Maurice Maréchal was an early 20th century example of French-tradition cello playing that continues to this day. The succession of great French cellists following Maréchal includes Bernard Michelin, Paul Tortelier, Pierre Fournier, André Navarra and Maurice Gendron. Click any of these links for mind-blowing performances by superior artists.
La Cinquantaine
Maréchal’s 1920 recording of La Cinquantaine by Gabriel Marie, a piece for cello and piano featured in Suzuki Book 3.
Playing style
Maréchal was born in 1892 and lived until 1964. Cello playing of the late 19th/early 20th centuries employed the use of deliberate audible shifts, intended to imitate the human voice, a technique used liberally and tastefully by Maréchal. His bow contacted the string in a firm, focused manner. Every detail of his execution receives full attention: bow, left hand, phrasing, rhythm and emotion. The French School traditionally produced a wiry sound and Maréchal is no exception. From the few existing photos of Maréchal at work, he seems to hold the cello low on his chest, with knees in the C-bouts of the instrument, unusual for today. Cello technique was still developing and evolving at the time, especially thanks to the revolutionary approach of Pablo Casals.
Elegie
If you have a few extra minutes, Maréchal’s 1928 recording of Elegie by Gabriel Fauré.
Studio recordings of the early 20th Century were one take. Today there would be multiple takes with dozens (or hundreds) of edits.
Posture
For a more in-depth discussion of posture at the cello, join the Facebook group Victor Lawrence Cello. Good posture forms the basis of great cello technique. Cello repertoire is loaded with difficult music that can only be mastered with efficient technique. A gymnast cannot execute correctly with lazy or inefficient technique, same for cello.