The violin is an instrument that has colossal influence to music. It was widely used in classical works, where its flowing, gentle sound came in very handy. Folk art I also noticed this beautiful instrument, although it appeared not so long ago, it managed to take its place in ethnic music. The violin is compared to the human voice, as its sound is fluid and varied. Its shape resembles a female silhouette, which makes this instrument alive and animated. Today, not everyone has a good idea of what a violin is. Let's fix this unfortunate situation.
The history of the violin
The violin owes its appearance to many ethnic instruments, each of which had its own influence on it. Among them are the British mole, the Armenian bambir and the Arabian rebab. The design of the violin is by no means new; many eastern peoples have been using similar instruments for centuries, performing folk music on them to this day. The viol acquired its current form in the 16th century, when its production was put on stream and great masters began to appear creating unique instruments. There were especially many such craftsmen in Italy, where the tradition of creating violins is still alive.
Since the 17th century, violin playing began to acquire modern form. It was then that compositions appeared that are considered to be the first works written specifically for this delicate instrument. This is Romanesca per violino solo e basso, composed by Biagio Marini and Capriccio stravagante, composed by Carlo Farina. In subsequent years, violin masters began to appear like mushrooms after rain. Italy especially distinguished itself in this regard, which gave birth to greatest number
How does a violin work?
The violin got its soft and deep sound thanks to its unique design. There are 3 main parts in it - the head, neck and body. The combination of these parts allows the instrument to produce those mesmerizing sounds that brought it worldwide fame. The largest part of the violin is the body, onto which all other parts are attached. It consists of two decks connected by shells. Soundboards are made from different types of wood to achieve the purest and most beautiful sound. Top part Most often it is made from spruce, and poplar is used for the bottom.
When playing the violin, the soundboard resonates with the rest of the instrument, creating sound. In order for it to be lively and ringing, it is made as thin as possible. On expensive craftsman violins, the thickness of the top soundboard can be only a couple of millimeters. The back is usually thicker and stronger than the top, and the wood from which it is made is selected to match the sides that join the two soundboards together.
Shells and darling
The shells are the sides of the violin located between the top and bottom decks. They are made from the same material as the back deck. Moreover, wood from the same tree is often used for these parts, carefully selected for texture and pattern. This structure is held in place not only by glue, but also by small blocks that increase its strength. They are called clots and are located inside the body. There is also a bass beam located inside, which transmits vibrations to the body and gives additional rigidity to the top deck.
On the body of the violin there are two cutouts in the form of the Latin letter f, which are called f-holes. Not far from the right cutout is one of the most important parts of the instrument - the choker. This is a small wooden beam that serves as a spacer between the top and bottom decks and transmits vibration. The darling got its name from the word “soul,” which hints at the importance of this small detail. The masters noticed that the position, size and material of the headstock seriously affect the sound of the instrument. Therefore, only an experienced violin maker can position this small but important part of the body correctly.
Tailpiece
A story about a violin and its design would be incomplete without mentioning such an important element as the tailpiece, or neck. Previously, it was carved from wood, but today plastic is increasingly used for these purposes. It is the tailpiece that secures the strings at the desired height. There are also sometimes machines on it that make setting up the instrument much easier. Before their appearance, the violin was tuned exclusively with pegs, with the help of which it is very difficult to make precise tuning.
The underneck is held on by a button inserted into a hole on the body on the side opposite the neck. This design is constantly under severe stress, so the hole must fit perfectly into the button. Otherwise, the shell may crack, turning the violin into a useless piece of wood.
Vulture
The neck of the violin is glued to the front of the body, under which the musician’s hand is located while playing. The neck is attached to the neck - a rounded surface made of hard wood or plastic, against which the strings are pressed. Its shape is designed so that the strings do not interfere with each other when playing. In this matter, he is helped by a stand that raises the strings above the fingerboard. The stand has slots for strings, which you can make yourself, to your taste, since new stands are sold without slots.
There are also grooves for strings on the nut. It is located at the very end of the neck and separates the strings from each other before they enter the tuning box. It contains pegs that serve as the main tool. They are simply inserted into wooden holes and are not secured by anything. Thanks to this, the musician can adjust the stroke of the pegs to suit his needs. You can make them tight and unyielding by applying gentle pressure while adjusting. Or, on the contrary, remove the pegs so that they move easier, but hold the tune less well.
Strings
What is a violin without strings? A beautiful but useless piece of wood, good only for driving nails. Strings are a very important part of the instrument, since its sound largely depends on them. The role of the material from which this small but significant part of the violin is made is especially important. Like everything in our world, strings are developing and absorbing the best gifts of the technogenic era. However, their original material can hardly be called high-tech.
Oddly enough, but sheep intestines are what the ancient musical violin. They were dried, processed and tightly twisted to later become a string. The craftsmen managed to keep the material used in the production of strings secret for a long time. Products made from sheep intestines gave very soft sound, but they wore out quickly and required frequent adjustments. Today you can also find similar strings, but modern materials are much more popular.
Modern strings
Today, sheep guts are at the complete disposal of their owners, since gut strings are used quite rarely. They were replaced by high-tech metal and synthetic products. Synthetic strings sound close to their gut predecessors. They also have a rather soft and warm sound, but do not have the disadvantages that their natural “colleagues” have.
