Viola d’amore in the 17th and 18th centuries, part 2
Journal Title: Notes Muzyczny - Year 2016, Vol 1, Issue 5
Abstract
Viola d’amore – an instrument with sympathetic strings which obtained its final shape in the 18th century – is a string chordophone with structure features similar to the soprano or alto type of viola da gamba. Subsequent parts of the article present and describe the separate characteristic elements of the viola d’amore, such as: soundbox, sound holes, rosette, bridge, tailpiece, peg box and the ways of sympathetic strings attachment. The most distinguishable feature of the viola d’amore among other bowed string instruments is the large number of strings and the fact that the instrument did not have one fixed tuning in the 17th and 18th centuries. The 18th century abounded in the ways of tuning of the viola d’amore. The main rules for tuning adjustment were matching it to the key of a piece and a choosing a way of tuning allowing for all the chords written in the score to be played. The most popular way of tuning in the first half of the 18th century was tuning the instrument for D Major or D Minor chord, however, in treatises, playing schools and instrument literature from that period appear a lot of other, justified ways of tuning, which are briefly described in the article. The viola d’amore was quite popular at the end of the 17th century and throughout the whole of the following one. Around 500 works for that instrument have been preserved until our times and there are also unknown and forgotten pieces which are still being uncovered in libraries. The literature for the viola d’amore can be divided into six main groups: playing schools and treatises, pieces for solo viola d’amore, pieces for viola d’amore and basso continuo, chamber works, concertos and arias with viola d’amore as the instrument concertante. An important aspect referring to the literature for the viola d’amore were the very varied types of notation. There were numerous ways of notation in pieces for the differently tuned viola d’amore. While describing the works for the viola d’amore written by three selected composers, the author presents three different ways of notation they used.<br/><br/>
Authors and Affiliations
Katarzyna Litwiniuk
Keywords
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