#5204, Multiple Cellos
String quartets and orchestras typically consist of the violin, viola, cello, and double bass; all instruments with different registers offering a full, satisfying sound when played together. But when you have an octet of cellos, or the tools to record layers upon layers of a single cello, you get an entirely different sonic palette to compose with. On this episode of New Sounds, we explore a few such pieces that highlight the versatility of the cello in multiples.
We start the set with “Sine Part I” and “Sine Part II,” written by Brooklyn-based composer and drummer Qasim Naqvi for the Cello Octet Amsterdam; two tracks from the octet’s upcoming album, Cocon, releasing on November 13. The first part projects the richness of the timbre of multiple cellos through sustained chords that swell over time. In contrast, the second part is much more percussive, almost like a dance, performed with impeccable agility.
Then comes New York-based composer Inti Figgis-Vizueta’s “Music for Transitions,” performed by the German Rothko String Quartet’s cellist Jakob Nierenz and GRAMMY Award-winning cellist Andrew Yee. It’s a mind-bending, eerie piece with raw, broken cello textures, balancing the depth and fragility of the instrument.
Another New York-based musician drawn to the concept of composing for multiples of an instrument is Michael Gordon, who worked with Cello Octet Amsterdam on a 53-minute piece, titled 8. We’ll hear the dynamic, tempo-shifting, and polyrhythmic arpeggios of “8 (Side B)” and “8 (Side C).”
Canadian-American cellist Zoë Keating, who is a self-proclaimed “one-woman cello orchestra,” offers sixteen layers of her cello in “Fern”; an expertly produced piece by the artist, released over two decades ago. Like Keating, Canadian cellist Julia Kent enjoys playing with audio effects in “Echo of Wings,” creating ambient-leaning soundscapes with echoing plucks and reverberating legato chord progressions.
We close the set with an excerpt of cellist Maya Beiser’s reimagination of Terry Riley’s In C; a hypnotic arrangement that blends drones and rhythmic sequences enhanced with the thoughtful addition of drums. - Sırma Munyar
(Still Image of Cello Octet Amsterdam from Bandcamp)
#5204, Multiple Cellos (First aired 11/09/26)
ARTIST: Michael Gordon & Cello Octet Amsterdam
WORK: 8 (Side B) [1:17]
RECORDING: 8
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Music
INFO: https://michaelgordonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/8
ARTIST: Cello Octet Amsterdam
WORK: Qasim Naqvi - Sine Part I [7:59]
RECORDING: Cocon
SOURCE: 7K
INFO: https://cellooctet.bandcamp.com/album/cocon
ARTIST: Cello Octet Amsterdam
WORK: Qasim Naqvi - Sine Part II [5:47]
RECORDING: Cocon
SOURCE: 7K
INFO: https://cellooctet.bandcamp.com/album/cocon
ARTIST: Andrew Yee, Jakob Nierenz, Inti Figgis-Vizueta
WORK: Music for Transitions [6:00]
RECORDING: Music for Transitions
SOURCE: New Amsterdam Records
INFO: https://intifiggisvizueta.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-transitions
ARTIST: Michael Gordon & Cello Octet Amsterdam
WORK: 8 (Side B) [4:16]
RECORDING: 8
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Music
INFO: https://michaelgordonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/8
ARTIST: Michael Gordon & Cello Octet Amsterdam
WORK: 8 (Side C) [3:02]
RECORDING: 8
SOURCE: Cantaloupe Music
INFO: https://michaelgordonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/8
ARTIST: Zoe Keating
WORK: Fern [8:21]
RECORDING: One Cello x 16: Natoma
SOURCE: Independent
INFO: https://zoekeating.bandcamp.com/album/one-cello-x-16-natoma
ARTIST: Julia Kent
WORK: Echo of Wings [4:47]
RECORDING: String Layers Vol. II
SOURCE: 7K
INFO: https://7klassik.bandcamp.com/album/string-layers-vol-ii
ARTIST: Maya Beiser, Terry Riley
WORK: In C: 6 [4:43]
RECORDING: Maya Beiser x Terry Riley: In C
SOURCE: Islandia Music
INFO: https://www.islandiamusic.com/products/maya-beiser-x-terry-riley-in-c
