Violone

thumb|right|240px|Some early [[double basses were conversions of existing violones. This 1640 painting shows a bass violone being played.]]

The term violone (; literally 'large viol', being the augmentative suffix) can refer to several distinct large, bowed musical instruments which belong to either the viol or violin family. The violone is sometimes a fretted instrument, and may have six, five, four, or even only three strings. The violone is also not always a contrabass instrument. In modern parlance, one usually tries to clarify the 'type' of violone by adding a qualifier based on the tuning (such as "G violone" or "D violone") or on geography (such as "Viennese violone"), or by using other terms that have a more precise connotation (such as "bass violin", "violoncello", or "bass viol"). The term violone may be used correctly to describe many different instruments, yet distinguishing among these types can be difficult, especially for those not familiar with the historical instruments of the viol and violin families and their respective variations in tuning.

Usage

In modern usage, the term most often refers to the double bass viol, During this 'early' period, the largest member of the violin family in common use was a cello-sized instrument, but quite often tuned a whole step lower than the modern cello (B₁–F₂–C₃–G₃). This is not to say that there were no larger sized violoni described in the violin family at that time, it's just that descriptions of those larger basses are fewer, and there are many different tunings possible. Also, at this early period, there was minimal need for an instrument that would function at 16′ doubling an 8′ bass line. Human-sized members of the violin family were at first used primarily for dramatic effect in operas (and other dramatic works), and later for similar dramatic effect in concerto grosso type 'orchestral' settings.

In contrast, large members of the viol family were much more common, and used from earliest times, playing their lines at 8′ pitch. There is much evidence to show that Renaissance viol consorts were made of many large-bodied instruments. Great bass viols (with both A and G tunings) are described in numerous treatises, and there is a lot of solo and chamber music that necessitates their use because of its low compass. Some of this music is extremely virtuosic in nature (the viola bastarda pieces by Vincenzo Bonizzi, for example, exploit a octave range). It's also clear that both women and men played instruments of this size – the preface to Bonizzi's 1626 collection is dedicated to the three daughters of his Ferrarese patron, for example, and there are also numerous paintings that depict women playing very large viol family instruments.

A technological advance occurred in the 1660s, centred in Bologna. This was the invention of wound ("overspun" or "overwound") strings. For bass instruments, this was important, because it meant one could now obtain good sounding low strings (that were not thick and rope-like in diameter) without having an excessively long string length. This was also when the term "violoncello" came into use, and the 'standard' cello tuning (C₂–G₂–D₃–A₃) became the norm. As well, a solo repertoire for the 'cello started to appear, and the 'cello started to replace the G violone or A violone as the preferred bowed basso continuo instrument (see articles by Stephen Bonta for more detailed information). These advances for the 'cello were likely the first seeds of decline for the G violone/A violone. However, it was also this time period that saw the growth of instrumental ensembles, and the beginning of a taste for 'concerti' and 'symphonies.'

For players and musical communities that had previously favoured G violoni/A violoni as their main bowed basses, once the cello took over the 8' role, the larger bodied G violini/A violoni could be used as 16′ doubling instruments, playing an octave below the cello-sized instruments. It is also from this time period (early 18th century) that most of the D violone tuning descriptions are documented. By this point, most of the other sized members of the viol family had died out (with the exception of the bass viol, which was cherished as a solo and chamber instrument). The largest members of the viol family (G and D violoni) were used in some regions even when other places had started to replace them with three- and four-string contrabasses/double basses. This may explain why the modern double bass to this day is so varied, and lacks a standard form, tuning or playing style. Professional bassists in orchestras have basses with flat backs, curved backs, sloping "shoulders" or rounded shoulders, and tunings including E₁–A₁–D₂–G₂ and less commonly "C₁–G₁–D₂–A₂. The modern double bass combines features of both the viol and violin families.

Terminology

When use of the word "violone" began in the early sixteenth century, "viola" simply meant a bowed, stringed instrument, and did not specify viol or violin. Historically "violone" has referred to any number of large fiddles, regardless of family. The term violone is sometimes used to refer to the modern double bass, but most often nowadays implies a period instrument. As a period instrument, it can refer to any of the different types that are described, above. "Violone" is also the name given to a non-imitative string-tone pipe organ stop, constructed of either metal or wood, and found in the pedal division at 16′ pitch (one octave below written pitch), or, more rarely, 32′ (2 octaves below written pitch).

Notes

References

External links

• Joëlle Morton's Great Bass Viol site
• Violone and Contrabass articles collected at www.GreatBassViol.com
• Viennese Tuning a site dedicated to the Classical Violone tradition and repertoire