Another type of strings is steel, which are made from all kinds of non-ferrous and precious metals, but most often from their alloys. They sound bright and loud, but lose in softness and depth. These strings are suitable for many classical works, which require purity and brightness of sound. They also stay in tune for a long time and are quite durable.
Violin. Long haul
Behind long years Since its existence, the violin has become popular throughout the planet. She especially glorified this wonderful instrument classical music. The violin can brighten up any work; many composers gave it a leading role in their masterpieces. Everyone is familiar with Immortals or Vivaldi, in which a lot of attention was paid to this luxurious instrument. But over time, the violin became a relic of the past, the preserve of a narrow circle of connoisseurs or musicians. Electronic sound has displaced this instrument from popular music. The smooth flowing sounds are gone, giving way to a cheerful and primitive beat.
Fresh notes for the violin were usually written only to accompany films; new songs for this instrument appeared only among folklore performers, but their sound was rather monotonous. Fortunately, in last years there have been many groups performing modern music featuring violin. The audience was tired of the monotonous love howls of another pop star, opening their hearts to deep instrumental music.
Fox Violin
A funny story places a violin in a song by a famous musician - Igor Sarukhanov. One day he wrote a composition that he planned to call “The Creak of the Wheel.” However, the work turned out to be very figurative and vague. Therefore, the author decided to call it consonant words, which was supposed to emphasize the atmosphere of the song. There are still fierce battles on the Internet over the name of this composition. But what does the author of the song, Igor Sarukhanov, say about this? Violin Fox is the real title of the song, according to the musician. Whether it is irony or an interesting idea based on a play on words is known only to the resourceful performer himself.
Is it worth learning to play the violin?
I am sure that many people want to master this wonderful tool, but abandon this idea without ever starting to bring it to life. For some reason, it is believed that learning to play the violin is a very difficult process. After all, there are no frets on it, and even this bow, which should become an extension of the hand. Of course, it is easier to start learning music with a guitar or piano, but mastering the art of playing the violin is more difficult only at first. But then, when the basic skills are firmly mastered, the learning process becomes approximately the same as on any other instrument. The violin develops hearing well, since it has no frets. It will become good help in further music studies.
If you already know what a violin is and have firmly decided to master this instrument, then it is important to know that there are different sizes. For children, small models are selected - 3/4 or 2/4. For an adult, a standard violin is required - 4/4. Naturally, you need to start classes under the supervision of an experienced mentor, since it is very difficult to learn on your own. For those who want to try their luck in mastering this instrument on their own, many textbooks have been created to suit every taste.
Unique musical instrument
Today you learned what a violin is. It turns out that it is not an archaic relic of the past on which only classics can be performed. There are more and more violinists; many groups have begun to use this instrument in their work. The violin is found in many literary works, especially children's. For example, “Fenina’s Violin” by Kuznetsov, loved by many children and even their parents. A good violinist can play in any musical genre, from heavy metal to pop music. We can safely say that the violin will exist as long as there is music.
The violin consists of two main parts: the body and the neck, along which the strings are stretched.
The body of the violin has a specific round shape. In contrast to the classic body shape, the trapezoidal parallelogram shape is mathematically optimal with rounded recesses on the sides forming the “waist”. The roundness of the external contours and waist lines ensures comfortable play, particularly in high positions. The lower and upper planes of the body - the deck - are connected to each other by strips of wood - shells. They have a convex shape, forming “arches”. The geometry of the vaults, as well as their thickness and its distribution, to one degree or another, determine the strength and timbre of the sound. A damper is placed inside the case, transmitting vibrations from the stand - through the upper deck - to the lower deck. Without it, the violin's timbre loses its liveliness and fullness.
The strength and timbre of a violin's sound is greatly influenced by the material from which it is made, and, to a lesser extent, by the composition of the varnish. There is a known experiment with the complete chemical removal of varnish from a Stradivarius violin, after which its sound did not change. The varnish protects the violin from changes in the quality of the wood under the influence of the environment and paints the violin with a transparent color from light golden to dark red or brown.
The back (musical term) is made from solid maple (other hardwoods), or from two symmetrical halves.
The top is made of resonant spruce. It has two resonator holes - f-holes (in shape they resemble the Latin letter f). A stand rests on the middle of the top soundboard, on which the strings, attached to the tailpiece (underneck), rest. Under the foot of the stand on the side of the Sol string, a single spring is attached to the upper soundboard - a longitudinally located wooden plank, which largely ensures the strength of the upper soundboard and its resonant properties.
The shells combine the lower and upper soundboards, forming the side surface of the violin body. Their height determines the volume and timbre of the violin, fundamentally affecting the sound quality: the higher the shells, the duller and softer the sound, the lower the shells, the more piercing and transparent the upper notes. The shells are made, like the soundboards, from maple wood.
Dushka is a round spacer made of spruce wood that mechanically connects the soundboards and transmits string tension and high-frequency vibrations to the lower soundboard. Its ideal location is determined experimentally; as a rule, the end of the choker is located under the foot of the stand on the side of the E string, or next to it. The earpiece can only be rearranged by the master, since its slightest movement significantly affects the sound of the instrument.
