Nitty Music plays the Cello interpretation of “Long, Long Ago” from Book 01 of the Suzuki Cello Method.
Subscribe — https://bit.ly/NittyMusic —
Cellos from Luthiers Clar: https://www.luthiersclar.com/
Piano Accompaniment by Ms. Accompanist: https://msaccompanist.bandcamp.com/
“Long, Long Ago” is a song that has gone through several stages of development.
Originally, the song was not written as we know it today. Actually, it is an arrangement by Shinichi Suzuki and its original composition was written in 1833 by the British writer Thomas Haynes Bayly, who had diverse artistic abilities.
Bayly was one of the most popular songwriters of the early 19th century, and although “Long, Long Ago” was one of his most beloved compositions, it was not published until after his death.
Originally, the song was called “The Long Ago,” but its title was changed by its American editor Rufus Wilmot Griswold when it was first published posthumously in a Philadelphia magazine, along with a collection of other songs and poems by Bayly.
The song was very well received and became one of the most popular songs in the United States in 1844.
Over time, “Long, Long Ago” has undergone several transformations. In 1913, Geraldine Farrar made the first popular recording of the song for Victor Talking Machine Company. In 1939, the melody received a new text, which was slightly revised in 1941, and a more dynamic tempo. Finally, in 1942, the song became Glenn Miller’s hit “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me).”
As for the performance technique of the piece, when students reach Bayly’s “Long, Long Ago,” they are at the point in the volume where they are learning a piece on the G string and have their first note on the C string. To play correctly, the angle of the bow must change from an angle with the A string to an angle with the C string, so that the bow is parallel to the bridge and perpendicular to the string.
This advanced technique is introduced as a concept at this point, but it becomes more important in later pieces.
The C and G strings, which are thicker, require more weight in the arm to produce a deeper and more connected sound.
“Long, Long Ago” revisits the alternate bowing (with a slightly smaller bow than on the A string) and the circular bowing.
The compositional form of this piece is the same as “Lightly Row,” with a different ending in the second and fourth phrase (“A A1 B A1”).
In summary, “Long, Long Ago” is a song that has gone through different stages of development, from its original composition by Bayly to its subsequent arrangements by other artists. Additionally, playing the piece requires an advanced performance technique, making it an important piece in students’ training.