Scan 146
The M. Steinert collection of keyed and stringed instruments, 1893
2 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 142. See the scan on archive.org.
1instruments greater strength to resist the increased tension of the strings corner blocks were used. This innovation was contemporary with the great development of polyphonic choral music in Germany and the Netherlands during the 15th century and by the beginning of the 16th century the treble or discant viole, the tenor, the bass viol and double bass or violone were well established in both these countries and north Italy. The violin model, which differs from the viole in having shallower sides, with an arched instead of a flat back and square shoulders and in being constructed in all its parts of curved or arched pieces of wood glued together in a state of tension on the blocks, first appeared in Italy during the middle of the 16th century. This instrument completely revolutionized the art of fiddle making, driving out of use first the Discant Viol, then the Tenor and last of all the Bass Viol. The Double Bass, which is a Viol pure and simple, alone has resisted the inroads of the Violin model and has only been changed in relation to the sound holes. The substitution of the violin for the viol, except as hereinbefore mentioned, is due to its louder tone and conforms with the history of musical instruments, which may be stated in the words "the survival of the loudest." As the vibrations of the viols were insufficient to meet the growing demand for power, in order to increase their power they were constructed with double strings tuned in fifths and octaves and also with sympathetic metal strings, and thus constituting the family of the Viola d'Amore and Barytone. The viol family had four, five and sometimes six strings, which were tuned by fourths, a single major third being interpolated in the five and six stringed instruments in order to preserve the same tonality in the upper notes, being the same system of stringing as practised on the lute. This system of tuning has been proved to have been in vogue as early as 1542 by a treatise published that year in Venice, and agreed with the parts of contemporary vocal music, especially as the music written for viols is always within the compass of the human voice. There are compositions dating back to 1539 which
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