The neck, or tailpiece, is used to secure the strings. Previously made from hard ebony or mahogany (usually ebony or rosewood, respectively). Nowadays it is often made from plastics or light alloys. On one side of the neck there is a loop, on the other there are four holes with slots for attaching strings. The end of the string with the button (E and A) is threaded into the round hole, after which, by pulling the string towards the fingerboard, it is pressed into the slot. D and G strings are often secured in the neck with a loop going through the hole. Nowadays, lever-screw machines are often installed in the holes of the neck, making adjustments much easier. Arms made of light alloys with structurally integrated machines are produced commercially.
A loop made of thick string or steel wire. When replacing a vein loop with a larger diameter than 2.2 mm with a synthetic one (diameter 2.2 mm), it is necessary to wedge the wedge and re-drill a hole with a diameter of 2.2, otherwise the point pressure of the synthetic string may damage the wooden neck.
Button - the head of a wooden peg, inserted into a hole in the body, located on the side opposite the fingerboard, serves to fasten the underneck. The wedge is inserted into a conical hole corresponding to its size and shape, completely and tightly, otherwise the wedge and shell may crack. The load on the button is very high, about 24 kg.
The bridge affects the timbre of the instrument. It has been experimentally established that even a small shift of the stand leads to a significant change in the tuning of the instrument due to a change in the scale length and to a slight change in timbre - when moving towards the neck the sound is duller, while from there it is brighter. The stand raises the strings above the top soundboard to different heights so that each of them can be played with a bow, and distributes them at a greater distance from one another on an arc of a larger radius than the top saddle.
The most important part of a modern symphony orchestra. Perhaps no other instrument has such a combination of beauty, expressiveness of sound and technical agility.
In an orchestra, the violin performs various and multifaceted functions. Very often, due to their exceptional melodiousness, violins are used for melodic “singing”, to convey the main musical idea. The magnificent melodic capabilities of violins were discovered by composers long ago, and were firmly established in this role already among the classics of the 18th century.
Violin names in other languages:
- violino(Italian);
- violon(French);
- violine or geige(German);
- violin or fiddle(English).
The most famous violin makers include such personalities as Antonio Stradivari, Niccolo Amati And Giuseppe Guarneri.
Origin, history of the violin
It has folk origin. The ancestors of the violin were Arabic, Spanish fidel, German company, the merger of which formed.
The shapes of the violin have settled to XVI century. Famous violin makers, the Amati family, date back to this century and the beginning of the 17th century. Their instruments are beautifully shaped and made of excellent materials. In general, Italy was famous for the production of violins, among which Stradivarius and Guarneri violins are currently extremely highly valued.
The violin has been a solo instrument since the 17th century. The first works for violin are considered to be: “Romanesca per violino solo e basso” by Marini from Brescia (1620) and “Capriccio stravagante” by his contemporary Farina. A. Corelli is considered the founder of artistic violin playing; followed by Torelli, Tartini, Pietro Locatelli (1693-1764), a student of Corelli, who developed a bravura technique of violin playing.
The violin acquired its modern appearance in the 16th century and became widespread in the 17th century.
Violin structure
The violin has four strings tuned in fifths: g, d,a,e (small octave G, D, A of the first octave, E of the second octave).
Violin range from g (S of the small octave) to a (A of the fourth octave) and higher.
Violin tone thick in the low register, soft in the middle and brilliant in the upper register.
Violin body It has an oval shape with rounded notches on the sides forming a “waist”. The roundness of the external contours and waist lines ensures comfortable playing, particularly in high registers.
Upper and lower body decks connected to each other by shells. The back is made of maple, and the top is made of Tyrolean spruce. They both have a convex shape, forming “arches”. The geometry of the vaults, as well as their thickness, to one degree or another determine the strength and timbre of the sound.
Another important factor affecting the timbre of a violin is the height of the sides.
Two resonator holes are made in the upper soundboard - f-holes (in shape they resemble the Latin letter f).
In the middle of the top soundboard there is a stand through which the strings pass, attached to the tailpiece (underneck). Tailpiece It is a strip of ebony that widens towards the strings. Its opposite end is narrow, with a thick vein string in the form of a loop, it is connected to a button located on the shell. Stand also affects the timbre of the instrument. It has been experimentally established that even a small shift of the stand leads to a significant change in timbre (when shifted downwards, the sound is duller, upwards - more shrill).
Inside the body of the violin, between the upper and lower soundboards, a round pin made of resonant spruce is inserted - dushka (from the word “soul”). This part transmits vibrations from the top to the bottom, providing resonance.
Violin neck- a long plate made of ebony or plastic. The lower part of the neck is attached to a rounded and polished bar, the so-called neck. Also, the strength and timbre of the sound of bowed instruments is greatly influenced by the material from which they are made and the composition of the varnish.
Violin playing technique, techniques
The strings are pressed with four fingers of the left hand to the fingerboard ( thumb excluded). The strings are drawn with a bow held in the player's right hand.
Pressing the finger against the fingerboard shortens the string, thereby increasing the pitch of the string. Strings that are not pressed with a finger are called open and are designated zero.
Violin part written in treble clef.
Violin range- from G of the small octave to the fourth octave. Higher sounds are difficult.
From half-pressing the strings in certain places, harmonics. Some harmonic sounds go further in pitch than the violin range indicated above.
