Scan 321
The violin: its famous makers and their imitators, 1875
6 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. Printed page 259. See the scan on archive.org.
1Venice and Ferrara. At the latter place the Duke of Ferrara maintained a great number of musicians in his service. At this period there were no concerts of a public character, they were given in the palaces of the wealthy, and the performers were chiefly those belonging to their private bands.
3The opera, in which instruments were used to accompany the voice, began to be put upon the stage of the public theatres in Italy about the year 1600. The first opera ever printed with music is said to have been "L'Orfeo de Montferde," represented at Mantua in 1607. The orchestral accompaniment for the opera in those times differed essentially from the rôle of modern days. Particular instruments were selected to accompany each character; for instance, ten Treble Viols to accompany Eurydice, two Bass Viols to Orpheus, and so on. No mention is made of Violins further than that two small Violins (duoi Violini piccoli alla Francese) are to accompany the character of Hope, from which it is inferred that a band of Violins was not much later. At this period, masses for voices with accompaniments for Violins, written by Bassani, Carissimi, and others, were performed in the Italian churches.
5In the "Harmonie Universelle" of Mersennus, published in 1636, mention is made of the king's band of 24 Violins. These were not of one size, but consisted of Treble, Tenor, and Bass Violins, and the Tenors being of three sizes. The music played at this time did not extend beyond the
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