Vertical viola
Encyclopedia
The vertical viola, or alto violin, is a stringed instrument with the range of a viola
that is played vertically in the manner of a cello
. It is the fourth-highest member of the violin octet
(after the treble, soprano, and mezzo violins).
The standard viola is about as big as can conveniently be played under the chin. The physicist/instrument maker Carleen Hutchins
, working during the 1960s, reasoned that a viola played vertically could be made larger, and that a larger viola might produce a better sound. Based on principles of instrument design she had observed in top-quality existing instruments, Hutchins designed a viola about 6 cm. (2½ inches) longer than the regular viola, intended to be played vertically like a cello. (Despite Hutchins's original intention, a few violists, equipped with long arms or perhaps just extreme motivation, have played her viola horizontally.)
The fundamental acoustic principle underlying the vertical viola is that the main body resonance
(resonance of the wood of the instrument) should match the second-highest string, and the main cavity resonance (resonance of the air the instrument contains) should match the third-highest string. On a viola these strings are D and G, respectively. The standard viola is too small to achieve this matchup of string frequency to resonance
frequency.
The same design principle was used by Hutchins to design a complete family of eight stringed instruments, commonly called the violin octet
, of which the vertical viola has been the most successful. Since all of the instruments are designed based on the violin, Hutchins gave the name alto violin to her vertical viola design.
Hutchins's instrument has attracted admiration for its power and beauty of tone. The cellist Yo-Yo Ma
has employed a Hutchins vertical viola to perform and record Béla Bartók
's Viola Concerto.
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
that is played vertically in the manner of a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. It is the fourth-highest member of the violin octet
Violin octet
The violin octet is a family of stringed instruments developed in the 20th century primarily under the direction of the American luthier Carleen Hutchins. Each instrument is based directly on the traditional violin and shares its acoustical properties, with the goal of a richer and more homogeneous...
(after the treble, soprano, and mezzo violins).
The standard viola is about as big as can conveniently be played under the chin. The physicist/instrument maker Carleen Hutchins
Carleen Hutchins
Carleen Maley Hutchins was an American former high school science teacher, violinmaker and researcher, best-known for her creation, in the 1950s/60s, of a family of eight proportionally-sized violins now known as the violin octet and for a considerable body of research into the acoustics of violins...
, working during the 1960s, reasoned that a viola played vertically could be made larger, and that a larger viola might produce a better sound. Based on principles of instrument design she had observed in top-quality existing instruments, Hutchins designed a viola about 6 cm. (2½ inches) longer than the regular viola, intended to be played vertically like a cello. (Despite Hutchins's original intention, a few violists, equipped with long arms or perhaps just extreme motivation, have played her viola horizontally.)
The fundamental acoustic principle underlying the vertical viola is that the main body resonance
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...
(resonance of the wood of the instrument) should match the second-highest string, and the main cavity resonance (resonance of the air the instrument contains) should match the third-highest string. On a viola these strings are D and G, respectively. The standard viola is too small to achieve this matchup of string frequency to resonance
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...
frequency.
The same design principle was used by Hutchins to design a complete family of eight stringed instruments, commonly called the violin octet
Violin octet
The violin octet is a family of stringed instruments developed in the 20th century primarily under the direction of the American luthier Carleen Hutchins. Each instrument is based directly on the traditional violin and shares its acoustical properties, with the goal of a richer and more homogeneous...
, of which the vertical viola has been the most successful. Since all of the instruments are designed based on the violin, Hutchins gave the name alto violin to her vertical viola design.
Hutchins's instrument has attracted admiration for its power and beauty of tone. The cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
has employed a Hutchins vertical viola to perform and record Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's Viola Concerto.