Putting the fingers of the left hand is called fingering. Forefinger The hands are called first, the middle finger is called second, the ring finger is called third, and the little finger is called fourth. Position is called the fingering of four adjacent fingers, spaced one tone or semitone apart. Each string can have seven or more positions. The higher the position, the more difficult it is. On each string, excluding fifths, they go mainly only up to the fifth position inclusive; but on the fifth or first string, and sometimes on the second, higher positions are used - from the sixth to the twelfth.
Methods of bowing have a great influence on the character, strength, timbre of the sound, and indeed on phrasing in general.
On a violin, you can normally play two notes simultaneously on adjacent strings ( double strings), in exceptional cases - three (strong bow pressure is required), and not simultaneously, but very quickly - three ( triple strings) and four. Such combinations, predominantly harmonic, are easier to perform with empty strings and more difficult without them and are usually used in solo works.
The orchestral technique is very common tremolo- rapid alternation of two sounds or repetition of the same sound, creating the effect of trembling, trembling, flickering.
Reception Kol Leno(col legno), meaning the blow of the bow shaft on the string, causes a knocking, deathly sound, which is also used with great success by composers in symphonic music.
In addition to playing with a bow, they use one of their fingers to touch the strings. right hand - pizzicato(pizzicato).
To weaken or muffle the sound use mute- a metal, rubber, rubber, bone or wooden plate with recesses in the lower part for strings, which is attached to the top of the stand or filly.
It is easier to play the violin in those keys that allow the greatest use of empty strings. The most convenient passages are those that are composed of scales or their parts, as well as arpeggios of natural keys.
It is difficult to become a violinist in adulthood (but possible!), since finger sensitivity and muscle memory are very important for these musicians. The sensitivity of an adult's fingers is much less than that of a young person, and muscle memory takes longer to develop. It is best to learn to play the violin from the age of five, six or seven, perhaps even from an earlier age.
Famous violinists
- Arcangelo Corelli
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Giuseppe Tartini
- Jean-Marie Leclerc
- Giovanni Batista Viotti
- Ivan Evstafievich Khandoshkin
- Niccolo Paganini
- Ludwig Spohr
- Charles-Auguste Beriot
- Henri Vietang
- Alexey Fedorovich Lvov
- Henryk Wieniawski
- Pablo Sarasate
- Ferdinand Laub
- Joseph Joachim
- Leopold Auer
- Eugene Ysaye
- Fritz Kreisler
- Jacques Thibault
- Oleg Kagan
- George Enescu
- Miron Polyakin
- Mikhail Erdenko
- Jascha Heifetz
- David Oistrakh
- Yehudi Menuhin
- Leonid Kogan
- Henrik Schering
- Yulian Sitkovetsky
- Mikhail Vaiman
- Victor Tretyakov
- Gidon Kremer
- Maxim Vengerov
- Janos Bihari
- Andrew Manze
- Pinchas Zuckerman
- Itzhak Perlman
Video: Violin on video + sound
Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the instrument, watch a real game on it, listen to its sound, and feel the specifics of the technique:
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Happy is the home where the singing of the violin guides us on the path
and gives us hope, the rest is somehow.
Happy is the instrument pressed to the angular shoulder,
by whose blessing am I flying across the sky...
It is difficult to meet in our time a person who has no idea about the violin - the main musical instrument belonging to the bow family. The violin is one of the most noble, widespread and perfect musical instruments of our time. The Queen of Music - this is how they most aptly characterize this amazing sounding beauty. musical instrument. Enormous performing capabilities, richness, expressiveness and warmth of its timbre have ensured this instrument, together with its relatives - viola, cello and double bass, has a leading position in symphony orchestras, in various kinds of ensembles, in solo performing practice and in folk musical life.
History of the violin
Information on the history of bowed musical instruments is not very rich and detailed, as we would like. From the history of India, Iran and other countries, one can glean some information about the existence of these instruments over two thousand years ago. It can be assumed that the first bowed instruments appeared precisely among eastern peoples.
The oldest bowed instrument, apparently, was the ravanostron. It consisted of an empty cylinder made of mulberry wood, one side of which was covered with the skin of a broad-scaled water boa constrictor. A stick attached to this body serves as a neck and a neck; holes are made at the upper end of the stick for two pegs. The strings were made from gazelle intestines, and the bow was made of bamboo wood, bent in an arc, and was equipped with hair. The sound of the ravanostron is weak, dull, but pleasant. According to legend, Ravanostron was invented by Ravana, the king of Ceylon, 5000 BC. e. Ravanostron has been preserved to this day by the wandering priests of the Buddha.
The following ancient bowed instruments include the rebab. The rebab (rebab, rebek) had a body made of four wooden plates making up a frame on which two pieces of parchment were stretched, forming the lower and upper decks. The neck has the shape of a cylinder and, together with the head, forms one whole. The leg is an iron rod attached to the fingerboard, which runs through the entire instrument and serves as a support during playing. In the 9th century, writings on the music of the Middle Ages mention the bowed musical instrument lyre - a one-stringed instrument with a stand, a fingerboard and horseshoe-shaped holes in a wooden soundboard (this is not the lyre that is usually depicted in ancient greek mythology). 
In the XIII-XIV centuries, another type of bowed musical instrument appeared - the fidel, which was the prototype of the viol. The fidel body was built according to a different principle than the lyre. The body consisted of an elongated frame, an upper and lower deck. The top deck had cutouts. In this form, the body of the fiddle looked like a guitar, and later changed to the shape of a viol.
