Violin Playing and Players

As a solo instrument, the violin plays an unimportant role until the middle of the 17th century, and it is only with the
development of the early sonata form that it reached a position of rank in the history of music.  The earliest
compositions for violin solo appear in a work of Biagio Marini published in 1620.  They comprise a “Romanesca” for
violin with string bass and libitum and some dances in which the technical demands on the player are elementary.  
More important are the compositions of Carlo Farina, an early “virtuoso.”  Farina published, in 1627, a collection of
violin pieces, dances, etc., of great interest musically and technically.  In his compositions he employs a variety of
bowings, adouble-stopping and chords not exceeding the third position.  In an early opera by Claudio Monteverde
(1567-1643) a violin passage goes up to the fifth position.  Paolo Ucellini in his “Canzoni” (1649) goes up to the sixth
position and shows a great variety of bowing.  The terms “sonata,” “canzone,” and “sinfonia” were originally used for
instrumental settings of all kinds without designating any special form.

Toward 1630 we find the first compositions containing the primitive form of the classical violin sonata.  Among the
earliest specimens of the primitive sonata were the sonatas of G. B. Fontana, published about 1630, a sinfonia by
Mont’ Albano (1629) and Canzoni and a Sonata by m. Neri  (1644 and 1651).  From about 1650, the name canzone
fell out of use and sonata becomes the accepted term for violin compositions.  Neri is also the first to make a
distinction between the “Sonata da Chiesa: (church sonata) and the “Sonata da Camera” (chamber sonata).  The
church sonata generally consisted of three or four movements; a slow prelude followed by an allegro, again a slow
movement and a lively finale.  The chamber sonata at this early period was in reality a suite of dances--the slow and
solemn sarabandes and allemandes alternating with the lively gavottes, gigues, etc.

About 1650 the violin was introduced into the Church as a solo instrument, and the violin sonata--almost the only form
of violin composition--received the serious and dignified character, which exercised a decisive influence on the future
development of violin playing and instrumental music in general.  The first great master of the violin sonata was G.B.
Vitali (1644-1692).  After Vitali, G. Torelli (1657-1716) added a new musical form—the violin concerto.

With the appearance of Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) however, an era is marked both in musical composition and
violin playing.  His violin compositions have served as models to the best of his successors.  As a violinist, Corelli, by
talent and character gained a position of authority which has few parallels in the history of music, and from Corelli on,
the violin becomes one of the most important mediums for musical utterance.

After Corelli, the greatest representative of the classical Italian school was G. Tartini (1692-1770).  He was equally
eminent as a performer, teacher and composer for the violin and exercised enormous influence in matters of violin
playing for more than half a century not only in Italy, but in Germany and France as well.  With him the exclusive Italian
school oof violin playing reach its culminating point and the pupils of Corelli and Tartini formed the connecting links
between that school and the subsequent schools of France and Germany.

The first French violinist of note who studied in Italy under Corelli was Baptiste Anet (1700).  Of greater importance
however was Jean Marie Leclair (1697-1764) a pupil of G. B. Somis whoin turn was a direct pupil of corelli and Vivaldi.  
Of supreme importance is the advent of Jean Baptiste Viotti (1753-1824) who marks a new era in French violin
playing.  Viotti enjoyed phenomenal success not only in France but in Germany, England and Russia.  It can be
safelysaid that he ranks as the founder of the modern school of violin playing.

In germany the art of Corelli and Tartini was spread by numerous pupils who entered the services of various German
princes.  In Berlin, we find JG. Graun (1698-1771), a direct pupil of Tartini.  In the south, the Mann-heim School
numbered J.C. Stamtz (1719-1761) and his two gifted sons, Karl and Anton.  The Manheim School was the most
important centre of violin playing in Germany during the second half of the 18th century.  They adhered more closely
than the French players to Tartini’s method and manner although Mozart described their style as old-fashioned.  The
fact that the last and final improvements in the violin bow, as made by Tourte of Paris were probably unknown to them
might account for this.  The German school finally reached its peak with Ludwig Spohr (1784-1859) the great
contemporary of Nicolo Paganini.  Spohr is the direct heir of Viotti and Pierre Rode (1774-1830).

As the evolution of the violin culminated with Antonio Stradivari, so the technique of violin playing culminated with the
fabulous Nicolo Paganini (1784-1840).  Nothing importantly new sincehis time has been added to the mechanics of
violin playing.

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