Arpeggione
![]() Arpeggione built in 1968 by Henning Aschauer following specifications of Alfred Lessing. | |
String instrument | |
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Classification |
chordophone sounded by a bow) |
Developed | 1823 |
Related instruments | |
The arpeggione is a six-stringed musical instrument fretted and tuned like a guitar, but with a curved bridge so it can be bowed like a cello, and thus similar to the bass viola da gamba. The instrument is sometimes also called a guitar violoncello.[1] The body shape of the arpeggione is, however, more similar to a medieval fiddle than either the guitar or the bass viol. It is essentially a bass viol with a guitar-type tuning, E–A–d–g–b–e' . The arpeggione is especially suited to playing runs in thirds, double stops, and arpeggios.[1]
It enjoyed a brief period of popularity for perhaps a decade after its invention around 1823 by the
In the 21st century, a revival of interest in the arpeggione has led to the composition of a number of new works either for the instrument alone or within an ensemble.
Composers who have written the largest number of works include the American Dov Joshua Rosenschein,[2] France's Grégory Guéant,[3] and René Mogensen[4] from Denmark.
Contemporary designs of viol-like instruments have similarities to the arpeggione, and at least one (the GuitarViol) was directly influenced by Stauffer's arpeggione.[5][6]
References
- ^ a b "Arpeggione]arpeggione". oxford music online. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ Dov Joshua Rosenschein holds a degree in composition from New York City's Mannes School of Music and is currently involved in that discipline as a major part of his professional work.[1] Accessed 17 November 2019.
- ^ Grégory Guéant is a French composer and pianist who graduated from the Université de Lille where he currently holds a professorial position.
- ^ "René Mogensen". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "History of the GuitarViol". TogaMan GuitarViols. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ "Our Story". TogaMan GuitarViols. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- Aquino, F. Avellar de. "Six-Stringed Virtuoso". The Strad Magazine, Harrow, Middlesex, UK, v. 109, n. 1297, p. 500–507, May 1998. About the arpeggione and Schubert's Sonata.
- Geiringer, Karl. "Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata and the 'Super Arpeggione'." "Musical Quarterly", 65, no. 4 (Oct. 1979), pp. 513–523.
- Sadie, Stanley, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol. 16, 6th. ed., London: Macmillan Press Limited, 1980. s.v. "Schubert, Franz" by Maurice J. E. Brown.
- Schuster, Vincenz. "Anleitung zur Erlernung des . . . neu erfundenen Guitarre-Violoncells". Vienna: Diabelli.
- Tree, Michael, "Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata". The Strad Magazine, vol. 105, February 1994, p. 142. Master-Class on Schubert's Sonata.
External links
- Nicolas Deletaille's webpage on the arpeggione, a lot of useful information on the arpeggione. (The last fairly trouble-free archive version of this page is at Archive of Nicolas Deletaille's webpage on the arpeggione.)
- Homepage of the "Arpeggione World". Osamu Okumura, Japanese has restored OK-model and Anton Mitteisーmodel of Arpeggione making by himself.
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