Already in the 14th century there appeared a large number of species of violas, and in the 17th century there were already dozens of them. The most widely used were the following: very large viol - bass; large bass viola de gamba (gambas (from the Italian gamba - leg) were the names of all instruments that were held between the knees while playing, while violas de braccio (from the word "hand") were called, in contrast to gambas, all instruments that held in hands during the game.); small bass viola de gamba in five tuning options; tenor viola and alto viola de gamba, each in two tunings; cant-viola de gamba in four versions; viola bastard in five variants; viola de braccio in four versions. From these varieties of viols, the double bass, cello, viola and violin (violin) were subsequently developed. The last instrument was formed from the viol by reducing in volume (violina is a diminutive of the word “viola”).
Violina - violin or real treble violin has existed since the first half XVI centuries. Its homeland is Northern Italy. The invention of the violin as we know it is attributed to an Italian master German origin, who lived in Bologna, Gaspar Duifopruggar (1467-1530), who initially made viols and lutes. The oldest violin, made in 1510 by Gaspar Duifopruggar and preserved to this day, is kept in the Netherland collection and the city of Aachen. This violin was made for King Franz I.
Bowed instruments received further development in the 16th-17th centuries in the cities of Northern Italy - Brescia and Cremona. Most outstanding masters in Brescia there were Gaspar Bertolotti (1540-1609) and Paolo Magini, in Cremona - Niccolò Amati, Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. At that time, the most common bowed instruments were viols, so Bertolotti and Magini mainly made these instruments. But violins made by them are also known. The violins of Paolo Magini are especially valued, giving him the reputation of the greatest master of the Brescia school. Magini violins were played by Berio, Vietan, Marteau and other famous violinists.
Andrea Amati (1535–1612) was the founder of the Cremona school of violin makers. However, violins made by him are rare nowadays. Amati's sons Antonio (1555-1640) and Jerome (1556-1630) worked according to their father's model, and yet the shapes of their violins already indicated significant progress. The son of Jerome, Niccolò (1596-1684), ends the line of masters of the Amati family, which enjoyed worldwide fame for a century and a half. They are rightfully considered the founders of the Cremona school, but they were not destined to bring the violin to the highest perfection. This was done by the greatest master of all time, Niccolo Amati’s student, Antonio Stradivari, whose name is known not only to any educated musician, but to everyone in general. cultured person.
Antonio Stradivari was born in 1644 and according to some information it can be judged that he began to study violin making at the age of 13. By 1667, Stradivari completed his apprenticeship with Amati and from that time began to make bowed instruments on his own. First independent work The Stradivarius, although they bore obvious signs of the teacher’s influence, were already distinguished by their graceful forms and powerful sound. The period of creative quest, during which Stradivari developed his own model, lasted about 30 years. Despite the fact that until the end of his long (93 years) life he remained an experimenter, since 1695 there were no significant deviations from the models he developed.
Stradivari created the ideal violin both in form and sound qualities. Stradivari also has the honor of completing the formation of the cello in the form in which it has survived to this day.
Antonio Stradivari's most capable student was Carlo Bergonzi (1686-1747), whose violins have much in common with his teacher's instruments. One of Stradivari's contemporaries and his rival was Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri, the grandson of the founder of the dynasty of violin makers, Andrea Guarneri. Giuseppe Guarneri was given the nickname “del Gesù” because on the labels of his instruments he put an icon reminiscent of the emblem of the Jesuit monastic order. There is almost no information about Guarneri's life. For a long time there was a legend that he spent his last years in prison and there he made violins, and the jailer sold these instruments at a great profit for himself. However, the reliability of this legend is highly doubtful.
Guarneri instruments differ from Stradivarius violins in having a flatter soundboard and covered with varnishes of a wide variety of shades - from golden yellow to cherry. The sound of violins is strong and rich, especially when playing in large concert halls. In this regard, Guarneri instruments were especially popular in the 19th century, when violins went beyond the confines of cramped chamber spaces.
There were other violin schools in Italy in the 17th-18th centuries - Venetian, Milanese, Neapolitan, Florentine and others. However, these schools did not acquire the same importance as the Cremona and Brescia schools.
Other countries also made their contribution to the development of violin making. The violin appeared in France later than in Italy. One of the first violin makers in France was Caspar Tiefenbrucker (1553-1571), also known as Dunfopruggard, a resident of Lyon. However, violins made by him have not survived to this day. Currently only viols made by Tiefenbrucker are known.
Nicolas Lupo (1758-1824) is considered the most outstanding of a number of other French masters. Lupo came from a family that had been making violins for generations. He worked first in Orleans and then in Paris. In his works, Lupo relied on models of Stradivarius violins. However, his instruments, although distinguished by their loud sound, were inferior in richness of timbre to Italian models.
Of the French masters of the 19th century, Jean Baptiste Villaume (1798-1875) won worldwide fame. In 1819, Vuillaume arrived in Paris and there began making instruments for the violin maker François Janot, who designed an original model of a violin without corners and therefore had a temporary major success with his innovation. Under the guidance of the highly educated Jeannot Villaume, he intensively studies examples of instruments of famous Italian masters, and then intensively copies the models of Guarneri and Stradivarius, so skillfully that his works are mistaken for originals. William was the greatest connoisseur of ancient instruments, a huge number of which passed through his hands. He was incredibly productive: he made about 3,000 instruments. William was an unsurpassed master of bows, his cellos had excellent concert qualities.
