For the first time in the history of the cello - after years of intensive work and research - it is possible to publish a "complete bibliography" of cello music, although; "complete" is a relative term.

When I began work in May 1995 I optimistically estimated that the literature of the violoncello consisted of about 25,000 works. Today in 2003 I am overwhelmed by an unbelievable 60,000 works. Although having taken an important first step, this project will never come to an end.

I have succeeded in putting this bibliography together only with the help and collaboration of many people from all over the world. I have made many friends via telephone, fax and e-mail long before meeting the people concerned and getting to know them. This spontaneous readiness to help and freedom from professional jealousy is typical of the worldwide family of cellists.

To my dear and fatherly friend the late Dimitry Markevitch (1923-2002) and his wife Gitta I owe a lot. His interest, enthusiasm, and unselfish support throughout the project has meant a lot to me. His wonderful library (now at the Geneva Conservatoire) is the result of a lifetime´s collecting and his knowledge of the history and literature of the cello cannot be overestimated. Access to this library was essential to my project, but because of lack of time not all the information it contains has yet been incorporated into this bibliography. (I hope to include this important information in a second edition.)

Early in my work on the compositions of David Popper, I met the cellist Ulrich Schwarz. Without his perseverance, passion and enthusiasm in finding editions, books, letters and other documents, it would have been impossible to verify everything.

Likewise Christian Bellisario (who has edited and published many important works for the cello), concerning Alfredo Piatti. He has done the Italian translation of the CD-ROM text.

My dear friend Marin Smesnoi did extensive work for me on the cello literature of Eastern Europe, especially the former USSR. Without his stylish translations and immense knowledge, many important areas would have been missed.

Thanks also to my friend and colleague Matias de Oliveira Pinto for his support and information about South American cello music and for giving me pieces of music.

Rudolf Metzmacher (born 1906), a pupil of Julius Klengel and Hugo Becker, gave me his huge library, without which a large number of pieces could not have been identified. I am also grateful to him for passing on to me specific and background information, much of which has never been recorded elsewhere. His stories and accounts of his professional life, which will always remain with me, ought to be recorded for posterity.

Fritz Moser (born 1911) also gave me copies of important editions of cello music. I will never forget hearing from him his lively and vivid descriptions of performances by Casals, Feuermann, Piatigorsky, Mainardi and others.

In particular I have to thank Ottomar Borwitzky, who most generously gave me his private library, containing many pieces that were unknown to me before.
I am also grateful to Georg Donderer and his son Mathias Donderer, my friend from student years in Berlin, for giving me editions of cello music.
The practical help of all these outstanding cellists has been fundamental to my work.

For their great readiness to help, for their advice, for references and for editions of music I also want to thank Irene Güdel, Maria Kliegel, Siegfried Palm, Felipe Avellar de Aquino, Michael Bach Bachtischa, Helge Bartholomäus (on the literature of the bassoon), Glenn Garlick, Riki Gerady, Dr. Peter Graw (Basel), Keith Harvey, Richard Harwood (who provided a useful list of cello music), Klaus Häussler, Christopher Hogwood, Friedrich Kleinknecht, Hans Kunstovny, Claude Lebet, Heinz von Loesch, Orfeo Mandozzi, Barbara Marcinkowska, Russel McCulloh, German Prentki, Christian Proske, Martin Rummel, Jordi Vallverdu i Segura (for an extensive list of Spanish cello music), Stephen Sensbach (for his fabulous book French Cello Sonatas 1871-1931, Lilliput Press LTD Dublin, 2001), Graham Waterhouse, Dr. Hans-Peter Winkel (Munich).

Special thanks to Dr. Ulrich Drüner for his help, particularly at the beginning of the project.

To my dear and faithful friend, Jonathan Hunt, who has supported this project from the very beginning, provided a lot of information, created the texts and is responsible for the English translation of the Editorial text I also owe particular thanks.

Without my brother Stephan´s work this CD-ROM would not have been possible. His subtle project management skills, knowledge, and ability to present complicated information in an accessible form were invaluable.

Working for years on this bibliography, I have spent innumerable days and nights at the computer screen. I have had to become a detective, and have invested much time and nervous energy. There have been occasions when I have made exciting discoveries and there have been times when I have felt overwhelmed by these 60,000 works, and the struggle to bring order to a seemingly endless flood of cello music.

The support and understanding, the assistance and patience, of my wife Catherine not only made this bibliography possible but have also given me the freedom to bring it to a temporary halt. To her my work is dedicated.