A Cellist’s Companion: A Comprehensive Catalogue of Cello Literature (review)

In A Cellist’s Companion we have a reminder that the concept of data mining is not new, only the techniques have changed. For more than thirty-five years, the authors searched “every possible source” in an effort to find every composition ever written for violoncello. Published editions are their core resource, but Lambooij and Feves have also consulted many kinds of secondary resources, both scholarly and ephemeral: reference works, biographies, reviews, catalogs, Web sites, concert programs, announcements, auction notices, correspondence, record and compact disc covers, and many more. The result is a bibliography of over 44,500 titles by some 15,000 composers and arrangers. It is a remarkable survey, a true celebration of violoncello literature by two accomplished cellists.

The reference book includes arrangements and original compositions, published works in print and out of print, works that are lost, and manuscripts. It is arranged alphabetically by the last name of the composer or arranger, augmented by a classified index at the back of the book that provides access by medium of performance: cello solo, cello with electronics, two or more cellos, cello and violin, cello and other instruments, two or more soloists, cello and voice, and methods and studies. Not included in the index are works for cello and piano and for cello and orchestra, “because practically every composer wrote for these combinations” (p. 657). This seems to be a concession to saving space. Excluded from the work altogether are chamber works (except those where the cello part is “soloistic”) and those works where the cello functions solely as accompaniment. Although it was published in 2007, the work seems most useful for compositions written before the year 2000.

Each name entry includes the date and place of birth (and death, where appropriate). Cellist-composer entries may also include a short biographical paragraph. Under each name entry are the titles, arranged first by opus or thematic catalog number, then alphabetically for those works without such numbering. Each entry may include the work’s key, instrumentation, year of composition, duration, and the name of the person to whom it was dedicated (if any). Publication information follows for as many editions as are known: place, date, publisher, and publisher number. If the publication information is not known, or the work is not published, the authors provide the source of information or the library where the title can be located. Occasionally, one will see titles without a source; these usually include the notation “not verified.”

Much of the information in entries is conveyed through abbreviations, a necessity in a print volume of this size. All the abbreviations, however, can discourage readers until they become familiar with the structure of the entries. The small font used in typesetting only reinforces the feeling of a “dense” text. Sample pages can be viewed at the publisher’s Web site ( http://www.cellocompanion.com [accessed 28 May 2009]).

A nice feature of A Cellist’s Companion is that it includes collections of violoncello music, so the text can also be used as a finding aid for these works. Unfortunately, not all of the collections included are cross-referenced. Another noteworthy feature is the inclusion of arrangements. Many guides to repertoire concentrate solely on original compositions written for the specified instrument. That is not the case here, where arrangements occupy an equal footing alongside original compositions. Arrangements are entered in two places. A brief entry appears under the title for the original work, followed by the term “arrangements,” the name of the arranger and a short title of the arrangement. The full entry appears under the name of the arranger, with a reference back to the composer entry.

The organization of the book, alphabetical by composer/arranger, is straightforward but presents some pitfalls. The structure can handle simple see-references for names, but when called upon to manage the relationship between arrangements...