Fung plays a 1717 cello by David Tecchler of Rome, and shares insights on the instrument and his bows in the excerpt from our January 2024 issue
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The following is an excerpt from our article on Zlatomir Fung in the January 2024 issue of The Strad
‘I have enjoyed this cello a lot; the sound is very round and very expansive and it really projects through so there’s a lot of room with it to play around with dynamics. I find it’s very open to being handled. Some cellos push back when you try to give it a little “oomph”, but this is like, “yeah, bring it on!”’ says Fung.
Born in Germany, Tecchler worked in Rome in the early 18th century, and his cellos and basses are highly regarded. Many eminent cellists, including Beatrice Harrison, Emanuel Feuermann and, more recently, Robert Cohen, have played one of his instruments at some point.
The previous owner of Fung’s cello was English musician William Roskelly (1919–2017) – a student of Pablo Casals who played in the London Symphony Orchestra and the orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Since Roskelly’s death, Fung is the first cellist to have been loaned the Tecchler.
Fung has two main bows: a ‘self-rehairing’ Dominique Peccatte, which has some damage at the tip and an unoriginal frog and button: ‘It’s kind of a player’s bow, which is not in the best condition!’ says Fung. The other is an early Jean Pierre Marie Persoit, a very different bow in its character. ‘The Peccatte has more overtones and a lighter, more elegant sound, whereas the Persoit is more robust and muscular. They complement each other.’
Read: Joseph Conyers’s instrument: a bass called Norma
Read: In Focus: A 1701 David Tecchler cello
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