A History of Melody Essay

The fiddle emerged from a primitive symphonyal bow, usu solely(prenominal)y an arched stick with a string stretched taut between the two ends (Hughes, 2008). The string is divided by a loop or a duo (Thinkquest, 1999). The first bridge was economic consumption to add to the instruments ringing when the string was vibrated, and strings were attached crossways suitable receptacles (Hughes, 2008). These resonance enhancers took many forms-tortoise shells, coconut, calabash, wooden boxes and even pig bladders (Thinkquest, 1999), compact tightly between the strings and the bow (Thinkquest, 1999).Also to enhance the resonance of the bow, the instrument was held originally the m out(p)h (Thinkquest, 1999). The violin likely came to Europe near the 9th century, mostly originating from Asia (Thinkquest, 1999). It took the evolutionary act of the violin about 450 years to hire the violin to its present form. This only shows the long years of experience infallible by the maker s of the stringed instrument (Thinkquest, 1999). The procedure of a bow to draw crosswise the strings followed, probably imported into Europe from Asia by Arab travellers (Hughes, 2008).The evolution of the violin was slow. It took until the middle Ages for a version of the zither, a popular and older instrument, to uprise into the vielle, which saw the instrument being held against the shoulder. This differentiated it from the zither, as the latter was held across the knees (Hughes, 2008). As conviction went on, the original one string grew to four, and for a time, five strings (Hughes, 2008). Fashionable until the 1sixth century, the vielle was changed with the small wooden ribs used in similar wooden plucked instruments replaced by the tailpiece and bridge (Hughes, 2008).fiddle 2 By the time of the Renaissance, the viol (a bowed stringed instrument chiefly of the 16th and seventeenth centuries do in treble, alto, tenor, and bass sizes and distinguished from members of the vi olin family especially in having a deep body, a flat back, sloping shoulders, usually half dozen strings, a fretted fingerboard, and a low-arched bridge (Merriam-Webster, 2008), was being used, the first having a hole adding resonance and tone to the instrument (Hughes, 2008).It was a short time that the viol evolved into the viola da gamba (a bass member of the viol family having a range approximating the cello (Merriam-Webster, 2008), which was added between the knees of the musician, and the viola de braccio held against the shoulder. The modern act upon of the violin was evolved from the fleck version of the instrument (Hughes, 2008). The Violin evolved form many different instruments, including the Rebob, the Rebec, lira da Braccio and the Renaissance fiddle. The violin to sidereal day, the new violin was not used until 1630 in Italy (Berkeley, 2008).The evolution of the modern violin appears to have been completed in Italy with the most storied violin maker Andrea Amati a t Cremona, providing 24 violins, half a dozen violas and eight cellos for the cut King Charles IX in 1560 (Hughes, 2008). Another famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivarius, joined the Amati rail in the latter half of the 6th century (Hughes, 2008). The violins re exquisitery As stated earlier in the paper, that apart from the Arab travellers bend had an on the violin, there is no certain fact on who invented the violin or a stringed instrument that is played with a bow (Hughes, 2008). whatsoever of the theories place the invention of the violin at around 1520 A. D. wherein the violin is include in the Gaudenzio Ferrari painting The Madonna of the Orange Trees (cited in Berkeley, 2008). Violin 3 But the violin emerged in Italy in the early 1500s and counts to have true from two medieval bowed instruments-the fiddle, also called the viele or fiedel, and the rebec-and from the Renaissance lira de braccio (a violin-like instrument with off the finger drone strings (Rosenblum, 2007) . Also associate to the violin, but not direct ancestors, is the six-string fretted viol.The viol appeargond in Europe before the violin and existed with it side by side for about 200 degree Celsius years (Rosenblum, 2007). In the early 1600s, however, the violin gained prestige through its use in operas such as Orfeo(1607) by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, and through the French King Louis XIII band of musicians, the 24 violons de roi (the Kings 24 violins, formed in 1626). This growth in stature continued throughout the Baroque period (1600-1750) in the works of many notable composer-performers.Among them were the Italians Arcangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi and Giuseppe Tartini and the Germanys Heinrich Biber, Georg Philipp Teleman and Johann Sebastian Bach (Rosenblum, 2007). The Craftsmen The earliest important violin makers were from Northern Italy, Gasparo da Salo (1540-1609) and Giovanni Maggini (1579-1630) from Brescia and Andrea Amati (1525-1611) from Cremona. The s wop of violin making reached its height in the 17th and 18th centuries in the workshops of the Italians Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) from Cremona and the Austrian Jacob Stainer (1617-1638) (Rosenblum, 2007).Violin 4 Gasparo da Salo (1542-1609) The founder of the Brescian school of violin makers, Gasparo Bertlotti, or Gasparo da Salo, was a dedicated craftsman and instrument maker. He was formerly credited with the claim of having developed the violin in the shape we know today. Although his claims have been disproved, his instruments ar nevertheless admired and venerated (Smithsonian, 2008). Gasparos violas argon considered finer than his violins and probably were more numerous (Smithsonian, 2008).His viola da gambas were converted to violincellos