A tenor violin (or tenor viola) is a medium-pitched bowed instrument. Its sound range is between that of the cello and the viola. This instrument was developed earlier in the history of the violin family. It is not commonly used in today's symphony orchestras. The instrument is usually tuned to G2-D3-A3-E4, which is one octave lower than the tuning of a regular violin. This tuning gives it a range between the cello and viola. Because of this, it is sometimes mistaken for the modern baritone violin, which uses the same tuning on a standard violin body.
History
The tenor violin was a musical instrument used in the 17th century. It had a body larger than a viola but a short neck. Earlier versions of the tenor violin were played upright in the musician’s lap. Music written for the tenor violin used a special type of musical notation called tenor clef. Antonio Stradivari, a famous violin maker, created two different models of the tenor violin and also made variations of violas in the same size. Like violins from that time, many tenor violins had a fretted fingerboard, which is a board with raised lines to help players find notes.
Smaller tenor violins measured 14 inches (36 cm) long. They had a wide body and a very short tailpiece, which is a part of the instrument that holds the strings. This design helped increase the string length enough to lower the pitch by an octave. Sometimes, no tailpiece was used, and the strings were attached directly to a brass plate on the front of the instrument.
Examples of tenor violins include four 120-year-old instruments, with a standard violin shown for size comparison. A modern tenor violin is also shown next to a standard viola and violin. Another image shows a man playing a tenor violin from the Violin Octet family while sitting.
In the 18th century, improvements in string technology changed how music was played. Sound from the viola and cello ranges became more focused, which reduced the use of tenor violins. Fewer tenor violins were made during this time. However, tenor violins became popular again in Germany from the late 19th to early 20th century. They were usually played on the lap, but some had chin rests to allow playing on the shoulder. The body of the tenor violin was 18 inches (460 mm) long, and the full instrument was 30 inches (760 mm) long. The ribs of the instrument were 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) taller than those of today’s standard 16-inch (410 mm) viola.
The tenor violin is named after the "tenor" voice in a vocal quartet, which is between the alto (viola) and bass (cello) voices. Some composers, like Felix Draeseke and Sergei Taneyev, included the tenor violin in their music. Today, these instruments are used again in modern musical improvisation.
Modern versions of the tenor violin include the violotta and viola profonda, both of which are held at the shoulder. In a violin octet, the tenor violin is tuned an octave below the standard violin and is about the same size as a 1⁄2-size cello. The baritone violin in the same group is a larger version of the cello.
Discography
In 1971, Alberta Hurst, a tenor violinist, performed the following musical pieces: J. S. Bach's Arioso; Boccherini's Sonata in A-Major; Telemann's Trio-Sonata; and Gal's Suite. She was accompanied by Konstanze Bender on the recorder, Ruth Adams on the bass viola da gamba, and Ralph Linsley on the harpsichord. The recording was released by Crystal Records with the catalog number S735.