The violoncello grows over the years.

[Enrique]

Watch these photographs. Do you see any difference in the instruments? Well, a very noticeable one is in the endpins, the rod at the bottom of the instruments, supporting them in playing position. As time has gone by, the length of this piece has been growing in a spectacular manner, as you'll be able to appreciate. The first picture is a photo taken to Pablo Casals.

[Peter]

Aren't they adjustable?

[Enrique]

Yes, but that is the height that is used now. There are people that even has curved endpins with the instrument almost in a horizontal position. Maybe that makes it easier to play, I don't know.

[Peter]

Yes, but that is the height that is used now. There are people that even has curved endpins with the instrument almost in a horizontal position. Maybe that makes it easier to play, I don't know.

Surely the individual adjusts it to suit themselves as with the piano stool? Some pianists play very high others like Glen Gould incredibly low, almost on the floor on a rickety old chair!

[Enrique]

No, it's a worldwide tendency. The height is now almost twice as in Casals' times. The old endpins simply did not have enough length, because nobody seemed to play that way.