The Adventures of a Cello by Carlos Prieto, Elena C. Murray (Translator), Alvaro Mutis (Foreword by)

From the Publisher

In 1720, Antonio Stradivari crafted an exquisite work of art—a cello known as the Piatti. Over the next three centuries of its life, the Piatti cello left its birthplace of Cremona, Italy, and resided in Spain, Ireland, England, Italy, Germany, and the United States. The Piatti filled sacred spaces, such as the Santa Cueva de Cádiz, with its incomparable voice. It also spent time in more profane places, including New York City bars, where it served as a guarantee for unpaid liquor tabs. The Piatti narrowly escaped Nazi Germany in 1935 and was once even left lying in the street all night. In 1978, the Piatti became the musical soul mate of world-renowned cellist Carlos Prieto, with whom it has given concerts around the world.

In this delightful book, Mr. Prieto recounts the adventurous life of his beloved "Cello Prieto," tracing its history through each of its previous owners from Stradivari in 1720 to himself. He then describes his noteworthy experiences of playing the Piatti cello, with which he has premiered some eighty compositions. In this part of their mutual story, Prieto gives a concise summary of his own remarkable career and his relationships with many illustrious personalities, including Igor Stravinsky, Dmitry Shostakovich, Pablo Casals, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gabriel García Márquez.

To make the story of his cello complete, Mr. Prieto also provides a brief history of violin making and a succinct review of cello music from Stradivari to the present. He highlights the work of composers from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, for whose music he has long been an advocate and principal performer. Thus, The Adventures ofa Cello offers not only the first biography of a musical instrument but also an inviting overview of cello music and its preeminent composers and performers.

Library Journal

This book, in the same vein as the 1998 film The Red Violin, follows the history of "The Piatti," the legendary cello made by Antonio Stradivari in 1720. Besides moving through almost every country in the world in the last three and a half centuries, this remarkable instrument has been owned since 1978 by world-renowned concert cellist Prieto. Prieto's memoirs of his life with the Piatti, as well as its extensive history, are now available in this English translation (the foreign-language edition of this work has sold more than 12,000 copies). Music lovers will enjoy reading Prieto's moving anecdotal book, which includes 59 black-and-white illustrations and four appendixes. This tribute to a musical soul mate is suitable for all age groups and libraries. (Accompanying music CD not seen.)-Brad Eden, Univ. of California Lib., Santa Barbara Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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Table of Contents