Note on the Translation

Davidoff’s florid nineteenth-century writing style includes extremely long sentences and many instances of the passive voice. Rather than translating sentences word for word, which might distract readers from their meaning, I have tried wherever possible to simplify them. I also decided against literal translations of cello-specific techniques such as kleine Spannung and grosse Spannung, opting instead for idioms that English-speaking cellists would recognize, such as “closed position” and “extended position.” In this, I am grateful for the advice of my German-speaking father, Roger Wilson, without whom the task would have been far harder.