Books › A cyclopædic dictionary of music .., 1925 › scan 570
Scan 570
A cyclopædic dictionary of music .., 1925
91 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 554. See the scan on archive.org.
1VINNING, Rosetta (Mrs. O'Leary). Composer; b. Newton Abbott, 18—; d. 1909.
3Vi'ol. (G., Vio'le; F., Viole; I., Vio'la, from L., Vi'tula, Vi'dula.) A very ancient type of bowed instrument, the immediate precursor of the violin.
5The viol had from 5 to 8 strings (the usual number being 6), and a fretted fingerboard. The belly was usually, and the back always, flat—thus essentially differing from the modern violin family.
6The bridge was but slightly arched, and chord playing was therefore very easy. Viols and lutes were the principal stringed instruments of mediaeval orchestras. The tuning of the 4 chief varieties was as follows:—
7(1) Vio'la al'ta; Treble viol:—
9(2) Vio'la teno're; alto or tenor viol:—
11(3) Vio'la bass'a; bass viol:—
13(4) Violo'ne; contrabass viol. Tuned like the bass viol, but sounding an octave lower.
15VIO'LA, Alfonso della. Maestro at Ferrara.
16Wrote some of the earliest-known "Pastorals" (1541-63), They were in madrigal style, with dialogue sung by the chorus.
18VIO'LA, Francesco. Pupil of Willaert; maestro at Ferrara.
19Published 2 books of madrigals (1567, 1573).
21Vio'la (I.). (1) The larger form of violin, called in England the Tenor and in France the Alto.
23Music for the viola is generally written with the alto clef. It plays the 3rd part in the string quartet, and its 4 strings are tuned as follows, sounding exactly an octave higher than those of the violoncello:—
25C G D A
27Vio'la (I.). (2) A viol (q.v.).
29Vio'la al'ta. (1) (See Viol.) (2) A large form of orchestral viola.
31Vio'la bastar'da. A larger form of Viola da gamba. (See below.)
33Vio'la da brac'cio (G., Bra'tsche). "Arm-viol;" practically the same as the present viola (1).
35Vio'la da gam'ba. "Leg-viol." The bass-viol. (See Viol.)
37Vio'la d'amore (F., Viole d'amour). A tenor viol with 6 or 7 wire strings, and a tender sweet tone.
39Vio'la da spal'la. "Shoulder-viol;" an enlarged Vio'la da brac'cio (see above).
41Vio'la di bordo'ne, or Barytone. A viol resembling the viola da gamba, with 6 or 7 gut strings, and a number of sympathetic metal strings. Haydn wrote many pieces for it.
43Vio'la pompo'sa, or Violoncel'lo pic'colo. An inst. with 5 strings, midway between a tenor and a 'cello, invented by J. S. Bach.
45Viola'ta (S.). Small viol; gambette.
47Viola'ta sua've. "Smooth-toned Violata;" an organ stop.
49Viol de Gamboys. "Leg-viol;" bass-viol.
51VIO'LE, Rudolf. Pianist; pupil of Liszt; b. Schochwitz, 1815; d. 1867.
52Works: 11 pf. sonatas, 100 pf. studies, character. istic pf. pieces, &c.
54Vio'le (G.). Viol (q.v.).
56Viole (F.). The ordinary viola. (Formerly a viol.)
58Viole d'amour. (See Viola d'amore.)
60Vio'len (G.). Modern plur. of (the ordinary) viola.
62Violent (F.). Violent, impetuous.
64Violentemen'te (I.). Violently, impetuously!y.
66Violen'to. Violent.
67Con violen'za. With violence.
69Violet, or English violet. The Viola d'amore (q.v.).
71Violet'tta (I.). A small viol.
73This is the usual definition. In Marcello's 51st Psalm (50th in the Vulgate) there are, however, two obbligato parts for Violette (the plural) which do not confirm this definition. The parts are generally written with the C clef on the third line, with occasional passages in the bass clef descending to F:—
75The music is well phrased, and many passages are as difficult as those of Handel's string passages. This proves that the Violetta was a fairly large instrument, almost the size of a 'cello, and that it was capable of many fine effects.
77Violet'ta mari'na. A form of viol invented by P. Castrucci. Handel wrote solos for it in Orlando and Sosarme.
79Violette (F.). A small viola.
81Violin'. (G., Violi'ne; F., Violon; I., Violi'no; Modn. Gk., Bio'lion.) "The King of the orchestra." The ordinary tuning of its 4 strings is as follows:—
83G D A E
85The most remote ancestor of the violin yet discovered is the Ravanastron, said to have been invented in Ceylon about 5,000 b.c., and still in use in India and China. Later developments of the Ravanastron were the Rebab of the Arabs and Persians (which became the European Rebeck of the Middle Ages), the Breton Crwth (Crout, Rota, Lyra, &c.), and the various forms of Lute and Viol (q.v.).
86The following are among the most noted makers of violins, those marked * being specially celebrated:—
87Gasparo da Salo, Andrea Amati, *Nicolo Amati, Andrea Guarnerius, *Joseph Guarnerius, *A. Stradivarius, C. Begonzi, *G. Guadagnini, C. Landolfi, *Jacob Stainer, *Sebastian Klotz, Medard, Lupot, and Vuillaume.
88The violin "bow" has been perfected through the efforts of Corelli, Vivaldi, Tartini, and Tourte.
90French violin clef. The G clef on the first line.
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