Violone

The violone is a historic stringed instrument of the viol family.

Because of the design, it is considered as a bridge instrument of the viol family to the double bass. It is in contrast to the viols no longer held by the legs, but placed on the floor. The violone are available in both the viol and violin in shape. In the gamba shape, it also happens with the typical violin F- holes.

The term violone both Achtfußinstrumente were summarized (which as recorded sound ) and Sechzehnfußinstrumente ( which sound an octave lower ). It is now in individual cases difficult to decide which instrument was the composer respectively available.

The player is a violone is called " violinist ", which should not be confused with violinist ( in French is called the violin violon violinist and a consequently violoniste ).

Different names in the 17th century

Violone with Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach described his deepest string instrument always as violone and left it in crowded plants ( about cantatas ) rarely pause. According to the current state of research is likely to have still existed in Weimar a local tradition that the violone was an eight-foot instrument. In Köthener and Leipzig Bach scores leads down the instrument always to D, sometimes to C. Here, it is probably two different Sechzehnfußinstrumente that Bach usually called violone grosso or similar. In the Brandenburg Concertos, all three instruments come before.