eGuide: Object description

Cell 28

Stringed Instruments Study Collection

The exhibition shows the variety of stringed instruments with a neck, on which the sound is produced by a horsehair bow drawn across the strings. The strings are made of gut or metal, nowadays also of synthetic material.

The instruments are further distinguished by the shape of the body, with a predominance of a structure of ribs, which can have very different shapes.

Put simply, the instruments of the violin family (viola da braccio) have a curved belly and back which extend out over the ribs.
The instruments of the viola da gamba family have also a curved belly, but a flat back sloping in towards the neck; both of which being glued to the ribs without overlapping.

Note the difference in the shape of the sound holes: flame, c- or f-shaped.

Introduction cell 28

Violin 19th c.

Niccoló Paganini (1782 - 1840)
Allegretto in E major, Capriccio per violino solo, op 1 No. 9

Shlomo Mintz, violin

P/C 1982; Deutsche Grammophon 415 043-2

Violin 20th c.

Pennies from Heaven

Stéphane Grapelli (1908 - 1997), NN, piano, Niels-Henning
Örsted Pedersen, bass, Alex Riel, drums

live-recording, 30 September 1966 in Basel

P/C 1993; Verve Jazz Masters 11, 516 758-2d

Viola

Allessandro Rolla (1757 - 1841)
Allegretto. Polonese, 3rd movement from the Concertino in E flat major for viola and string orchestra
Massimo Paris, Viola, I Musici

P/C 1995; Philips 442 154-2 1

Violoncello

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
Allemande, 2nd movement from the suite no. 4 in E flat major, BWV 1010

Thomas Demenga , violoncello

P/C 1987; ECM 1340 833 307-2

String Orchestra: Peter

Sergej Prokofiew (1891 - 1953)
from Peter an the Wolf, a musical fairy-tale for narrator and orchestra, op. 67
1936

Barbara Sukowa, narrator, The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, dir. Claudio Abbado

P/C 1990; Deutsche Grammophon 427 678-2

Viola d'amore

Christian Petzold (1677 - 1733)
Air, 1st movement from Partita in F major

Dorothea Jappe, viola d'amore by Paulus Alletsee, Munich 1727

P 1985, 1988/C 1985; EMI CDC 7 492542

Viola da gamba

Carl Friedrich Abel (1723 - 1787)
Adagio in d minor
after 1765

Hartwig Groth, viola da gamba by Johann Christian Hofmann, Leipzig after 1730

P/C no indication, tvd 8802.6 FCD 97797

Dorothea Jappe, viola d'amore by nach P/C keine Angabe, Munich 1727

P 1985, 1988/C 1985; EMI CDC 7 492542

Double-bass

Giovanni Bottesini (1821 - 1889)
Introduction e Gavotte in A major

Ludwig Streicher, double-bass, Norman Shetler, piano

C 1998/P 1978, 1980, 1983; Tel 3984-21799-2

Fiddle

Antonia Cornazano (?) (15 th c.)
Collinetto (Bassadanza) for fiddle and lute

Randall Cook, fiddle after illustrations from the late 15th. c., Crawford Young, five-course lute (Citharedi)

P/C 1991; GD 772436

Nyckelharpa

Polska

Joel Jansson, nyckelharpa

P/C 1976; Musikmuseet MUM LP 1

Bowed Zither

Oberhofner Galopp

Lorenz Mühlemann, violin zither, Fabian Müller, violoncello
P/C 1998; ZYT 4549

The bowed zither should give the impression of the sonority of bowed, free vibrating, unstopped strings. The sound can be compared to that of the violin-melodeon, in so far as the metal frets, when stopped, cause the same effect.

The bowed zither in board form differs from the exhibited violin-melodeon in the shape of its body (violinform vs. board form); it is not only stringed with bowed strings but also with plucked strings.

Cell 28

Stringed Instruments Study Collection

Selection