A tenor violin (or tenor viola) is an instrument with a range between those of the

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

and the

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

. An earlier development of the evolution of the

violin family The violin family of musical instruments was developed in Italy in the 16th century. At the time the name of this family of instruments was viole da braccio which was used to distinguish them from the viol family (viole ''da gamba''). The standa ...

of instruments, the instrument is not standard in the modern

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

. Its tuning, typically G₂-D₃-A₃-E₄ (an octave below the regular violin) places the range between the

and viola and thus is sometimes confused with the modern

baritone violin A Baritone violin is a member of the violin family and has two specific meanings: * a violin tuned an octave below conventional violin tuning (G2–D3–A3–E4). This is commonly accomplished by stringing a standard violin with heavy gauge strin ...

which has the same tuning on the standard violin body. Tenor violin in sitting position

History

As a formal development, the 17th-century tenor violin existed as an instrument with a body larger than a viola but with a short neck. In earlier designs, the tenor was played upright in the musician's lap. Tenor violin parts were written in

tenor clef A clef (from French: 'key') is a musical symbol used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical stave. Placing a clef on a stave assigns a particular pitch to one of the five lines, which defines the pit ...

. It is known that

Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', as well as the colloq ...

constructed two different models of tenor violin as well as tenor variations of violas. As with the violins of the period, many of these examples feature fretted fingerboard. The smaller 14-inch tenor violins were of an unusual wide bodied shape and fitted with a very short tail piece to increase the string length sufficiently, thereby dropping the pitch down by an octave. Sometimes no tailpiece was fitted at all but the strings attached to a brass plate fastened to the front ribs. File:Tenor Violins.jpg, Four 120-year-old tenor violins with a full-size standard violin second from left for size reference. File:Viola Profonda comparison.jpg, A modern tenor violin next to a standard viola and violin Improvements in string technology in the 18th century led to greater focus of sound coming from the viola and cello ranges leading to a diminished role for tenor violins and violin makers constructed fewer of these instruments. Tenor violins regained popularity in Germany during the late 19th century to the early 20th century. They were meant to be played on the lap, but some were also fitted with chin rests for playing on the shoulder. The body is long and long overall and the ribs being higher than today's standard viola. By analogy with the vocal quartet of soprano-alto-tenor-bass, a few composers featured the tenor violin as the voice between the alto of the viola and bass of the cello (e.g.

Felix Draeseke Felix August Bernhard Draeseke (7 October 1835 – 26 February 1913) was a composer of the "New German School" admiring Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. He wrote compositions in most forms including eight operas and stage works, four symphonies, ...

Sergei Taneyev Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev (russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Тане́ев, ; – ) was a Russian composer, pianist, teacher of composition, music theorist and author. Life Taneyev was born in Vladimir, Vladimir Governorate, Russia ...

. In contemporary

musical improvisation Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of immediate ("in the moment") musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous ...

these instruments are again finding a place. Modern incarnations of the tenor violin include the ''violotta'' and ''viola profonda'' (both held at the shoulder). In the

violin octet The violin octet is a family of stringed instruments developed in the 20th century primarily under the direction of the American luthier Carleen Hutchins. Each instrument is based directly on the traditional violin and shares its acoustical prop ...

, the tenor violin exists as an instrument tuned an octave below the violin and approximately the same size as a -size cello; the baritone violin in the same is an enlarged version of the cello.

Discography

*1971 - ''Alberta Hurst, Tenor Violin, Plays: J. S. Bach, Arioso; Boccherini, Sonata in A-Major; Telemann, Trio-Sonata; Gal, Suite''. With Konstanze Bender, recorder; Ruth Adams, bass viola da gamba; and Ralph Linsley, harpsichord. Crystal Records S735.

External links

Tenor violin article
''www.alcarruthluthier.com''

''www.bbcm.co.uk''
Tenor violin article
by Jon Rose {{Authority control Violin family instruments

History

Further reading

Discography

External links