Viola d'Amore from the mid eighteenth century (Library of Congress collection)

The viola d'amore (Italian: love viol) is a 7- or 6-stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Viola dAmore, mid eighteenth century; and Viola da Gamba, early eighteenth century. ... Viola dAmore, mid eighteenth century; and Viola da Gamba, early eighteenth century. ... Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) The viol or viola da gamba is a family of musical instruments and is related to and descending from the vihuela and rebec. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Sympathetic strings are strings on musical instruments which begin resonating, not due to any external influence such as picking or bowing, but due to another note (or frequency). ... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 to 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ... A violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ...

Structure and sound

The viola d'amore shares many features of the viol family. Like viols, it has a flat back and intricately carved head at the top of the peg box, but unlike viols, it is unfretted, and played much like a violin, being held horizontally under the chin. It is about the same size as the modern viola. Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) The viol or viola da gamba is a family of musical instruments and is related to and descending from the vihuela and rebec. ... A violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ... The viola (in French, alto; in German bratsche) is a stringed musical instrument played with a bow which serves as the middle voice of the violin family, between the upper lines played by the higher violin (soprano register) and the lower lines played by the deeper cello (bass) and double...

The viola d'amore usually seven playing strings, which are sounded by drawing a bow across them, just as with a violin. In addition, it has seven sympathetic strings located below the main strings and the fingerboard which are not played directly but vibrate in sympathy with the notes played. A common variation is six playing strings, and instruments exist with as many as fourteen sympathetic strings alone. Despite the fact that the sympathetic strings are now thought of as the most characteristic element of the instrument, it is thought that some early examples may have lacked them. Sympathetic strings are strings on musical instruments which begin resonating, not due to any external influence such as picking or bowing, but due to another note (or frequency). ... The fingerboard, also known as a fretboard, is a part of most stringed instruments. ...

Largely thanks to the sympathetic strings, the viola d'amore has a particularly sweet and warm sound. [Leopold Mozart]], writing in his Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule, said that the instrument sounded "especially charming in the stillness of the evening."

Range

Image File history File links Range_viola_damore. ...

The viola d'amore was normally tuned specifically for the piece it was to play - cf. scordatura. Towards the end of the 18th century the standard tuning became: A, d, a, d', f#', a', d'' A scordatura (literally Italian for mistuning) is an alternate tuning used for the open strings of a string instrument. ...

Viola d'Amore from 1760

Image File history File links Viola damore 1760 Paris, viole damour description: Viola damore source: private photographer: User:Frinck51 date: 31 Jan 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Viola damore Categories: Music images ... Image File history File links Viola damore 1760 Paris, viole damour description: Viola damore source: private photographer: User:Frinck51 date: 31 Jan 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Viola damore Categories: Music images ...

Use

The instrument was especially popular in the late 17th century, although a specialised viola d'amore player would have been highly unusual, since it was customary for professional musicians to play a number of instruments, especially within the family of the musician's main instrument. Later, the instrument fell from use, as the volume and power of the violin family became preferred over the delicacy and sweetness of the viol family. However, there has been renewed interest in the viola d'amore in the last century. The viola players Henri Casadesus and Paul Hindemith both played the viola d'amore in the early 20th century, and the film composer Bernard Herrmann made use of it in several scores. It may be noted that, like instruments of the violin family, the modern viola d'amore was altered slightly in structure from the baroque version. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The Violin family of instruments was developed in Italy in the 17th Century. ... Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) The viol or viola da gamba is a family of musical instruments and is related to and descending from the vihuela and rebec. ... Henri Casadesus (September 30, 1879 – May 31, 1947) was a violist and music publisher who founded the Society of Ancient Instruments with Camille Saint Saens in 1901. ... Paul Hindemith (November 16, 1895 – December 28, 1963) was a German composer, violist, teacher, theorist and conductor. ... Bernard Herrmann (June 29, 1911 – December 24, 1975) was a composer who is generally regarded today as one of the greatest of all film composers. ...

The viola d'amore can regularly be heard today in musical ensembles that specialise in historically accurate performances of Baroque music on authentic instruments. A musical ensemble is a group of three or more musicians who gather to perform music. ... The authentic performance movement is an effort on the part of musicians and scholars to perform works of classical music in ways similar to how they were performed when they were originally written. ... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 to 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ...

