glad, while I am very sad,
Since my true love is parted from me.

The rose upon the breer, by the waters running clear,
May have charms for the linnet or the bee;
Their little loves are blest, and their little hearts at rest,
But my true love is parted from me.



Martin

[Martin Jonas]

Two more mandocello recordings for my playlist:

Humphreys Waltz (D. Nestlerode), mandocello & tenor guitar

This waltz was written by Daniel Nestlerode and appears on his album "Almost Home" -- it's this week's tune over at the SAW group. I am playing it on mandocello with tenor guitar accompaniment. It was a nice spring day yesterday, so I moved to my patio!

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



Lascia ch'io pianga (GF Händel), mandolin & mandocello duet

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759): Lascia ch'io pianga
Aria from the opera "Rinaldo" (HWV 7, 1711)

This is an instrumental quartet version of Handel's aria "Lascia ch'io pianga", pared down to a duet of mandolin and mandocello, based on a string quartet setting in D major from IMSLP played without second violin or viola:

http://imslp.org/wiki/Rinaldo,_HWV_7...orge_Frideric)

Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello

I'm playing the mandolin part on the video, with the mandocello part dubbed over afterwards.



Martin

[Martin Jonas]

Two more mandocello recordings:

Those Were The Days (Дорогой длинною)

This is the tune to the Russian popular song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu" (Дорогой длинною, "By The Long Road"), composed by Boris Fomin (1900–1948) and first published in 1925. In the 1960s, unrelated English words were substituted and the song became a big hit as "Those Were The Days". I've looked the tune up following a request by a Youtube subscriber on my channel.

My recording on mandocello with tenor guitar backing is based on a transcription by Nigel Gatherer:

http://www.nigelgatherer.com/tunes/tab/tab13/dorog.html

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello
Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



Giuseppe Tartini: Adagio Cantabile

This is a well-known piece by the Baroque violin virtuoso and composer Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770). Most recorded versions are performed on either violin or cello with piano/harpsichord accompaniment, and that may have been the original instrumentation.

This arrangement is from the old Nakano site and was published around 1900 in Florence by V. Billi. However, as I'm just playing the first mandolin part (which has Tartini's violin melody) and the mandocello part (which is Tartini's basso), it's effectively an Urtext performance without Billi's basso realisation. I've uploaded the score here.


Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



Martin