A Performer's Guide to Seventeenth-Century Music, Second Edition

12. The Viola da Gamba Family

12 � The Viola da Gamba Family stuart cheney with barbara coeyman In many ways, the seventeenth century marked the zenith of the viol in Europe; the several hundred surviving instruments and tens of thousands of compositions suggest that the instrument may truly have been one of Europe’s most popular art instruments.1 While both the physical construction and repertory of the viol in the seventeenth century contain many national features evident since the Renaissance, certain other aspects of the viol became common throughout Europe. We summarize some of these general features before examining the viol by national areas. A unifying feature of the viol across regions was its characteristic upright playing position, either upon or between the knees, depending on the instrument’s size. The bow was usually held underhand, with palm facing up. The viol’s frets made intonation simpler than that on violin-family instruments, and its resonant, sustaining character and ability to emulate the voice were other crucial factors in its popularity. The viol’s repertory includes nearly all common compositional approaches, instrumentations , and genres of the seventeenth century. Imitative polyphony, inherited from the Renaissance, appeared in fantasies, ricercars, and other ensemble genres. Compositions based on previously composed harmonies or tunes highlighted composers ’ ingenuity at reworking and ornamenting known material. The instrument also performed dance music, frequently organized into suites and sonatas. These compositional approaches parallel continent-wide trends in instrumentation . All sizes of viols performed both homogenous and mixed ensemble music, most commonly composed in two to six parts, while divisions on grounds, unaccompanied music (usually for bass), and solos accompanied by continuo tested players ’ technical prowess in composed and improvised music. Bass viols in particular performed not only soloistically, but, depending on the repertory and local tradition, also took part in the basso continuo, especially after the middle of the century (see the Chapter 17, “Basso Continuo,” in this guide). The instrument also accompanied voices and played self-accompanying solos in what is called “lyra-way” playing. Viols of all sizes appeared in chamber music, in combination with virtually all wind and string instruments then in use; they were also used to complement voices. The Viola da Gamba Family 211 At least 450 viols built during the seventeenth century survive, informing us about their construction; the vast majority are the size of modern basses. During the century, viols were built in several sizes and shapes, showing only a slight reduction from the great variety seen during the previous century.2 Both iconography and surviving instruments suggest that the prevalence of relatively large instruments during the Renaissance carried through most of the first half of the seventeenth century. Most Italian and German treatises from 1590 to 1620 called for tunings a fourth or fifth lower than those used today—further evidence that larger instruments continued to prevail.3 Some small English viols from early in the century may prove the exception and support Jean Rousseau’s assertion in 1687 that it was the English who first reduced the standard sizes of viols. English instruments nearly the size of modern trebles are known from the first decades of the seventeenth century, but small trebles from other countries are rare in this period. However, during the second half of the seventeenth century, smaller instruments analogous to modern sizes gradually became the norm throughout most of the continent; the violone/great bass—usually a fourth or fifth below the bass viol—was also common (see Chapter 13, “Violoncello and Violone,” in this guide). Further underlining the viol’s centrality in musical life, the instrument adapted features of playing technique from other instruments. Its distinctive resonance made it susceptible to influences from the lute and harpsichord in particular. Trends in composition parallel growing professionalism among players, builders, and teachers. Furthermore, throughout the century the instrument was the object of published discourse: treatises described tuning, holding positions, right- and left-hand technique , construction details, and other practical matters. The viol’s popularity was due in large part to the support of courts and upperclass patrons of music, many of whom played the instrument and also supported builders, composers, and professional performers. In many regions, the middle class emulated the aristocratic affection for the viol. Iconographic evidence suggests that both women and men played as amateurs, but research to date indicates that professional players and teachers were primarily men. Performance settings ranged from intimate, private locations in the context of other social activities, where distinctions among performers, listeners, amateurs, and professionals...