It's one of the most universally recognised musical instruments, and is the most numerous of all the instruments that make up an orchestra. But what's the history of the violin?
Who are the great Italian violin makers of history, and why is it still the most popular instrument for beginners to learn (despite also being one of the hardest instruments to learn)? Here, we explain everything you need to know about the violin.
History of the violin: when was it invented?
Well, it’s not exactly known who first decided the violin was a good idea or really when. However, it’s widely believed to have made an appearance in the early(ish) 16th century.
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What was the idea behind the design?
The violin was essentially the result of amalgamating instruments like the fiddle and the rebec. Both were early bowed string instruments that were less finessed and a little more difficult to handle; neither made as sweet a sound as is possible with the violin.
The violin’s design makes it a far more agile, versatile instrument, capable of imitating the emotional resonance of the human voice. It even has body parts like a human – a neck, ribs and back.
Who are the famous violin makers from history?
The most famous of the early violin makers was Andrea Amati, whose his descendents continued to make them well into the 17th century. Actually, his grandson Nicola Amati passed everything he was taught on to a young artisan named Antonio Stradiveri – of ‘Stradivarius’ fame. Aside from the Amatis and Stradiveri, other big Italian luthiers (ie a stringed-instrument maker) included the Guarneri family and Francesco Ruggieri.
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Where were violins first made?
The Amati family were based in Cremona, Italy, and the country became the centre of the world in terms of violin-making. There were other hotspots there, including Brescia and Venice. But it’s Cremona that is considered the birthplace. Italy remained the violin capital until the late 18th century, when France took over.
Has the violin changed over the years?
Yes, a little. The earliest examples had just three strings – a fourth string was added in the mid-16th century. All the strings were made from gut (usually sheep intestine, eew) until about 1700, when one (the G String) had silver wire added to change the sound.
Today all the strings are a mixture of nylon and metal. The E string is usually made of steel. In the 18th century, the instrument underwent its most major physical evolution. Changing the height of the bridge and lengthening the neck and fingerboard increased the brilliance and volume of the sound, which was much needed for concert hall performance.
Has the playing style evolved throughout history?
The instrument itself has remained largely the same for a few centuries now. Techniques for getting the best out of, however, it have evolved greatly. Such developments in performing and handling mean a much richer variety of music is written for the instrument today than would have been the case back in the 1700s, for example. And a study of some of the greatest violinists through history will show a wide range of playing styles,
What was the first piece of violin music ever written?
It actually took some time for the violin to be taken seriously as a musical instrument in its own right. Early on it was employed merely as an accompaniment to singers. As such, players would simply play (and mirror) whatever was written for the voice. But its popularity and esteem increased, and by the late 16th century some tunes were being written for it. We can probably thank the French court in many respects, as some of the earliest original music for the violin was written for its court musicians and ensembles.
We name the best pieces of violin music here.
