The Viennese violone and its repertoire

The instrument and its particular tuning

The 8' and 16' violone and double bass have a long and complex history, with different forms and uses in different countries and periods. The 16' double bass, as it is known today, began to be standardized in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

The Viennese violone, a 5-stringed 16' fretted instrument tuned to “F, A, d, f#, a”, appeared in the region of Lower Austria and Moravia in the late 17^th century and was played until the middle of the 19^th century. This instrument, now commonly known as the Viennese double bass, was known at the time as the Violone or Contra Violone. It was possibly a result of the transformation of the 6-stringed D-Violone. 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 fourths and thirds tuning, flat back, sloping shoulders, and frets. The use of frets allowed for natural chord resonance and virtuoso playing.Their presence also gave clarity to the notes, which is particularly important in the low register on the fourth and fifth strings.[1]

The first written description of this type of tuning appeared years before the period on which this research is centered. Earlier accounts of viola da gamba tunings are documented by Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) in 1619, who described the tunings in the second volume of his Syntagma Musicum “De Organographia”. He mentioned the whole viola da gamba family and their respective tunings depending on their size and their function. We understand that the main examples of tunings are in thirds and fourths, which is a characteristic of the viola da gamba family. In the low register of the family, we have, for example, the 6-stringed small bass viola da gamba “G, C, F, A, d, g”. In his tabulation, he also went further in the low register and mentioned a “Gross Bass Viola da Gamba” with different possible tunings “E, A, d, g, c (, f )”, and even lower “D, E, A, d, g”. These tunings are with fourths intervals.[2] Further, Praetorius explained the uses of the different viola da gambas, depending on their register. Later theorists such as Johann Jacob Prinner and James Talbot mentioned other types of bass viol tuning. The Viennese tuning, as we call it nowadays, is a variation of the viola da gamba tuning by its tuning in fourths and thirds.

Johann Jacob Prinner mentions in his “Musicalischer Schlissl” in 1677 a violone tuned: “F, A, d, f#, b”.[3] James Talbot mentioned in 1692 a double bass viol with five strings: “F, A, d, f#, a”.[4] In the 18^th century, this “F, A, d, f#, a” tuning became increasingly popular among Austrian violone players. This led to the development of a distinctive “Viennese” school of playing and composition for this tuning. Musicians in the Vienna area played and composed a large repertoire for this tuning “F, A, d, f#, a”. These musicians were supplied by the violone makers who provided them with a large viola da gamba instrument specially designed for the Viennese tuning.

It is difficult to pinpoint a specific date for the start of this movement in Vienna and the use of the Viennese tuning for the violone. The music preserved for the instrument also misses concertos written by major composers such as Haydn's lost concerto. The earliest known concertos written for this tuning for which we still have the full score are those of Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf and Wenzel Pichl, which were respectively written in 1767 and 1768.[5] However, the first concerto written in Viennese tuning is the Haydn lost concerto certainly composed in 1763. Although still missing today, this concerto can be considered an important reference to the Viennese tuning movement.[6]

Leopold Mozart’s mention of the five-string violone in his second edition of “Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule” in 1769/1770 highlights the growing popularity of this new instrument:

“One can also bring out the difficult passages more easily on such a bass: and I have heard concertos, trios, solos, and so forth performed extremely beautifully.[7]”

This suggests that the use of Viennese tuning had become more widespread by 1769. However, it is worth noting that Leopold Mozart did not mention this phenomenon in his first edition of the book in 1756, which may indicate that the use of the five-string violone with the Viennese tuning was still in the early stages of development at that time or was not often heard.

The D major thirds tuning developed into the solo repertoire of Viennese music and was sometimes transposed depending on the solo piece played. This did not affect the general feature of the tuning but increased its possibilities, and the tonal range of the instrument. Some Viennese violone players, for example, Johannes Matthias Sperger, were also playing in 4-stringed instruments in Viennese tuning as “A, d, f#, a”. There was also a “minor” variation of this tuning, “F, A, d, f, a” which was primarily used for church music and divertimenti. The low “F” string may be linked to the lowest range of the male voice in sacred music.[8]

Here are some examples given by Focht:

“In Viennese church music of the 18th century, in which scale playing is significantly more important than arpeggio playing, the D minor tuning F' A' D F A is much better suited to high technical difficulties than the D major tuning, which only later became more common and considered typical for soloistic double bass playing. In compositions e. g. Anton and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Joseph and Michael Haydn as well as Leopold Hofmann it is certainly demanded without a doubt.[9]”

Concerning the D Major tuning, it was used in its original form, or with scordatura, which was a common practice at the time. The root note of the tuning could also be changed depending on the situation to D, Eb, E, or F. We have also to take into consideration that the Viennese tuning, with its distinct characteristics and usage, was just one of the many tunings used for the bass instrument. The spread of knowledge about these different tunings used throughout Europe was facilitated by the birth of the encyclopedia at the end of the 18^th century.

Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, the Viennese theorist and composer, provides insight into the different tunings used for the bass instrument in the late 18^th century. In his book in 1790, he mentions the Viennese tuning, as well as two other tunings “G, A, d, g” or “F, A, d, g”. Speaking of these two other tunings, he says that both are less usual in music practice.[10] In the second edition of his book, edited by Ignaz von Seyfried in 1837, a change was made: the tuning “F, A, d, g” became more widespread. The other four-string tuning changed from “G, A, d, g” to “E, A, d, g”, and also became more popular. In this second edition, there is also more insight into Viennese tuning, which will be given in the chapter: “Which technical learning process was developed by the Viennese tuning players and theoreticians?”. The changes between the first and the second version of Albrechtsberger’s book highlight the ongoing development and diversity of tunings used in the music practice of the time.[11]

The “F, A, d, g” tuning for string instruments appeared in Vienna during the reign of Joseph II and was part of the Enlightenment movement’s aim of simplification and rationalization of musical techniques. This tuning was more accessible to amateur musicians and paved the way for the development of new techniques. With this new tuning came unfretted instruments which were more flexible for intonation, and which allowed the development of technical aspects such as glissandi and vibrato in the romantic period.

Parallel to the development of the Viennese tuning, other types of tunings coexisted in France, Italy, Germany, and Britain. For example, in France, instruments were tuned in fifths with three strings “G, d, a”. In contrast, the English and North Italian basses were with three strings in fourths “A, d, g”. In Germany, instruments had four strings, tuned “E, A, d, g” or “F, A, d, g” (cf. the tunings mentioned by Albrechtsberger). The various tunings used in different countries reflect the diverse musical traditions and cultural influences of each region.

The lack of uniformity in tuning between countries is also found between solo and orchestral music. The example of Johannes Matthias Sperger and Domenico Dragonetti shows the diversity of tuning systems used during the classical music era. Sperger (Feldsberg (Valtice), 1750 – Ludwigslust, 1812) played the double bass in Vienna using the Viennese tuning system, while Dragonetti (Venice, 1763 – London, 1846), who was an active soloist in Britain at the same time, played the double bass with three strings tuned “A, d, g” or “G, d, g” or even fourth strings depending of the musical situation. Dragonetti traveled to Vienna in 1799, and met Haydn and Beethoven there.[12] Although he probably came in contact with the Viennese tuning during this trip and experimented with it, Dragonetti kept his way of playing.[13]

During the classical music era, it was uncommon to specify the tuning system used on scores, which was more dependent on the geographical region or the tradition of the performer. This explains why this research work is focused on the composers and symphonies from the Vienna area and the Habsburg Empire, as these musical works would have been written with the Viennese tuning system in mind.

There is evidence of 16' instruments built in the Viennese tradition from the late 17^th century to the mid-19^th century. The oldest Viennese violone is an instrument from 1693. Jozef Focht writes:

“At the turn of the 18th century, Viennese violins makers also developed the shape and size of the Viennese double bass; the oldest surviving example was built by Nikolaus Leidolff in 1693.[14]”

In the 19^th century, the production of 16' instruments in the Viennese tradition gradually moved towards 4-string bass instruments and no longer 5-string bass instruments. The 16' makers were adapting to the demand of instrumentalists, who were more inclined toward fourth strings tuning. There are records of the maker Martin Stoss (1778 – 1838), who built his first four strings 16' instrument in 1836. However, there are still five strings Viennese violones of his production from the early 19^th century to 1820.[15] There are many references to the different possible tunings of the 16' instrument in the first period of the 19^th century. Regarding the instrument maker’s production, Focht gives references to the first publication in 1828 of the book about the art of violin- and bow-making by the maker Gustav Adolf Wettengel (1800-1873), maker in Markneukirchen:

“In his textbook on the manufacture and repairing of violins (1828), the violin maker Gustav Adolf Wettengel (1800-1873) from Vogtland (1800-1873) specifies the following sounding tunings for the contrabass or contreviolon, also simply called bass or violon: three-string in G' D A or in fourths, five-string in F' A' D F sharp A, and four-string in E' A' D g or G' C F A or in fourths; the modern tuning being the most common of these.[16]”

Figure 5.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “Per questa bella mano”, bars 9-18.

Musical example I.

Which technical learning process was developed by the Viennese tuning players and theoreticians?

There is evidence of a Viennese School, as Adolf Meier says[20] but no written instructions specific to the Viennese tuning left from that period.

