The Viennese violone : A

Isaline Leloup

This research examines if the Viennese tuning was used in the orchestral works of Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn and whether it is possible to link the composers and the use of this tuning in their writing style for the 16’ instrument. The Viennese tuned violone 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. Considered a member of the viola da gamba family by its name “violone”, it also has similarities in its thirds and fourths tuning, flat back, sloping shoulders, and frets. I have found no clear evidence of a date, or of a composer, who made specific use of Viennese tuning in orchestras after the solos of Haydn's six symphonies. The Viennese tuning disappeared progressively towards the middle of the 19th century. The last clear evidence we found in the music is Beethoven’s Septet op. 20, the first performance of Beethoven’s 1st symphony, and Schubert’s Trout quintet. We also have the performance on 2nd November 1800 of Sperger’s last symphony “Erbprinzessin-sinfonie”. We also know that instruments of this tuning were built until at least 1820. For Mendelssohn, analysis of his works has shown that its classical characteristics come out clearer with the Viennese tuning. This research is done in the form of an exposition to highlight the musical extracts of the different composers.

List of illustrations

All the Sperger manuscripts are here thanks to the Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.

Figure 1. Instrument modeled on an original Lionhead Viennese Violone probably dating from 1760, unknown maker. This copy has no lion head and was made in Romania through Jurgen Pryer, under the commission of Margaret Urquhart and Robert Franenberg, and is currently at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.
Figure 2. Picture of myself taken by the photographer Isabelle Françaix. In this picture, you see my original instrument from Johann Michael Willer, Lauten- und Geigenmaker in Vils, 17… (the exact original date is not visible anymore), and a bow from the luthier Oskar Kappelmeyer.
Figure 3. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5173/5, Finale, Allegro molto, p. 36 (of the manuscript). Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 4. Map showing the growth of the Habsburg Dominions. Territorial changes of the Austrian Habsburg branch. Ramsay Muir, 1911, Philips' New Historical Atlas for Students, plate 25a, first edition.
Figure 5. Viennese violone score of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Aria “Per questa bella mano” K612 for solo bass singer and Viennese violone obligato, bars 1-19. From Mozarts Werke, Serie VI, Bd.2, No.46 (pp.1-11 (224-34)), (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1881), Plate W.A.M. 612.
Figure 6. Joseph Haydn’s lost concerto “per il violone” [contra violone]: incipit first movement. Illustration from Paul Brun, A New History of the Double Bass, (France: Paul Brun Productions, 2000), p103.
Figure 7. Joseph Haydn’s 6^th symphony “Le matin” Hob. I:6, mvt 3, trio, bars 35-64, violone solo. By Timothy Lanfear, transcribed from Kritische Ausgabe sämtlicher Symphonien edited by H. C. Robbins Landon et al.
Figure 8. Joseph Haydn’s 72^nd symphony Hob. I:72, mvt 4, Finale, Theme and variations, variation IV, bars 65-80, violone solo. From Howard Chandler Robbins Landon, Kritische Ausgabe sämtlicher Symphonien, Vol.VII, (Salzburg: Haydn-Mozart Presse, 1964), Plate H.M.P. 142.
Figure 9. Two pictures of the original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5160, First movement, Allegro, p. 5 (of the manuscript). From left to right, picture of the score with the new score nailed to the old one, picture showing the old version of the score. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 10. Three pictures of the original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5173/5, Finale, Allegro molto. From left to right, p. 25 (of the manuscript), p. 25 same figure full page, p. 36. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 11. Three pictures of the original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony in Eb Major MUS 5143. From left to right, first page of the first movement, first page of the Menuet, and first page of the last Allegro. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 12. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5158, Finale, Allegro Moderato. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 13. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5173/9, First movement, Allegro Con Spirito, p. 11 (of the manuscript). Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 14. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5158, First movement, Allegro Con Expressione, bars 9-14. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 15. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5168, First movement, Adagio Maestoso followed by an Allegro Con Spirito in 3, tutti passages starting bar 107 of the Allegro. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 16. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s Symphony MUS 5173/9, Andante, p. 19 (of the manuscript). Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 17. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s 18^th Concerto MUS 5176/5, Second theme of the 3^rd mvt, bars 103-110. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 18. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s 18^th Concerto MUS 5176/5, Syncopated Variation of the 2^nd mvt, bars 45-52. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 19. Original manuscript of Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s Duet for Viola and Violone MUS 1689, Theme and variations, 3^rd variation, bars 49-64. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 20. Original manuscript of Johannes Matthias Sperger’s 18^th Concerto MUS 5176/5, First theme of the 1^st mvt, bars 111-116. Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker of Schwerin.