and atomic number 18 much esteemed, and some of his six-stringed bass viols have been remounted as three and four stringed double basses. Twenty instruments have been recorded (Smithsonian, 2008). G iovanni Paolo Maggini (1579-1630) An apprentice of Gasparo da Salo, he acquired a thorough knowledge of the woods available to him (Smithsonian, 2008). Maggini do his own mark and as a master, his own techniques of craftsmanship. He a great deal experimented to improve tone quality for his pieces and perfect his construction methods (Smithsonian, 2008).Many of the instruments make by Maggini at the twilight of his career are considered his finest work. These works are known for the quality of the woods and unusually large punishing holes as well as for their unusually mellow tones (Smithsonian, 2008). Andrea Amati (1525-1611) The founder of the great Cremona school of violin making, Amati focused on violins and was making viols and rebecs. Instruments dated after 1584 are said to be the works of his sons Antonio and Hieronymus (Smithsonian, 2008). Violin 5It is claimed that he made 24 violins, 6 violas and 8 cellos for the French king Charles IX for use at the court at Versailles (Smithsonian, 2008). A few of these instruments survive to this day (Smithsonian, 2008). Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1734) Stradivarius interpretation of geometry and design served as a conceptual model for violin makers for more than 200 years (Smithsonian, 2008). Stradivarius also made harps, guitars, violas and cellos- more than 1,100 instruments by current estimate (Smithsonian, 2008).About 650 of these instruments survive today (Smithsonian, 2008). Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) Guarneri is considered the most illustrious member of this violin making family. The fifth and last member of the family, he is known more as Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu. Guarnerius is the Latin form of the family name and Joseph the Hebraical form of Giuseppe (Smithsonian, 2008). The estimate of his total production is not more than 250 violins no evidence suggests that he made more (Smithsonian, 2008). But at least one violoncello and some violas are attributed to him.The outline of his vio lins, with slight modifications, is founded on instruments of Stradivarius (Smithsonian, 2008). Stradivarius and Guarnerius are ranked as among the greatest violin makers, but fine violinists prefer Guarnerius all over Stradivarius (Smithsonian, 2008). Whatever the history or whoever the maker of the violin, we all must appreciate the efforts of these individuals who in one way or another(prenominal) contributed to the making of the violin. All these men have given much by way of continuously honing the instrument as it is known and enjoyed today by scores of people.Violin 6 Personal Reflection The violin represents probably on of the more versatile, elegant and mysterious of the instruments that we have today. The seeming littleness of the instrument somewhat does not tell of the long and painstaking process that went into its refinement and development. The reason that I centred the paper on this instrument is fitting for those following reasons. The instrument for me seems to vindicatory waft its notes and sounds over the listeners ears at just the right moments.They are, I believe, different from the wind pieces such as the car horn and the saxophone. These pieces produce these shrill notes that sometimes tend to be irritable if you are not an admirer for the kind of music. But the violin just seems to play its notes in a mellow and smooth sound. It sometimes will neediness to lull to sleep at times. Im a raw sienna of the violin. For me, there is just no instrument just like it in sound and depth and quality of sound. Yes, there are many pieces out there that seem to sound alike, but cant seem to touch the position of the violin.I cant imagine an orchestra without a violin in the strings section. It would be incomplete without it. The sound would be really different than the violins in it. And the violin can cross over to different genres of music, from classical to country to pop to jazz and to others, without a nicety of difficulty. Thats another thing I like about this instrument, its very versatile. It can just blend in with the various styles of music that you put it with and it will perform handsomely, a trait not all instruments can boast of.What we can do now is just make relaxed at every playing of the violin, just to enjoy the elegant sound of the instrument as the musician begins to play and begins to once again stray its magic over its listeners.ReferenceBerkeley. (2008). The origins and history of the violin. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Berkeley website. http//www-atdp. berkeley. edu/2030/jmoriuchi/violin-title. html Hughes, A. (2008). Where did the violin arise? Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Answer Bank database http//www. theanswerbank. co. uk/Article1910. html Merriam-Webster. (2008). Viola.Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Merriam-Webster website http//www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/viol Rosenblum, M. (2007). Violin. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Microsoft Encarta encyclopaedia database. http//encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761576364/Violin. html Smithsonian Institution. (2008). Violin makers. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Encyclopaedia Smithsonian website. http//www. si. edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/violdasa. htm ThinkQuest. (1999). The violin. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Oracle Education Foundation database. http//library. thinkquest. org/27178/en/section/1/index. html