Books › Dictionary of music, 1896 › scan 842
Scan 842
Dictionary of music, 1896
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1are very effective on it, and Pizzicato has a full, pithy tone. The most famous masters of 'cello playing were and are: Boccherini, Breval, Cervetto, Duport, Schetky, Schindlöcker, Ant. and Nic. Kraft, Pierre and Jean Levasseur, Dotzauer, Lindley, Ch. Kellermann, B. Romberg, Merk, Platel, Batta, Baudiot, M. Bohrer, Menter, Demol, François and Ernst Demunck, Seligmann, Servais (father and son), Franchomme, Carl Schuberth, Seb. and Louis Lee, Kummer, Cossmann, Popper, Davidoff, Drechsler, Friedr. and Leop. Grützmacher, Georg and Julius Goltermann, de Swert, Lübeck, A. Lindner, Fischer, F. Hilpert, Hausmann, Jul. Klengel, Piatti, Hugo Becker, etc.
3Violoncello, as an organ stop, is a Gamba stop of 8-ft., which is supposed to imitate the tone of the 'cello.
5Violoncello piccolo. (See VIOLA, 4.)
7Violone (-one is an Italian suffix expressive of increase, therefore, Great Viol), Contrabasso da Viola (Viol da Gamba bass, great "Bassgeige," Bass Viol, etc.), was the name given to the instrument of the viol family (see VIOLA, 3.), which before the introduction of the double-bass (in the 17th–18th century), took the lowest octave notes in the orchestra, and which was only gradually supplanted by the double-bass of the present day. The differences in the outer shape between the two are the same as between violin and discant viol, 'cello and gamba, viola and alto viol. The V., like the other kinds of viols, had an accordatura of six strings, played an octave lower than the gamba, and had a finger-board with frets.
9Violotta, a kind of larger viola constructed some years ago by Dr. Alfred Stelzner (q.v.) of Wiesbaden, with the accordatura G d a e'. It has, however, scarcely fulfilled the hopes of the inventor of seeing it incorporated into the string quartet, for it is awkward and unwieldy; further, it does not possess the expected increased volume of tone.
11Viotta, Henri, b. July 16, 1848, Amsterdam, student at the Cologne Conservatorium; but he also studied law, and was for some time advocate. He then became conductor of the Wagner Society founded by himself (1883), and also of the Excelsior Society in 1886; further, in 1889, of the Caecilia Society, Amsterdam. Since 1889 he has edited the Maandblad for Muziek, and also contributed to the Caecilia (Hague) and the Guide musical; he has published "Lexicon der Toonkunst" (3 vols. 1889), and composed orchestral and choral works.
13Viotti, Giovanni Battista, the father of modern violin-playing, and one of the most important composers for his instrument, b. May 23, 1753, Fontanetto da Po (Vercelli), d. March 3, 1824, London. He was the son of a blacksmith, who played a little on the horn, and who presented to V. a small violin when he was eight years old, and on which, without guidance, the boy made such progress, that he attracted the notice of the Bishop of Strambino, by whom he was recommended to Alonso de Pozzo, Prince de la Cisterna, at Turin. This young Prince looked after the boy, and placed him under Pugnani (q.v.). After a few years V. entered the royal band at Turin as violinist, but in 1780 undertook, with Pugnani, a grand concert tour through Germany and Russia; and this was soon followed by a second one to London and Paris. He arrived in the latter city in 1782, and, until 1783, appeared repeatedly at the Concerts Spirituels; his success there, as in Berlin, Petersburg, and London, was almost unexampled; so perfect a player had never yet been heard. The public, however, was capricious; V. played at a concert at which there was a small and unenthusiastic audience, and this was followed by another at which a violinist of moderate ability was enthusiastically received by a large audience. V. was so annoyed that from that time he gave up playing in public; and it was only granted to a few chosen friends to admire his genius. V., however, remained in Paris, became accompanist to Queen Marie Antoinette, and, soon afterwards, conductor of the orchestra of the Duke of Soubise. He only paid one visit to his home (1783) in order to purchase an estate for his father, who died not long afterwards. V.'s aversion to public playing seems to have been intense: he not only had his own compositions performed by other violinists, but turned his attention to other matters, and sought to be appointed director of the Grand Opéra (1787). In this he, however, failed, and then entered into partnership with the friseur Léonard, who had received permission to establish an Italian Opera; this was opened in the Tuileries in 1789; and, when in 1790 the Court moved from Versailles to Paris, the performances were given at the Théâtre de la Foire St. Germain till 1791; after the addition of Feydeau de Brou as partner a theatre of their own was built (Théâtre Feydeau). The Revolution ruined the undertaking, and V. saw himself compelled to seek new means of subsistence. He gave several concerts at the Hanover Square Rooms in London, and was received with enthusiasm; but he was soon forced to flee, since he was suspected of being an agent of the revolutionary party in Paris. He lived in retirement in the neighbourhood of Hamburg until 1795, then returned to London, but made no public appearance. He was connected with a wine business, and was almost forgotten by the world, when in 1802 he again appeared in Paris, and sought out his old friends. Pressed by Cherubini and Rode, etc., he played in the small hall of the Conservatoire; and, to the general astonishment, it was found, not only that he had lost nothing, but that he had made progress, and no one could stand near him as rival. He remained,
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.