Figure 21. Joseph Haydn’s L’isola disabitata Hob. Ia:13, azione teatrale in due parti, Vivace assai, bars 23-42. From (München: G. Henle Verlag and Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 2009).
Figure 22. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 2^nd symphony Op. 36, mvt 1, Adagio molto, bars 15-25. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1862)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 23. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 2^nd symphony Op. 36, mvt 1, Allegro con brio, bars 38-73. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1862)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 24. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 2^nd symphony Op. 36, mvt 1, Allegro con brio, bars 77-80. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1862)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 25. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 2^nd symphony Op. 36, mvt 2, Larghetto, bars 48-55 and 142-148. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1862)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 26. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 2^nd symphony Op. 36, mvt 4, Allegro molto, bars 268-282. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1862)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 27. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 3^rd symphony “Eroica” Op. 55, mvt 1, Allegro con brio, bars 109-123. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1863)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 28. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 3^rd symphony “Eroica” Op. 55, mvt 2, Marcia Funebre Adagio assai, bars 1-8. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1863)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 29. Ludwig van Beethoven’s 3^rd symphony “Eroica” Op. 55, mvt 4, Finale Allegro molto, bars 160-173. From (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, n.d.(1863)). Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).
Figure 30. Franz Schubert’s “Trout” quintet D. 667, mvt 1, Allegro vivace, bars 1-25. From Arnold Feil, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1975).
Figure 31. Franz Schubert’s “Trout” quintet D. 667, mvt 1, Allegro vivace, bars 181-183. Illustration from Jozef Focht, Der Wiener Kontrabass, Spieltechnik und Aufführungspraxis Musik und Instrumente (Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1999), p59.
Figure 32. Franz Schubert’s “Trout” quintet D. 667, mvt 4, Thema & variations, variation 1, bars 21-28a. From Arnold Feil, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1975).
Figure 33. Franz Schubert’s “Trout” quintet D. 667, mvt 4, Thema & variations, variation 4, bars 81-85. From Arnold Feil, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1975).
Figure 34. Franz Schubert’s Octet F-major D. 803, mvt 1, Adagio, bars 1-15. From Urtext of the New Schubert Edition, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1969).
Figure 35. Franz Schubert’s Octet F-major D. 803, mvt 1, Allegro, bars 183-193. From Urtext of the New Schubert Edition, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1969).
Figure 36. Franz Schubert’s Octet F-major D. 803, mvt 6, Andante molto, bars 1-5. From Urtext of the New Schubert Edition, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1969).
Figure 37. Franz Schubert’s Octet F-major D. 803, mvt 6, Allegro, bars 34-57. From Urtext of the New Schubert Edition, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1969).
Figure 38. Franz Schubert’s Overture “im italienischen Stil” for orchestra in C Major D. 591, bars 39-48. From Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel.
Figure 39. Franz Schubert’s “Trout” quintet D. 667, mvt 2, Andante, bars 37-38. From Arnold Feil, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1975).
Figure 40. Franz Schubert’s Overture “im italienischen Stil” for orchestra in C Major D. 591, bars 83-92. From Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel.
Figure 41. Franz Schubert’s Overture “im italienischen Stil” for orchestra in C Major D. 591, bars 208 to the end. From Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel.
Figure 42. Franz Schubert’s 4^th “Tragic” symphony C-minor D. 417, mvt 1, Allegro vivace, bars 39-59. From (Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1966).
Figure 43. Franz Schubert’s 4^th “Tragic” symphony C-minor D. 417, mvt 3, Menuetto Allegro vivace, bars 1-14. From (Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1966).
Figure 44. Franz Schubert’s 7^th “unfinished symphony” in B minor D. 759, mvt 1, Allegro moderato, bars 1-22. From Urtext of the New Schubert Edition, (Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1996).
Figure 45. Felix Mendelssohn’s The “Hebrides” Overture Op. 26, Allegro moderato, bars 77-93. From Julius Rietz (Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, n.d.(ca.1890)), Plate Orch.B. 4904. Reprinted New York: E.F. Kalmus, n.d.(1933-70).

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Isaline Leloup - The Viennese violone : A "Viennoiserie" with 5 spices - 2023