Post #2, Popular Stringed Instruments of the Baroque Period

As the first part of our venture let us discuss the popular stringed instruments of the Baroque Era.  During this time period instruments started the process of standardization and the basic instruments that make up classical music were established.  These included the violin, viola, cello and lute. 

The violin during the previous Renaissance era varied depending on the maker and the preferences of the musician both in size and register.  By the mid 1600s the violin became increasingly standardized although it still varied from the modern day violin that we have today.  It has been modified since then to carry sound farther and to allow for a larger note range.  For example, around 1600 the average violin’s E string could reach a C.  By 1700 the A an entire octave above the E string was achieved on the average instrument- a five-note difference from a hundred years earlier!  This was achieved due to a longer neck.  The strings were gut (sheep) strings instead of metal or synthetic that we use today.  Playing technique differed as well.  The violin was placed on the shoulder or collar bone instead of in between the chin and shoulder as we do today.  This made shifting up and down the strings almost impossible, not to mention uncomfortable.  Baroque technique also used vibrato very sparingly.  Only very long notes would use vibrato and phrases that ended in slurs would use no vibrato.

The viola did not enjoy the success that the violin did during this time period.  J.S Bach and Claudio Monteverdi both wrote a few pieces for this instrument creating a bridge for it to enjoy success later on.  The viola was never quiet standardized and varied in size and musical range.  By the 1730s as musicians approached the classical era a series of “sympathetic” strings were put underneath the already existing strings.  This created a warm sound which Mozart described as "especially charming in the stillness of the evening."

The early cello was an attempt to create a companion for the viola in harmony.  The gut strings would not allow the instrument to increase in size to create a low enough register.  Around 1660 wire-wound strings were invented and Bolognese instrument makers created the cello.  These strings still did not hold tune or resonate as loudly as the strings of today but it did allow the Baroque musicians to create a wonderful bass line for string ensembles, particularly for dances.  The bass sound of the cello helped dancers keep in time with the music and allowed for the complex musical qualities of Baroque music to develop.

            The lute was extremely popular during medieval times and was still strongly utilized until the end of the Baroque era for secular purposes.  Most instruments varied in size but by this time period they were tuned in D minor in series of octaves.  The strings and pitches are extremely stretched out but most of the music is played on open strings making playing relatively easy for the average musician of the time. 

            As we wrap up I would like to point out that the Baroque era was really the foundation to Western music as we know it today.  All of these instruments, excluding the lute, have become the basis for our modern day symphonies.  During this time period we became vastly closer to reaching the instrumental uniformity of today.  The idea of mixing similar instruments but with different ranges to create harmonies was a new and modern way of dealing with music.  Below I have attached a lovely lute piece by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), an extremely prestigious Baroque composer.