{"id":17297,"date":"2022-05-09T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=17297"},"modified":"2022-06-03T15:57:28","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T13:57:28","slug":"viola-da-braccio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2022\/05\/09\/viola-da-braccio\/","title":{"rendered":"Une pi\u00e8ce historique : une viola da braccio de la Renaissance italienne"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Il est des instruments fascinants qui semblent porter avec eux une partie de l\u2019histoire de l\u2019humanit\u00e9, c\u2019est le cas de cette viola da braccio. R\u00e9alis\u00e9 durant la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, ce mod\u00e8le est l\u2019un des rares parvenus jusqu\u2019\u00e0 nous. Surgissant de la Renaissance, c\u2019est toute l\u2019histoire de la viole et du futur alto que porte en lui l\u2019instrument. Pi\u00e8ce d\u2019exception, tr\u00e9sor historique, cette viola da braccio probablement r\u00e9alis\u00e9e vers 1520 \u00e0 Brescia est \u00e0 la fois unique, puisqu\u2019elle s\u2019inscrit comme un jalon de l\u2019\u00e9volution de l\u2019instrument, tout en renvoyant \u00e0 la foisonnante culture italienne de l\u2019\u00e9poque, dont rendent compte l\u2019iconographie musicale et les quelques instruments subsistants.  Cap sur la Renaissance italienne\u2026   <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Histoire de la viola da braccio <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Les origines de la viole sont assez obscures, d’autant plus que l\u2019on retrouve indiff\u00e9remment employ\u00e9s les termes de \u201cvi\u00e8le\u201d et de \u201cviole\u201d dans les premiers \u00e9crits m\u00e9di\u00e9vaux mentionnant l\u2019instrument, \u00e0 l\u2019instar de ceux de Guillaume de Machaut (vers 1300-1377). Bien que d\u00e8s le Moyen \u00c2ge, une profusion d\u2019instruments \u00e0 archet \u00e9mergent, tels que le rebec, la viole est une invention du XV\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle et la th\u00e9orie la plus courante voudrait que l\u2019instrument soit apparu en Espagne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On consid\u00e8re couramment que la viola da braccio a \u00e9t\u00e9 con\u00e7ue \u00e0 partir d\u2019un instrument \u00e0 cordes pinc\u00e9es pr\u00e9existant, que les musiciens commenc\u00e8rent \u00e0 jouer verticalement et non plus horizontalement, \u00e0 l\u2019aide d\u2019un archet. L\u2019instrument \u00e0 cordes pinc\u00e9es en question pourrait \u00eatre le vihuela, \u201cdont la forme, la taille et la fa\u00e7on d\u2019accorder correspondent \u00e0 celles de la viole t\u00e9nor.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u2019est en Italie que l\u2019on s\u2019int\u00e9ressa r\u00e9ellement \u00e0 la fabrication de la viole au XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle. Le terme de \u201cviola da braccio\u201d y est apparu \u00e0 cette \u00e9poque et signifie \u201cviole de bras\u201d, car l\u2019instrument \u00e9tait jou\u00e9 tenu dans les bras, par opposition aux violes de gambe tenues entre les jambes. La famille des violes da braccio comportait des sopranos, t\u00e9nors et basses. Les sopranos furent par la suite pr\u00e9nomm\u00e9s violino et le terme de viola perdura pour d\u00e9signer l\u2019alto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> David Munrow, Instruments de Musique du Moyen \u00c2ge et de la Renaissance, 1979, p 86.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Luis<\/a><\/figure>\n
Luis Milan, Frontispice du Libro de m\u00fasica de vihuela de mano, Orph\u00e9e jouant de la vihuela<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Fra<\/a>
Fra Angelico, Le Couronnement de la Vierge, Louvre – Viole \u00e0 quatre cordes dont une en bourdon, vers 1430<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Gaudenzio<\/a>
Gaudenzio Ferrari, anges jouant diff\u00e9rents mod\u00e8les de viola da braccio, vers 1530, cath\u00e9drale de Saronno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n
Viola da braccio
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 juin 2022
\u00a9 Christophe DARBELET<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Un mod\u00e8le en perp\u00e9tuelle \u00e9volution au XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle  <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Durant tout le XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, la forme de la viole \u00e9volua beaucoup et de nombreux mod\u00e8les circul\u00e8rent. Ce n\u2019est qu\u2019au d\u00e9but du XVII\u00e8me<\/sup> que sa forme se stabilisa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCe que nous avons tendance \u00e0 consid\u00e9rer comme une conception typique de la viole n\u2019est en fait qu\u2019un mod\u00e8le parmi tant d\u2019autres datant du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle.\u201d<\/p>David Munrow, Instruments de Musique du Moyen \u00c2ge et de la Renaissance, 1979, p 86.