Foreword
The Viennese violone, commonly known today as the Viennese double bass, is a particular 5-stringed 16' fretted instrument tuned to “F, A, d, f#, a”. This instrument appeared in the region of Lower Austria and Moravia in the late 17th century and was played until the middle of the 19th century. It is considered a member of the viola da gamba family, not only because of its name “violone” (large viol), but also because it is similar in terms of its thirds and fourths tuning, flat back, sloping shoulders, and frets.
The particular tuning of the Viennese violone instrument has been mentioned by musicians and theoreticians such as Prinner, Talbot, and Leopold Mozart. In the 18th century, a specific school developed around this tuning.
The Viennese violone was used in solo and chamber music repertoire. Among the major composers who wrote for the instrument, we can cite Joseph Haydn. His lost concerto “per il violone” [contra violone] was the first recorded concerto for the instrument. Another significant composition for the Viennese violone is the beautiful aria for the Viennese violone and bass singer “Per questa bella mano” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
There are many other solos or chamber music compositions. In this work, we also discuss one of this instrument’s important and prolific composers, Johann Matthias Sperger.
Alongside chamber and solo compositions, the instrument was also highlighted in some ensemble works. Joseph Haydn was one of the first composers to feature the Viennese violone as a solo instrument in his symphonies. He wrote specific passages for the violone in the trios of the third movement of some of his early symphonies, the symphonies n°6, 7, and 8. In these pieces, Haydn showcased the unique qualities of the Viennese violone, including its rich, melodic sound in the high register. These solos depart from the typical role of the 16' instrument in the orchestra, which was mainly to provide harmonic support, and demonstrated Haydn’s innovative approach to orchestration.
Haydn’s use of the Viennese violone as a solo instrument helped bring attention to it by highlighting its musical potential. It marks a turning point in the development of writing for low strings.
In the works of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn, a 16' instrument was used but it is uncertain which tuning was used for each piece. To understand the instrument used and its tuning, we need to analyze the artistic content of the pieces. This research work explores this perspective from the solos of Haydn’s symphonies until possible later uses of the instrument.
