The baryton is a bowed string instrument similar to the viol. It has an extra set of strings that can be plucked and also vibrate. This instrument was commonly used in Europe until the end of the 18th century.
Design
The baryton is a type of large instrument that is similar to the bass viol. It has about six or seven strings made of gut, usually tuned to D, G, C, E, A, D (though sometimes different tunings are used). The strings are stretched over a fingerboard with frets and played with a bow. The instrument is held upright and supported by the player's legs, unlike the modern cello, which uses an end-pin for support.
The baryton has extra wire strings compared to the bass viol. These strings have two purposes: they vibrate along with the bowed strings, making the sound richer, and they can be plucked by the player's left thumb, creating a different sound. As shown in the illustration, the bowed strings are placed on the left side, where the left hand can easily reach them. The plucked strings are on the right side, positioned so the player's thumb can pluck them from the back of the instrument, where the neck is open.
History
There are about 50 historical barytons for which we have proof, either through documents or the actual instrument. Many of these instruments have been changed from their original design. This makes it hard to study the history of the baryton.
According to Pamplin, the baryton likely began in England during the early 17th century when features of two instruments, the viola da gamba and the bandora, were combined into one new instrument. Early evidence of the baryton appears in Marin Mersenne’s book Cogitata Physico-Mathematica (1644). Fruchtman notes that Mersenne wrote about an instrument built by the English, which was admired by King James. This instrument had six bowed strings and metal strings behind the neck. The left hand’s thumb plucked the metal strings, which created sound with the bowed notes. If this is true, the baryton must have been known in England before 1625, when King James’s reign ended. The oldest surviving baryton dates to 1647 and was made by Magnus Feldlen in Vienna. It is now in the musical instrument collection of the Royal College of Music in London.
In 1744, a performance at Marylebone Gardens in London was announced. Mr. Ferrand was to play on “the Pariton,” an instrument that had never been performed publicly before.
The baryton was not very popular, but it gained special status in courtly circles, especially in southern Germany and Austria. Compositions for the baryton by Haydn and his colleagues marked its final period of use. By the early 19th century, the baryton had fallen out of style and no longer attracted new compositions. The Haydn-era baryton differed from earlier versions in one key way: its sympathetic strings were tuned an octave higher than before. This helped the baryton stand out from other instruments like the viola and cello in the baryton trio, the main form Haydn used. Because Haydn’s works are widely studied today, the Haydn-style tuning has become the standard. Czech composer Václav Pichl also wrote music for the baryton.
The baryton was “completely neglected” (Hsu) in the 19th century. However, in the 20th century, with the rise of the authentic performance movement in classical music, new barytons were built and played. Early modern barytons were heavy, more like cellos than bass viols (sometimes called “cellitons”), but lighter versions were later made that closely resembled older designs.
Christian Döbereiner in Munich is likely the first person to revive the baryton. In 1934, he ordered a copy of a 1782 baryton by Simon Schödler from the famous luthier Ferdinand Wilhelm Jaura in Munich. The first modern performance on that instrument took place in Munich in 1936 and included a Haydn trio. This instrument is part of the Vazquez Collection of Historical String Instruments and is often used by the Orpheon Foundation. A full record of the Jaura Baryton is available on the Orpheon Foundation’s website.
Today, many musicians play the baryton, including Jeremy Brooker, Kazimierz Gruszczyński, Balázs Kakuk (Haydn Baryton Trio of Budapest), José Manuel Hernández, John Hsu, Roland Hutchinson, José Vázquez, Kenneth Slowik, and Matthew Baker (Valencia Baryton Project).
With the revival of the baryton, more recordings of its music have been made. Several ensembles have recorded individual works, and the Esterházy Ensemble (Michael Brüssing, baryton) has released a complete set of recordings covering all of Haydn’s works for the instrument.
The Swiss composer Klaus Huber wrote an important solo part for the baryton in his work … à l’âme de marcher sur ses pieds de soie … (2004).
Repertoire
The most famous works for this instrument are the 175 pieces written by Joseph Haydn for his wealthy supporter, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, who liked to play this instrument. Of these, 126 are trios for viola, cello, and baryton. These were created during the early years of Haydn's career, between 1762 and 1775. Andreas Lidel was also well-known for writing music that included the baryton.
Nomenclature
The Oxford English Dictionary states that the instrument's name comes from the French word baryton or the Italian word baritono. These words ultimately come from the Greek words bary- meaning "heavy" or "deep" and tonos meaning "pitch." Other ways to spell the name include bariton, barydon, paradon, paridon, pariton, viola paradon, viola di bordoni, viola di bardone (in Italian), and viola di bordone (in German). The name lyra bastard is sometimes used, but this is not the correct name for the instrument.