The viola d’amore ( or viol of love ) is a violin with a difference. Instead of the typical 4 chords as on the instrument, it can have away to 14 strings – seven bowed and seven that are’ friendly’ cords, i. e., they resonate but are not bent.
The 18th-century violin violet d’amore by Johannes Florentus Guidantus is soon apparent given the strange account of the piece, the use of flame openings rather than violin’s f openings, and the addition of additional strings.
Guidantus: Viola d’amore ( New York: Met Museum )
The friendly strings pass through the gate and under the neck, while the seven playing chords run across the top of the bridge. We can see how the two cords operate from the Guidantus instrument’s part perspective.
Guidantus: Viola d’amore – side view ( New York: Met Museum )
The pegbox’s best is typically a head, in keeping with the expressing ‘ designs.
Guidantus: Viola d’amore – head ( New York: Met Museum )
Vignali: viola d’amore with blindfolded head, 1911 ( Venice: Museo della musica )
J. U. Eberle: Viola d’amore with head, 1740 ( Jonathan Hill collection )
The instrument’s structure may also change. German violinists ‘ work is combined with several other tools in one. The system is a European violet d’amore, with the throat and pegbox of an older cello d’amore. The top of the pegbox is a lion-head. Around 1900, the device was created.
European violet d’amore with bear head, the 1900 ( New York: Met Museum )
This Giovanni Grancino viola d’amore from 1701 also has an unusual condition but the best standard instrument skim.
Grancino: viola d’amore, 1701 ( New York: Met Museum )
These strange instruments did not have friendly strings that were unique. Other Western devices, typically in the folk custom, had these, including the Finnish nyckelharpa and the Scandinavian hardanger violin. In India, the melody is the primary instrument with friendly strings.
Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle, 1786 ( New York: Met Museum )
What was the place of the more strings? They have a distinct sound that’s often described as having a’ silvery’ tone, and they resonate more than the regular bent strings, since they remain undisturbed. Artists including J. S. Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann, Haydn, and Locatelli all wrote for the equipment.
You may hear the echo effect in the viola d’amore’s playing in the beautiful background of the main musical line in this recording of music by the then unknown late-18th century composer Robert Gaswind.
Robert Ganswind: Viola d’amore Concerto in D Major – I. Tempo moderato ( Dorothea Jappe, viola d’amore, Capella Clementina, Helmut Müller-Brühl, cond. )
It’s an unusual sound and other composers, as mentioned above, adopted the instrument.
As expected, Vivaldi wrote a concerto for the viola d’amore.
Antonio Vivaldi: Viola d’amore Concerto in D Minor, RV 394 – III. Allegro ( Adrian Chandler, viola d’amore, La Serenissima, Adrian Chandler, cond. )
One in the modern day was Paul Hindemith, who wrote for the viola d’amore and piano in his Kleine Sonata, Op. 25, no. 2. Indemith was a violist, and in 1922 he discovered the viola d’amour, a rather amazing instrument that has since become quite inaccessible and for which there is only a small body of literature. The most exquisite sound you can imagine, unquestionably sweet and soft. Although it’s challenging to play, I play it with enthusiasm and the audience enjoys it.”
Hindemith and his viola d’amore
Paul Hindemith: Kleine Sonata, Op. 25, No. 2 – II. Sehr langsam ( Gunter Teuffel, viola d’amore, Anthony Spiri, piano )
Danish composer Poul Rovsing Olsen ( 1922–1982 ) picked up on the viola d’amore but combined its “gentle, ingratiating sound” with his own study of Oriental music. As a work for solo viola d’amore, the piece gives us the opportunity to appreciate all that the viola d’amore can do: its rich resonance, the silvery upper sound and the warm lower sound, all while being a violin-like instrument.
Poul Rovsing Olsen: Pour une viole d’amour, Op. 66 ( Anette Slaatto, viola d’amore )
It’s a strange sound that seems to transport us further into the world of strings than a violin or even viola can. The sympathetic strings’ resonating sound repeatedly echoes back and forth, making it sound like it’s in a mirror world.
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