Life has a habit of moving forward, with or without you. I lost myself in the rolling waves of that forward motion and a great many things were knocked from my fingers, this being one.
Well, now I’m back. To celebrate my return, I have a few tidbits of writing to throw your way.
Backstory: While I was in my last semester of college, I took a creative writing tutorial that focused on writing linked short stories. Being an intense music fiend and a musical instrument autodidact, I had been eyeball deep in researching the history of Stradivarius and his very special stringed instruments. So intrigued with all the intense emotion and dedication surrounding both the musicians and the instruments themselves, i decided to write my linked stories around a real Stradivarius cello, Cristiani.
The cello was named after the first woman to ever play the cello professionally, Elise Cristiani (sometimes spelled “Christiani”). The cello was made in 1700 by Stradivarius and was owned by others before it came into her possession, but as in most cases, their names have been lost to the annals of history and the tax books. Elise had a very short career, debuting with aplomb at age 17, before becoming a favored court musician in Denmark. Many composers at the time, especially Mendelssohn, wrote or dedicated cello concertos to her. She was known for her elegant way of holding the cello and her individual charm. In terms of music, she was most notable for her use of the endpin. The endpin is the spike or stake that is used in many modern bass and cellos to stabilize the instrument when standing. When sitting, it allows the musician to sit upright and reach all the frets on the bridge with ease, as well as allowing them to reach extreme positions on the strings, particularly the A and C. Other large or unwieldy instruments like the bass clarinet use it, also. It was first noted in use in the early 1600s but it was rare. In a late 19th century article, it was said that the “tail-pin” first came into use with Cristiani ( first lady cellist) and thus its use was considered feminine, undesirable for male cellists. It was discouraged by some traditionalists for about twenty years or so, before being adopted by most players by the the beginning of the 20th century.
Because of her very short career and unattached but high-profile status, many legends about her ability and the mystical quality of her playing circulated after her death from cholera in 1853, at age 26. This, specifically intrigued me; many feel that her spirit, so tied to her beloved instrument in life, became one with it in death, thus her unearthly skill lived on and she able to do what she loved until eternity.
I began to wonder, “What would happen if another player, man or woman, were to inherit or buy her cello? What would happen between them? What would happen to the people surrounding them?”
From those meanderings of thought, this trilogy of short stories was born, “Concerto for Cristiani” starting with “None Can Die.” The title is taken from John Donne’s poem, “The Good-Morrow.”
very nice wording !
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