Tyrolean violins became very famous. Tyrol is a small mountainous country in the Alps, whose inhabitants have long spent their winters in woodcarving and making musical instruments. The largest violin maker, who enjoyed extreme popularity in the 17th century, Western Europe, was Jacob Steiner (1621 -1683). Steiner's violins were similar in shape to Niccolò Amati's instruments, but were distinguished by higher soundboard arches; The sound of Steiner's instruments has a soft, lyrical character. There was a time when Steiner violins were valued several times more than Stradivarius instruments. There are currently very few authentic instruments of Steiner's work. The violins found today with Steiner labels are nothing more than fakes, which were made by Tyrolean masters - followers of Steiner.
Of the German masters who followed Stradivari's models, Bachmann, Hunger, Ernst and some others, who worked at the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century, achieved outstanding success.
In England, the works of Italian masters were learned and appreciated much later. English masters copied Steiner, and later violins from Magini, Amati and Stradivarius. Famous English masters are Barack Norman (1678–1740), Richard Duke (worked from 1750 to 1780), and Bejaman Banke (1727–1795). Duke's follower was Dodd, whose remarkable bows became widely known.
Of the Dutch, the most famous is Henbrik Jacobe, who worked in Amsterdam from 1690 to 1712, a student of Niccolo Amati. Most violins made by Jacobs have long been labeled with Amati's name and are sold as authentic instruments by this master.
In Poland in the 16th century, the wonderful master Martini Groblich (1555-1610) worked, probably a student of Magini, who followed her models. Groblich's instruments are excellent and are now fully-fledged concert instruments. In addition to violins, Groblich made many viols, which, in terms of their technique, elegance of form and wonderful sound, are masterpieces of world significance. Other famous violin makers in Poland include the names of Jan Duckwart and Groblicz the Younger (first half of the 18th century), Mikołaj Sawicki (1792-1850), Kpucinski (late XIX - beginning XX century).
In Czechoslovakia, violin making is a common profession. The first violin makers came to the Czech Republic from Tyrol and Bavaria at the end of the 16th century. The most talented craftsmen in the Czech Republic are Tomas Edlinger (1662-1729), Ulrik Eberle (1699-1768), a native of Tyrol, who founded his own workshop in Prague in 1725. At one time, Eberle was considered the best master in Central Europe; Kašpar Strnad (1759 1823) worked on Stradivarius models. His violins are famous far beyond the borders of Czechoslovakia. From Prague masters of the 20th century. we can name Franz Spiedlen (1867-1916), his son Otakar Spiedlen (1895-1938), a talented, highly educated craftsman and instrument specialist.
Istria of the violin in Russia
Bowed instruments appeared in Russia, apparently, at a very distant time. The fact of the existence of such instruments in the 11th century is confirmed by the image on the fresco of the Kyiv St. Sophia Cathedral of the figure of a musician holding at his shoulder, like a violin, bowed instrument. The first literary mention of the violin in Russia was in 1596 in the dictionary of Lavrentiy Zizaniy, and one of the earliest images that have come down to us was in 1692 in the “Primer” by Karion Istomin. It can be assumed that the violin already appeared in Russia in a form close to the classical type by the beginning of the 16th century. In some literary sources It is supposedly indicated that the predecessor of the violin was a kind of bowed instrument called the “suna”. Such an instrument existed in folk performing practice until the second half of the 19th century century.
Suna has the body of a violin and in its structure it can be attributed to the predecessor of the violin - the bowed lyre. But if the lyre had eleven or more strings, then the suna, like the violin, had only four strings. Bow instruments are most widespread in the south of Russia - Moldova, Ukraine, as well as in Belarus and the Volga region.
Although violins and other bowed instruments were widespread among the people, these instruments penetrated among the ruling classes only in exceptional cases. This is explained by the constant hostility on the part of the church, which viewed these instruments as “demonic games.” It is not surprising that Russian folk violins of the 16th and 17th centuries, like other instruments that preceded them, have not survived to this day. Only in the 18th century did bowed instruments become widespread.
In the 18th century, outstanding Russian concert violinists appeared, including the wonderful artist and composer Ivan Evstafievich Khandoshkin. At the same time, masters of making bowed instruments appeared. First, these are foreigners invited to Russia, and then Russians. Among the Russian masters of the 18th and 19th centuries there were many serfs serving the orchestras of their masters. The materials from which these craftsmen made their instruments were local. Along with spruce, pine was used for the upper decks. Maple, birch, alder, and linden were used to make the lower decks. Among the works of serf craftsmen there were also very successful instruments, but the names of these Russian craftsmen remained mostly unknown.
One of the first famous talented Russian masters is Ivan Andreevich Batov (1767-1841), a serf of Count Sheremetev. At the age of 17, Batov was apprenticed to Moscow instrumentalist Vasily Vladimirov. Already in 1789, after training in the staff of the Sheremetev serf theater, violin maker Ivan Batov was listed. Before Patriotic War 1812 Batov was not widely known. She came to him only in 1814, when Batov presented Alexander I with a violin of his work and received a reward of 2000 rubles for it. In 1822, Ivan Batov made a cello, which was highly appreciated by the famous cellist of that time, B. Romberg. Batov presented this instrument to Count D.N. Sheremetev and received his freedom along with his family. In 1829, Batov presented his instruments at the St. Petersburg exhibition and received a large silver medal for the violin and cello. Batov did not tolerate haste in his work. There is information that, working very hard every day, he spent about three months making a violin and about five months making a cello.