Much of the music written for the Viennese tuned violone existed in manuscript form at the time. In 1780, when the first publishers appeared in Vienna, only some of the repertoire for the Viennese tuned violone was printed. This may be because, by this time, the repertoire for the Viennese tuned violone had become somewhat old-fashioned for musicians and performers.[21] Fortunately, there are still the original manuscripts of many of these solo and chamber music pieces. Many of them have still not been printed today. Concerning a possible existing treatise on the bass at that period, none of the scores of the Jesuit monasteries are left, so there is no evidence for this. As a consequence, there is no evidence about how the Viennese tuning could have been used in the practice of the orchestral pieces.

In the solo practice, there is information left to us by a closer analysis of the scores, and information they offer. It is known that the Viennese tuning was also transposed sometimes to play several solo pieces helping them to sound brighter, and to have more resonance.This transposition of the tuning makes it possible to obtain the natural harmonics of the key being played, and increases the virtuosity of certain passages.[22] Among the transpositions used, there is, for example, one of a half-tone higher. That transposition can be found in Johannes Matthias Sperger’s 18^th concerto in C minor, for example. There, the strings of the solo instrument are raised by half a tone, the solo part is written in B minor, but the accompanying parts are in C minor. Other examples of different transpositions can also be found in J.M. Sperger’s solo music, among others. These transpositions can be visible by comparing the tonality of the solo part and the tonality of the accompaniment part. It can also be understood by the analysis of the solo part. For example, in the “Romance for double bass solo and string quartet in d-minor” of Sperger, there is a moment when the bass should play some natural harmonics which are only possible if you raise the tuning of the strings by a third, and get an F-Major tuning on the Viennese violone as “A, C, f, a, c” (or personally as “F, C, f, a, c” for more resonances), to play the whole piece.

The methodical approach to the solo repertoire of the Viennese tuning during the 18^th century relied therefore on learning directly from the scores and understanding the technical approach required. By identifying similar characteristics of the pieces, it is possible to understand the logic of execution in terms of fingerings and chord positions. Additionally, knowledge of the general violone technique and performance in the early repertoire for older types of violone tunings can inform choices of fingerings and positions, particularly regarding playing in chords and using specific bowing techniques. More precise evidence in terms of didactic indications are a few surviving fingering indications in the manuscripts of J.M. Sperger.

In terms of treaties, some explanations about playing with the Viennese tuning were added in the second edition of the theoretical book of Albrechtsberger in 1837. Albrechtsberger was a theoretician but also a Viennese tuning player. This passage does not exist in the first edition written in 1790, although it was the main period of the Viennese tuned violone. In the second revised edition by Ignaz von Seyfried, after mentioning the Viennese tuned violone, and pointing out that the other chords “E, A, d, g”, and “F, A, d, g” are more common in the musical world, there are some indications on the chromatic scale proposed specifically for the Viennese instrument, which indicate one way of crossing strings in the first position. After that, Seyfried cites theoreticians, and players on the bass instrument and gives some indications of the possibility it offers, and the way to execute a bass passage. In this passage, we understand that he talks about the bass instrument in general and with all different tunings because the indications are general, and can be applied to all of them, and because he cites players who played Viennese, three strings or four strings tuning at the time.[23]

In Europe, the first methods for the 16' bass instrument appeared at the end of the 18^th century with the creation in 1784 of the National Music Conservatory of Paris which was the model of the other Superior Conservatoriums. The first instruction book is Michel Corette’s “Méthodes pour apprendre à jouer de la contre basse à 3, à 4 et à 5 cordes” (1781), followed by Johann Anton Kobrich “Contrabassschule” (1787). Later, Wenzel (Vaclav) Hause (1764-1847) wrote his first method in Czech, around 1807. This method was later translated and published in German and French (first published in Dresden in 1809). Wenzel Hause opened the first double bass class in the Conservatorium of Prague in 1811 and taught the fourths tuning there.[24]

Johann Georg Hindle (1792-1862), whom I mentioned earlier in this research as an active Viennese tuning soloist, published his double bass method “Der Contrabass Lehrer” in 1854 in Vienna, and taught four-string bass playing “F, A, d, g”. This can be considered a proof that the Viennese tuning became obsolete.[25] The Viennese-tuned violones were gradually transformed into four-string instruments without frets, tuned in fourths, but retained their original instrumental characteristics. 

Through my experimentation, I can verify that the soloistic approach changes as soon as we forget about the modern fourth-tuned instrument reflex regarding fingerings and shifting on one string (vertically). Thinking in chords and positions (laterally), as we would do with the 8' violone technique, we can naturally bring out more of the resonance of the strings linked to the chords, and utilize the frets for clarity of tone.

In the 21st century, some double bass players have proposed a possible method for approaching Viennese tuning, such as Korneel Lecompte’s attempt to reconstruct a method “Meta Hodos” and the work of Igor Pecevski: “Viennese Bass Method”. They give ideas on a possible modern technical approach to learning the Viennese double bass.

The Viennese violone in the orchestra