Baroque stringed instrument makers2/14/2024 ![]() It has been widely held, for example, that eighteenth-century bowed instruments, and especially the violin, had a thin, nasal sound – in marked contrast, therefore, with that of our own century, with its dominance of metal strings: this was generally attributed to the preference of early musicians to string their instruments much more lightly than is done today in ordinary practice (3). For at least a decade researchers (1) have begun to realize that a too fast interpretations of the original sources in certain important violin methods dating from the first half of the present century - as, for example, that of Carl Flesch (2) - have had a bad influence on those who first began to pose the problem of how best to recover past musical repertories, in accordance with the strictest principles of authenticity Viola d'amores are not strictly part of the viol family, but have a lot in common with them in terms of tone and construction. In addition to these instruments the Bate Collection also holds a 5-stringed quinton.On matters concerning strings and the criteria of stringing bowed instruments from the beginning of the eighteenth to the end of the nineteenth century, the systematic study of recently acquired material has produced some remarkable surprises, that are particularly revealing if compared to the stringing techniques currently used by the early music specialists. There are also viola d'amores on display here. The Bate Collection has a German example from 19th century along with instruments from the 20th century. Bass viola da gambas continued to be popular as a solo instrument into the 18th century. Viols usually had 6 gut strings, were fretted and were positioned and played between the legs, a bit like a modern cello. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the viol was much more important, and English composers such as Byrd and Purcell composed for consorts of them. ![]() Originally, the violin family was not regarded as the most prestigious of the bowed stringed instruments. The violin was gradually developed over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries: it did not gain its classic outline until around 1550 and a fourth string was not added until later. During the 11th and 12 centuries the lira, along with the Islamic rebab, spread throughout Europe. The earliest evidence for bowed string instruments in Europe is the lira of the 9th century Byzantine Empire. The violin by Robert Thompson has a later carved capital thought to represent Georgina Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. The body shape differed considerably from the 'classic' style. Among the instruments is a violin that has been crafted from the material remains of an earlier viola d'amore. The instruments in the Bate Collection have been 'set up' to reflect the style of instrument being used during the 18th century and can be used to form a baroque string quartet. The violin design we are aware of today is derived from the types of instruments being made in the Cremonese workshops of the great Italian makers. The bowed string instruments of the violin family, which include violins, violas and cellos and other types of string instruments such as viols. The violin design we are aware of today is derived from the types of bowed string instruments such as viols. ![]() These instruments were played together in groups and were known as consorts. The violin and viol families were created during the renaissance. It is probably French and dates to the early 19th century and is an example of the Spanish guitar type, from which our modern guitar is ultimately derived. The guitar was cheaper to make and easier to play than the lute and so appealed to far more people. The Bate Collection houses a highly decorated guitar. The English guitar on display is typical of the late 18th century, by which time the lute had fallen out of popularity. This type of instrument originated from the Arabic oud (meaning 'wood'), which was introduced to Europe via the Moors in the Medieval period. Many of the plucked string instruments on display can be traced back to the lute.
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