Considering that for the sound quality of instruments one of the most important conditions is the presence of old seasoned wood, Batov spent a lot of money on its acquisition. Until the last days of his life, Batov retained a supply of wood that he had harvested under Catherine 2. During his life, Batov made a relatively small number of instruments: 41 violins, 3 violas and 6 cellos, not counting those that he made for the Sheremetev orchestra. In addition, Batov made several double basses and also made excellent guitars. Unfortunately, genuine Batov instruments are very rare. Most of the instruments attributed to Batov are fakes. Taking advantage of Batov's popularity, some craftsmen later pasted into various, most often instruments of foreign origin, labels with the name of the famous Russian master and thus caused significant confusion in defining his work.
Violin construction
- curl
Heel
Top deck
Shells
Bottom deck
Stand
Underneck
- stringed musical instrument. It has four strings that are tuned in fifths (g, d 1, a 1, e 2). Appeared around mid-16th century century, the prototype was the viola. A musician who plays the violin is called violinist.consists of two main parts: housing And vulture, strings are stretched between them.
Frame
Frame The violin has an oval shape with rounded notches on the sides, creating a “waist” - the so-called esi. The roundness of the external contours and lines of the es ensures ease of playing, particularly in high registers. The lower and upper planes of the body - the deck - are connected to each other by strips of wood - shells. They have a convex shape, forming “arches”. The geometry of the vaults, as well as their thickness and its distribution, to one degree or another, determine the strength and timbre of the sound. Inserted inside the housing darling, transmitting vibrations to the lower deck. Without this small detail, the violin's timbre loses its liveliness and fullness.
The strength and timbre of a violin's sound is significantly influenced by the material from which it is made and its composition. varnish When a violin is impregnated with varnish, it changes the density of the original wood. The degree of influence of impregnation on the sound of a violin is unknown, since it depends mainly on the structure and characteristics of the wood itself. After drying, the varnish protects the violin from significant changes in the density of the wood under the influence of the environment. The varnish paints the violin with a transparent color ranging from light gold to dark red or brown.
Bottom deck, or the “bottom” of the body, is made of maple, from two symmetrical halves.
Top deck or “lid” is made of spruce. Has two resonator holes - f-holes(in shape they resemble a Latin letter f). In the middle of the upper deck there is stand, over which strings pass, attached to tailpiece (pidneck).
Shells connect the lower and upper soundboard, forming the side surface of the violin. Their height determines the volume and height of the violin, fundamentally influencing the timbre of the sound: the higher the shells, the duller and softer the sound, the lower the shells, the more piercing the sound of the violin. The shells, like the bottom, are made of maple.
Darling– a round spruce spacer that transmits vibrations to the lower deck. Its ideal location is found experimentally, on which the master sometimes spends many hours of work
Piedgriffnik, or tailpiece, serves for fastening strings. Made from hard ebony or mahogany (usually ebony or rosewood, respectively). On one side the pedestal has a loop, on the other there are four holes with slots for attaching strings. The principle of fastening is simple: the end of the string with a button is pulled into a round hole, after which it is squeezed into the slot by tensioning the string towards the fingerboard.
A loop- a loop of thick intestinal string or plastic. The plastic loop is the best because it has an adjustable loop length. When replacing a vein loop with a larger diameter than 2.2 mm with a synthetic one (diameter 2.2 mm), it is necessary to wedge the wedge and re-drill a hole with a diameter of 2.2 mm, otherwise the pinpoint pressure of the synthetic string may damage the wooden neck.
Button– the head of a wooden peg, which is inserted into a hole in the body, which is located on the side opposite from the fingerboard, serves to attach the hinge loop. The wedge is inserted into a conical hole corresponding to its size and shape, completely and tightly, otherwise the wedge and the deck may crack. The load on the button is very high, about 24 kg.
Stand affects the timbre of the instrument. It has been experimentally established that even a small shift of the stand leads to a significant change in timbre (when shifted to the pegboard, the sound becomes dull, and from there it becomes more piercing. The stand raises the strings above the top soundboard at different distances for playing each of them with a bow, distributes them at a greater distance from each other on a plane than the top sill, the recess for the strings in the stand is rubbed with graphite lubricant, which contains oil to soften the wood.
Vulture
Vulture violin - a long block of solid hard wood (black ebony or rosewood. Over time, the surface of the fingerboard either wears away and becomes uneven. The lower part of the fingerboard is glued to cervix, which goes into head, consisting of Pegging boxes And curl.
Upper sill- an ebony plate located between the fingerboard and the head, with slots for strings. The recess in the nut is rubbed with graphite lubricant or graphite (graphite pencil) to reduce friction on the strings and their service life. The holes in the nut distribute the strings at equal distances from each other.
Neck- a semicircular part that the performer covers with his hand during the game. Attached to the neck from above vulture And top threshold.
