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Scan 840
Dictionary of music, 1896
20 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1The strings lay pretty close to one another on the finger-board divided by frets; the bridge was slightly arched and it was therefore scarcely possible to play on only one of the middle strings, but all the easier to play in chords. The double-bass viol (Violone, Contrabasso da viola) stood an octave lower than the Gamba. Many old viols by good masters were transformed by skilful hands into violas, likewise 'cellos or basses, and this gave rise to many false suppositions. For information respecting the history of the development of the V. before the period of any instrumental music worthy of the name (the V. was the stringed instrument par excellence throughout the Middle Ages, under the names Fidel, Fidula, Viella [Fr. Vielle], Vitula, Vistula, Vidula, Vihuela, and even Phiala [in Johannes Cotto, 1100], all etymologically identical; and also under the names Rubebe, Rebec, Giga [Gigue, "Geige"], in vogue during the same period). (Cf. STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.) (4) Special kinds of V. are: the Lyres, viols with a greater number of strings, partly over the finger-board, partly near to it, after the manner of drones (cf. LYRA, 2; and BARYTON, 2); further, the V. bastarda, of somewhat larger dimensions than the V. da gamba, with 6–7 strings, at a later period, especially in England, fitted with strings, in unison with those of the finger-boards (cf. also VIOLET, ENGLISH), which ran under the bridge and the finger-board, and which were set into sympathetic vibration when the strings were sounded with the bow; the V. d'amore (Viole d'amour), constructed in like manner, but only of the size of the viola, with 7 finger-board, and 7 sympathetic strings, the latter, according to need, tuned differently; the V. pomposa, on the other hand, midway between viola and 'cello, constructed by J. S. Bach. This last-mentioned instrument was not really a V., but belonged to the modern instruments of the violin family (Violoncello piccolo), and had 5 strings, C, G, d, a, e' (Bach's sixth 'cello Suite was really written for V. pomposa). Lastly, there was the V. da spalla (shoulder-viol), which was a larger kind of V. da braccio, and, when played upon, was placed on the shoulder.
3Viola, (1) Alphonso della, maestro to Hercules II. of Este at Ferrara, published a book of madrigals a 5 (1539); but he is especially noteworthy as one of the oldest composers of dramatic pieces (pastorals, incidental music to plays), which were produced at the court of Ferrara: Orbeche (1541), Il sacrificio (1554, Lo sfortunato (1557), Aretusa (1563). Naturally these were not written in the stilo rappresentativo, invented 50 years later at Florence, but speech and counter-speech were sung in madrigal fashion by the chorus.
5(2) Francesco, pupil of Willaert, maestro to Alfonso d'Este; he published motets and madrigals of Willaert: "Musica nova" (1558), also 2 books of madrigals of his own (1567, 1573).
7(3) Alessandro della. (See ALESSANDRO ROMANO.)
9Viole. (See VIOLA.)
11Viole, Rudolf, distinguished pianist, pupil of Liszt, composer, b. May 10, 1825, Schochwitz (Mansfeld), d. Dec. 7, 1867, Berlin, where for a long time he was teacher of music. He composed a number of pianoforte works (11 sonatas, 100 studies ["Musikalische Gartenlaube"], Caprice héroïque, Ballade, etc.), in which he showed himself a disciple of the new school.
13Violento (Ital.), impetuous.
15Violet, English, an obsolete stringed instrument similar to the Viola d'amore, with 14 sympathetic strings lying under the finger-board. A special mode of tuning the violin, of which formerly frequent use was made (e a e'a'), was also called E.V.
17Violetta (Ital., Small Viol) was the name given to the Discant Viol, or it stood for smaller kinds of viols with only three or four strings, of which many species ("kleine Geigen") were constructed, especially in Germany, during the 16th and 17th centuries. V. piccola was a term used for the violin at the time when it came into vogue (in the 17th century); it is often described more fully as alla francese. This did not mean that the French invented it, but that the French first brought it into repute. Even Charles IX. acquired the violins for his court musicians from the Tyrol, V. marina. (See CASTRUCCI.)
19Violin (Ital. Violino, Fr. Violon), the bowed instrument of world-wide fame, which, together with those of lower compass, allied to it (viola, 'cello, double-bass), has completely supplanted all other bowed instruments. It is, comparatively speaking, a modern instrument, although, if the period during which it reached perfection of form be taken into consideration, it is older than any one of our musical instruments. The construction of the violin reached its highest stage of perfection at the commencement of the 18th century. All attempts to surpass the master creations of the Cremonese violin-makers have miserably failed; whereas other orchestral instruments, also the organ and the pianoforte, have, since that time, passed through various stages of improvement. With regard to the evolution of the V. from the older Viol, of which, originally, it was a smaller species, cf. VIOLA. There was no actual inventor of the violin; the transformation was a gradual one, from about 1480 to 1530 experience suggested, first one, then another small change. Anyhow, such a steady advance towards perfection can only be explained on the supposition that there was a succession of teachers and pupils—in fact, a real school. That violin-makers really had such a prolonged series of experiences may be seen in the Amati (q.v.) family, which laboured through several generations; through Andreas Guarneri, pupil of Nicolò Amati, through three generations
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