Violin History It is currently believed that the violin originated from the region currently known as Italy in the early 1500s. It evolved from the fiddle and rebec, both of which were bowed string instruments from the Medieval period. The violin also emerged from the lira da braccio, a violin-like instrument of the Renaissance period. The viol, which came before the violin, is also closely related. The violin was first developed by Andrea Amati. Amati initially apprenticed as a lute maker and in 1525, he became a master instrument maker. The Italians rapidly developed the concept and the earliest famous violin makers were Gasparo da Salò and Giovanni Maggini, who were both Italians. However, it is during the 17th and 18th centuries that the art of supreme violin manufacture reached its zenith with Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri, as well as the Austrian Jacob Stainer, being the most prolific during this period. It is interesting to note that Stradivari was an apprentice to Nicolo Amati, Andrea Amati"s grandson. The earliest form of the violin is very different from that of today as their necks were was shorter, thicker and less angled. The fingerboard was also shorter, the bridge was flatter and the strings were made of gut. When it was first introduced, the violin was not considered to be a popular instrument. In fact, on the contrary, it was considered to be an instrument of very low status and not highly regarded at all. Nevertheless, during the 19th Century, such famous and established composers such as Claudio Monteverdi began to incorporate the violin in his operas, and, thus the violin"s status began to improve rapidly. The violin"s increasing prestige continued to rise dramatically during the Baroque period and was made even more notable by such celebrated figures Antonio Vivaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach. It was only in the mid-18th century that the violin began to enjoy an increasingly important place in orchestras and other such instrumental music ensembles. In the 19th century, the violin"s meteoric rise from obscurity continued through the music of virtuoso violinists such as Nicolò Paganini and Pablo de Sarasate. In the 20th century, the violin reached new heights both in technical and artistic aspects. Isaac Stern and Fritz Kreisler are some of the well-known icons of this time. Truly, the violin has come a long way. |
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