Pegs box– part of the neck in which a slot is made at the front, two pairs are inserted on both sides stakes, with the help of which the strings are tuned. The stakes are conical wedges. The wedge is inserted into the tapered hole in the peg box. They must fit each other, not be pressed into the box without rotation, and be inserted completely into the box - failure to comply with this condition can lead to destruction of the structure. For tighter or smoother rotation, the pegs are respectively slightly pressed in or removed from the box during rotation, and for smooth rotation, the lapping paste (or chalk and soap) must be lubricated. The stakes should not protrude too much from the peg box, and must fit into the conical hole. Necklaces are usually made of ebony and are often decorated with mother-of-pearl or metal (silver, gold) inlay.
Curl always served as something like a brand mark - evidence of the taste and skill of the creator. Some masters replaced it with a sculpture - a carved lion's head, for example, as was done by Giovanni Paolo Magini (1580-1632). The 19th century masters, when extending the neck of ancient violins, sought to preserve the head and scroll as a privileged “birth certificate”.
Strings
Strings pass from the headstock through the base above the surface of the fingerboard and through the nut to the stakes on which they are wound in the head.
The violin has four strings:
Accessories and Accessories
Bow– A wooden cane that goes into the head on one side, with a block attached on the other. The hair of the ponytail (artificial or natural) is stretched between the head and the block.
Chin pad. Designed for the convenience of playing as a musician. The lateral, median and their intermediate locations are chosen based on the ergonomic advantages of the violinist.
Bridge. It is also designed for the convenience of the musician's playing. Attaches to the back of the violin and is designed to be mounted on the player's shoulder. It consists of a stand (straight or bent, hard or covered with soft fabric, wood, metal or carbon), and fastenings on each side. Necessary electronics, such as a microphone amplifier, are often hidden in a metal structure.
Pickup device. They are needed to convert the sound vibrations of the violin into electrical impulses for recording or to amplify the sound of the violin using special devices. Depending on the role of the pickup devices, there are:
Case for violin and bow, as well as various accessories.
Surdin It is a small wooden or rubber “comb” with two or three “teeth”. It fits on top of the stand and reduces its vibration, making the sound muffled and very soft. The mute is usually used when performing plays of a lyrical nature. The mute is most often used in orchestral and ensemble music.
"Jammer"- a heavy rubber or metal mute, used for practicing at home or other places where loud sound is inappropriate. When using a jammer, the instrument practically stops sounding and produces barely noticeable pitch tones that are sufficient for the performer to perceive and control.
Typewriter- a metal device consisting of a screw, which is inserted into the holes of the pigtail, and a hook, which is used to fasten the string, located on the other side. The machine allows you to adjust the strings more finely, which is especially important for mono-metal strings that have low stretch. Each size of violin has a specific machine size; there are also universal ones. Typically plated in black, gold, nickel or chrome, or a combination of these. There are models specifically for gut strings, for the E string. You can learn and play the instrument without machines: in this case, the string is inserted directly into the hole in the neck. It is possible to install machines not on all strings to lighten the weight of the headstock. Usually in this case the machine is placed on the first string.
Playing a 17" violin in 3rd position. The strings are pressed with four fingers of the left hand on the fingerboard (the thumb is excluded). The bow is moved along the strings, which is in the player's right hand.
When pressed with a finger, the string is shortened and gets a higher sound. Strings not pressed with a finger are called open; playing on open strings is indicated by a zero, which is placed above the note. Author's music and poetry on the website kibber.ru, as well as memories and articles.
The violin part is written in treble clef. The range of the violin is from G in the small octave to C in the fourth octave and higher. By half-pressing the string, harmonics are obtained. Some harmonic sounds go further in pitch than the violin range indicated above.
Putting the fingers of the left hand is called fingering. The index finger is called the first, the middle - the second, the fourth - the third, the little finger - the fourth. Position is called the fingering of four adjacent fingers, spaced from each other by a tone or semitone. Each string can have seven or more positions. The higher the position, the harder it is. On each string, they play mainly only up to the fifth position inclusive; and in the higher two they use higher positions - from sixth to twelfth.
The way the bow is held has a great influence on the character and strength of the sound and on phrasing in general. On a violin, you can play two notes simultaneously on adjacent strings. (double strings) and not simultaneously, but very quickly - three (triple strings) and four. This combination, predominantly harmonic, is easier with empty strings and more difficult without them.
In addition to playing with a bow, they use one of the fingers of the right hand (pizzicato) to touch the strings. To weaken the sound, they use a mute - a metal, bone or wooden plate with grooves in the lower part for strings, which is attached to the top of the stand or filly. It is easier to play the violin in those keys that allow the greatest use of empty strings. Convenient passages are those that are composed of scales or their parts.
The prototypes of the violin were the Arab rebab and the German rota, the merger of which formed the viola. The forms of the violin were established by the 16th century; in this century and at the beginning of the next, the 17th century, violin makers of the Amati family worked. Their instruments are beautifully shaped and made of excellent materials. In general, Italy was famous for the production of violins, among which Stradivarius and Guarneri violins are now extremely highly valued.
The violin has been a solo instrument since the 17th century. The first works for violin are considered to be: “Romanesca per violino solo is basso” by Marini from Brescia (1620) and “Capriccio stravagante” by his contemporary Farina. A. Corelli is considered the founder of artistic violin playing; followed by Torelli, Tartini, Pietro Locatelli (1693-1764), a student of Corelli, who developed a bravura technique of violin playing.
See also: Violinists