Books › The Violin and its Music, 1881 › scan 185
Scan 185
The Violin and its Music, 1881
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 161. See the scan on archive.org.
1of greatnesses solely belonging to the Italians at the period of the Renaissance.
3The next creation appears to have been the Tenor for the knee, of two or more sizes, with deep sides and backs, frequently modelled. The largest of these instruments were reduced to Violas in many ways. Next came the averaged-sized Italian Tenor, followed very shortly after by the Violin in its Italian form. The Viol da Gamba seems to have been the only instrument belonging to what I term the Gothic branch in Italy, not laid aside, since; it is evident the Viol da Gamba was made in Italy until towards the end of the seventeenth century. This at last gave way to the Violoncello, which was not introduced until long after the smaller Italian Tenors had been in use. It seems to be clear that these were the instruments used by the Italians in their Churches and in their homes, and that they made but little use of the Gothic type of Viol, with the exception of the Viol da Gamba, which was common to the end of the seventeenth century in England, and probably later in France, Germany, and the Low Countries.
5In seeking for music published in Italy, early in the sixteenth century, relative to Viols, we have mention of a most interesting work, which serves to enlighten us upon the condition and character of these instruments. The book I refer to is that of Silvestro Ganassi on the art of playing the Viol, published at Venice in 1543. It is divided into two
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