Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874 › scan 367
Scan 367
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments in the South Kensington museum, preceded by an essay on the history of musical instruments, 1874
12 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 341. See the scan on archive.org.
1viole d'amour. Passerini was manager of the Gentleman's and St. Cecilia Concert, where he and his wife had a permanent engagement as skilled musicians. He played solos and accompanied singing with the instrument. Perhaps the viole d'amour underwent several modifications, as its name was changed to psalter, in the belief of its being the ancient instrument so denominated, which is quite different according to most authorities, not belonging to the fidicinal tribe. In 1754 a concert for the new instrument called the psalter was announced for Signor Carusi's benefit concert in Edinburgh, and performed by Pasquali, another Italian musician, also resident there. From its soft and simple nature it was eulogised in 1762 as unequalled for delicacy and sweetness. I knew a lady many years ago in Edinburgh who played melodies with great delicacy on this instrument, which was strung with wire, and had frets on the finger-board." From these accounts it would appear that the viola d'amore strung entirely with wire was not much used in England before the year 1700, although it evidently existed in this country in the seventeenth century.
3(48.)
5SORDINO. The body of tortoise-shell. With a carved head of wood and ivory. Italian. About 1600. Length of the entire instrument, 14 in.
7About three hundred years ago the sordino was kept by gentlemen in a little case resembling a pen case, which they put in the pocket when they went to a singing party; and they used the instrument for insuring correct intonation while singing madrigals and catches. Kircher, in his 'Musurgia Universalis,' Romae, 1650, calls it linterculus, no doubt from its resemblance to a small boat.
9(50.)
11VIOLETTA Piccola. The smallest kind of the old viol instruments, shaped with a slanting neck like the viola da gamba, or bass viol. This small species of treble viol was called by the French Haute-contre. Italian. 17th century.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.