Some works from the baroque period

• Heinrich Biber: Harmonia artificiosa - ariosa
• Antonio Vivaldi: five concertos (one for viola d'amore and lute)
• Johann Sebastian Bach: used in aria no.19 of the Johannes Passion and in some cantatas
• Jean-Marie Leclair : trio sonata for flute, viola d'amore and continuo
• Attilio Ariosti : some divertissements, used also in cantatas
• Joseph Haydn : divertimento for viola d'amore, violin and violoncello
• Karl Stamitz : three concertos, some sonatas and a quartet.
• Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto in E major for flute, oboe d'amore, viola d'amore, strings and continuo
• Carl Stamitz: 3 solo concertos and a sonata in D major for viola d'amore and violin or viola.

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (August 12, 1644 – May 3, 1704) was a Bohemian composer and violinist. ... Unconfirmed portrait of Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678, Venice – July 28 (or 27), 1741, Vienna), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso (The Red Priest), was an Italian priest and baroque music composer. ... In classical music, the word concerto (pl. ... The lute is a plucked string instrument with a fretted neck and a deep round back. ... Bach redirects here. ... This article is about the musical term aria. ... Several composers have written St. ... Cantata (Italian for a song or story set to music), a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ... Jean-Marie Leclair (Lyon May 10, 1697 - Paris October 22, 1764) was a Baroque composer who studied the violin in Turin and returned to Paris in 1723, where he played at the Concerts Spirituelles, the main semi-public music series. ... Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervallic content (the intervals which make up a sonority), later chords, in relation to a bass note. ... Divertimento is a music genre, with most of its examples stemming from the 18th century. ... It has been suggested that Papa Haydn be merged into this article or section. ... A violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ... Alternate meaning: Cello web browser A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The cello (also violoncello or cello) is a stringed instrument and part of the violin family. ... Karel Stamic (May 7, 1745 - November 9, 1801), who took the German form of his name Karl Stamitz and is now better known as Carl, was a Bohemian composer. ... Georg Philipp Telemann (March 14, 1681 – June 25, 1767) was a German Baroque music composer, born in Magdeburg. ... Baroque oboe damore, Denner copy The oboe damore is a woodwind instrument. ... Karel Stamic (May 7, 1745 - November 9, 1801), who took the German form of his name Karl Stamitz and is now better known as Carl, was a Bohemian composer. ...

Some modern works

• Henri Casadesus (1879-1947) : Concerto for viola d'amore and strings
• Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) : Small sonata for viola d'amore
• Frank Martin (1890-1974) : Sonata da chiesa for viola d'amore and organ

The viola d'amore is also used in: Henri Casadesus (September 30, 1879 – May 31, 1947) was a violist and music publisher who founded the Society of Ancient Instruments with Camille Saint Saens in 1901. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Paul Hindemith (November 16, 1895 – December 28, 1963) was a German composer, violist, teacher, theorist and conductor. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Frank Martin (September 15, 1890 – November 21, 1974) was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands, but always remained famous in Switzerland. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Sonata da Chiesa is Italian for church sonata. Sonatas are instrumental compositions of three or more movements. ... The organ of Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England. ...

• 'Les Huguenots' by Giacomo Meyerbeer (1836)
• 'Le jongleur de Notre-Dame' by Jules Massenet (1901)
• 'Madame Butterfly' by Giacomo Puccini (1904)
• 'Palestrina' by Hans Pfitzner (1912)
• 'Katya Kabanova' by Leoš Janáček (1919) - the viola d'amore represents the title character.

Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (September 5, 1791 – May 2, 1864) was a noted opera composer, and the first great exponent of Grand Opera. ... Jules (Émile Frédéric) Massenet (May 12, 1842 - August 13, 1912) was a French composer. ... Madama Butterfly (or sometimes Madame Butterfly in English) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set in Japan. ... Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) is regarded as one of the great operatic composers of the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Hans Pfitzner (May 5, 1869 - May 22, 1949) was a German composer and self-described anti-modernist. ... Katyá Kabanová is an opera by Leoš Janáček , first produced in Brno on 23 November 1921. ... LeoÅ¡ Janáček in 1928 LeoÅ¡ Janáček â–¶ (help· info) (July 3, 1854 in Hukvaldy, Moravia – August 12, 1928 in Ostrava) was a Czech composer. ...

External Links

• viola d'amore.com - The hidden world of the viola d'amore
• viola d'amore society of America
• Orpheon Foundation, Vienna, Austria - Collection of historical instruments. Website includes pictures and details of some violas d'amore