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A 1690 Rugeri cello has begun a new chapter in its storied life in the hands of one of Winnipeg’s most exciting young classical musicians.
David Liam Roberts will be performing on this incredibly rare instrument thanks to a three-year loan from Canada Council for the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank, which awards rare instruments to talented artists across the country who participate in a competition to use them.
“I knew the previous player of this cello, and this was before it was donated to the Canada Council,” Roberts shared in an interview on Morning Light from Basel, Switzerland where he is continuing his studies.
Roberts auditioned for the Instrument Bank back in 2023 but was unsuccessful at that time. When this instrument became available after its donation, he was the first person to be offered it, and he found himself on a whirlwind 12-hour trip to Toronto to claim the instrument before flying back to Europe.
“I wanted to get it as soon as possible because it’s such a privilege to play on this instrument,” he smiled.
Roberts, who typically plays on a cello made by Winnipeg luthier Garth Lee, spotlights the exceptional warmth that the Rugeri cello has developed over the course of three centuries, which makes it a perfect instrument for chamber music settings. “All the higher instruments, for example, in a string quartet, want to fit into the overtones that the cello produces,” he explains. “And so, the more overtones the cello produces, the [fuller] sound there is, so I find that with this instrument, there’s just this huge foundation of resonance that I really enjoy.”
The other unique element of this instrument that Roberts highlights is its size. A student of the famed 17th century luthier Nicolo Amati (also the teacher of Antonio Stradivari), Rugeri experimented by making a smaller size of cello than was normal at the time, which makes it easier for a player like Roberts to reach higher positions and play cleaner notes.
“I think recently I’ve felt a little bit held back by these instruments that I’ve been playing,” says Roberts, “because there are these qualities that this very small group of instruments have [that were] made by the best makers in the 17th and 18th centuries.”
“It’s nice to really be assured, like, if there’s ever any problem, it’s me,” he laughs.
Winnipeg audiences will get to hear Roberts play on this instrument in the fall when he returns for the International Cello Festival of Canada being presented by the Agassiz Chamber Music Festival. The festival runs from October 28 to November 1. More information can be found at the festival’s website.