Innovations and Evolutions
The History and Evolution of the Violin
The violin was actually created in Italy by two Italian men named Andre Amati from Cremona and Gasparo di Bertolotti from Salon. The violin dates back to 1565. There was dispute of who actually invented the violin but credit has been given to Amati.
For centuries, violins were a main instrument in the music industry and so they became mass produced. Famous composers include Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven during the classical period. They are a huge influence in even orchestras today.
A lot of the violin had alterations done over time and for many reasons. For ergonomics, the bow was customized to having an arch backwards and a longer length and lighter weight for more flow and a way to to play faster. The fingerboard part was lengthened around the 19th century for the artist to play higher notes. It was also tilted for more of that hollowed volume.
It's crazy to think parts of the violin used to be made of animals. The strings were first made out of sheep gut and the bows contain between 150 and 200 hairs of horse. Modern violins are usually made of spruce or maple wood. They come in many different sizes to accommodate the player from 1/32 to 4/4. Over 70 pieces of wood together to make it whole.
The violin has a soft sad sounding melody because it has a wide range of pitches. Depending how it was played, for example rhythm increased can give it an intense sound and some more towards for dancing music. The strings give long sustained notes that create a rich harmony.
I love how the violin has become so universal when it comes to the genre of music. From classical, to even pop now! I really wish I kept up with playing it to see what type of genre I'd really enjoy playing. I was really into classical and that's what I was taught in orchestra. It's so mesmerizing. I really hate that a lot of music is played electronically and no one really plays the instrument themselves.
The history of the violin and its music - Bing video
THE EVOLUTION OF VIOLIN MUSIC - Bing video
Master of Tides - Lindsey Stirling - YouTube
The violin is one of my favorite instruments. Its versatility sets it apart from many others. I love hearing it in country music as well as music from Enya or in orchestras. I am curious what bows are made from now. I will have to look that up myself. Great work.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated your analysis of the violin for this week's post. Personally, I did my analysis on a genre of music, so it was nice to read your post about an individual instrument. Your analysis of the evolution of the violin makes me wonder about the evolutions of the other string instruments, such as the viola, which can be considered incredibly close to the violin. I understand the evolutions would be different between the string family instruments, but I wonder if there are any stark similarities between them. Good work !! I look forward to seeing your post next week !! :)
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