File:The history of the violin, and other instruments played on with the bow from the remotest times to the present. Also, an account of the principal makers, English and foreign, with numerous (14595019840).jpg

Identifier: historyofviolin00sand (find matches)
Title: The history of the violin, and other instruments played on with the bow from the remotest times to the present. Also, an account of the principal makers, English and foreign, with numerous illustrations. By William Sandys and Simon Andrew Forster
Year: 1864 (1860s)
Authors: Sandys, William, 1792-1874 Forster, Simon Andrew, 1801-1870
Subjects: Violin Violin makers
Publisher: London W. Reeves
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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t the professors of that art used a smallone that they could carry in their pocket, called pera, orpoche; he has three figures of them, of which we giveone (Fig. 52); the others are similar, but of a longer andnarrower make, and they all have an additional sound-hole in the shape of a heart, under the notion of thusobtaining more power. The necks are of one piece withthe body, and they all have four strings and no frets.This instrument was somewhat akin to the old ofio-ue,and also the precursor of the modern kit. He hasfigures of two large instruments of the barbiton minor,one of which may be considered as identical with amodern violoncello of very broad model, and the otherhas the corners at the inward curvatures, very distinctand angular, with the sound-holes larger than in the 120 HISTORY OF THE VIOLIN. modern instrument, the neck also is thicker and heavier(Fig. 53). The strings were tuned in fifths, but the ut ^iKC PIG. 52. lowest string was G, a fifth, therefore, higher than the
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122 HISTORY OF THE VIOLIN. violoncello. The representation he gives of another bar- biton minor, or treble violin,might easily be taken for amodern fiddle (Fig. 54). Thesound of this class of instru-ment, he says, is stronger thanthat of the barbiton major,or viol; amongst other distinc-tions he mentions the viols hav-ing six strings instead of four,and frets; but these frets ap-pear to have been occasionallyapplied to the violin ; we havegiven a representation of one ofhis figures of the barbiton ma-jor (Fig. 55). From his accountof the fingering of the violin,it would seem as if the shiftwas not then known; but indescribing the barbiton major he says the frets donot exceed eight, which would imply that it was inuse. When it was first ventured on it was considered atriumph of skill, and the performer did not attemptbeyond the C, or ut, on the first string, and if such apassage was expected, the audience would say softly,^^GareVut; if the performer failed he was hissed, but ifsuccessf

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