Historical
outline of individual instruments
Strings
Violin
Early History before
1600
- In determining the
early history of the violin, terminology has been an issue. In some
languages, terms did not distinguish between the viol, rebec, and
violin.
- Illustrations from
the 15th century depict two types of bowed instruments: (1) a medieval
fiddle with five or more strings, and (2) a small pear-shaped rebec
with two or three strings. These instruments had a flat bridge or
no bridge at all, which suited non-polyphonic music.
- Around 1500 a consort
of instruments emerged that was based on the fiddle. This created
the violin family. Circumstantial evidence suggests that this occurred
in Ferrar, hometown of Isabella d’Este. Court documents of
Ferrara suggest the existence of a violin consort by 1511. The earliest
violin consorts probably had three-stringed instruments.
- Throughout the development
of both the violin and viol instrumental families was the association
of string instruments with noble qualities. Wind instruments, on
the other hand, were associated with lower-class characteristics.
- Soon after 1500, polyphonic
dance music developed. The development of higher arched bridges
on violins made it possible to play single musical lines within
a polyphonic texture.
- Around 1550 in Italy,
the classic shape and outline of the instrument became standard.
Instruments with four strings developed during the 16th and 17th
centuries.
17th century
- By 1600, violin consorts
fell out of favor in Italy. Instead, mixed ensembles became fashionable
in Italy, featuring the violin with entirely different instruments.
However, violin consorts remained popular in the courts of northern
Europe.
- Violins during the Baroque
period had certain characteristics: a short neck, wedge-shaped fingerboard,
short fingerboard, lower bridge, thin soundpost, and no chin rest.
The tone of the instrument was bright, clear, and not as loud as
modern instruments.
- Violin strings during
17th and 18th centuries were made of gut. However, metal strings
were known and used for a short time at the beginning of the Baroque
period.
- Musicians held the violin
against the torso in a variety of positions. Some musicians during
the Baroque era even held their instruments near the waist.
18th century
- Violins during the
Classical period had certain characteristics: larger soundpost and
bass-bar, longer neck and fingerboard, but still no standard chin
rest.
- By the late 18th century,
musicians more commonly held the violin by the chin, but it could
be on either side of the violin. Giovanni Battista Viotti was the
“father of modern violin playing”. He taught the founders
of the French violin school in Paris in 1782, which consequently
influenced violin playing.
- Around 1786, Tourte
created an exceptional bow, which became the standard for modern
bows. Viotti may have assisted Tourte in creating the modern bow.
19th century
- By 1800, the form of
the violin became standard, playing technique was established, and
most professional players held the violin under the chin.
- About 1820, Louis Spohr
invented the chin rest, which enabled players to keep their heads
more upright.
- By the early 19th century,
there was finally some agreement over how to hold the violin and
posture. The chin rest and holding position gave players more freedom
to move the left hand and to use the bow.
- Throughout the 19th
century, musicians played on gut strings for E and A, high-twist
gut for the D-string, and copper, silver-plated copper, or silver
wound around gut for the G-string. Steel strings gradually replaced
the gut E-string.
- Paganini and Pierre
Baillot established high technical standards during early 19th century.
Paganini introduced: artificial harmonics in double stopping, chromatic
slides, single trills, trills in double stopping, double trills,
and pseudo-harmonic effects.
- The different nationalistic
“schools of playing” became less distinct during the
19th century.
20th century
- Vibrato was used sparingly
up to the early 20th century as it was considered an added feature
in expressive playing. However, by the late 1920’s vibrato
became a standard approach in tone production.
- Other special effects
emerged during the 20th century, and composers required more positions
for pizzicato effects.
Orchestra-History
Early
History • Classical
period • Romantic
period • 20th
century to present
Repertoire
Classical
period • Romantic period
• 20th century to present
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