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On rencontre ainsi une pluralit\u00e9 de mod\u00e8les de violes da braccio, dont rendent compte les rares instruments subsistants et surtout l\u2019iconographie musicale du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle. On constate que les instruments varient principalement dans leurs proportions, dans la forme de leurs \u00e9chancrures et de leurs ou\u00efes. Au d\u00e9but du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, on trouve ainsi en Italie plusieurs mod\u00e8les \u00e0 corps sup\u00e9rieurs allong\u00e9s, sans coins, mais \u00e0 ar\u00eates marqu\u00e9es au niveau du corps inf\u00e9rieur. Les ou\u00efes sont majoritairement en forme de C et sont tourn\u00e9es vers l\u2019int\u00e9rieur. La peinture italienne nous en offre un certain nombre d\u2019exemples, \u00e0 l\u2019instar de l\u2019Orph\u00e9e du Parnasse de Rapha\u00ebl peint entre 1509-1511 ou de l\u2019Apollon de Dosso Dossi de la Galerie Borgh\u00e8se, dat\u00e9 1519. L\u2019observation de ces peintures nous permet de constater la parent\u00e9 entre la forme g\u00e9n\u00e9rale de ces instruments italiens du premier tiers du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle et celle du mod\u00e8le de la vente du 2 juin 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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N\u00e9anmoins, cet instrument in\u00e9dit \u00e0 des ou\u00efes en forme de C \u00e0 pointe centrale qui regardent vers l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur. Les ou\u00efes tourn\u00e9es vers l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur apparaissent au cours du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle[1]<\/sup><\/a>, comme en t\u00e9moigne notamment une peinture du Tintoret repr\u00e9sentant Apollon et les muses dat\u00e9e vers 1580. Celles de l\u2019instrument de la vente du 2 juin 2022 sont toutefois encore ramass\u00e9es et non allong\u00e9es comme cela deviendra fr\u00e9quent durant la seconde moiti\u00e9 du si\u00e8cle, ce qui conduit \u00e0 penser que l\u2019instrument est ant\u00e9rieur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enfin, notons que certains mod\u00e8les de violes n\u2019ont pas du tout d\u2019\u00e9chancrures au XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle et peuvent avoir des \u00e9paules plus ou moins tombantes. C\u2019est le cas d\u2019un mod\u00e8le italien r\u00e9alis\u00e9 \u00e0 la fin du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, conserv\u00e9 au Palais Lascaris de Nice, \u00e0 ou\u00efes en double C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les choses semblent changer au XVII\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle, puisque la c\u00e9l\u00e8bre planche XX du Syntagma Musicum<\/em> de Praetorius figure cinq mod\u00e8les de violes, toutes \u00e0 \u00e9chancrures prononc\u00e9es en forme de C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Hadi T. Nia, Ankita D. Jain, Yuming Liu, Mohammad-Reza Alam, Roman Barnas, Nicholas C. Makris, The evolution of air resonance power efficiency in the violin and its ancestors, 2015<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Rapha\u00ebl,<\/a>
Rapha\u00ebl, Le Parnasse, Chambre de la Signature, Rome, 1509-1511<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Dosso<\/a>
Dosso Dossi, Apollo and Daphne, 1519, Galerie Borgh\u00e8se, Rome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Tintoret,<\/a>
Tintoret, Apollon et les muses sur le Parnasse, vers 1580<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Evolution<\/a>
Evolution des ou\u00efes, planche tir\u00e9e de The evolution of air resonance power efficiency in the violin and its ancestors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Italie,<\/a>
Italie, Viola, fin XVI\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, Palais Lascaris, Nice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Michael<\/a>
Michael Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum, Violes, Planche XX, vers 1620<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Comparaisons et rapprochements dendrochronologiques<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019examen des mod\u00e8les existants et l\u2019iconographie musicale nous permettent donc de situer la fabrication de l\u2019instrument de la vente du 2 juin 2022 au XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle en Italie, ce que confirme le rapport dendrochronologique. Le Museum of Art and Archaeology<\/em> de l\u2019Universit\u00e9 d\u2019Oxford (Ashmolean) conserve un tr\u00e8s rare mod\u00e8le de viole r\u00e9alis\u00e9 \u00e0 Venise dans la seconde moiti\u00e9 du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle par Giovanni Maria da Brescia. En forme de guitare, c\u2019est l\u2019unique instrument connu de ce luthier et l\u2019une des rares violes du XVI\u00e8me si\u00e8cle parvenues jusqu\u2019\u00e0 nous avec des ou\u00efes en forme de C \u00e0 pointe centrale. Cette comparaison est int\u00e9ressante puisque, comme mentionn\u00e9 pr\u00e9c\u00e9demment, on retrouve ce m\u00eame genre d\u2019ou\u00efes sur l\u2019instrument de la vente Vichy Ench\u00e8res, mais dans une version encore tr\u00e8s courte laissant penser que ce mod\u00e8le a probablement \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9alis\u00e9 \u00e0 Brescia avant celui du Ashmolean, c\u2019est-\u00e0-dire durant la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVI\u00e8me<\/sup> si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Le rapport dendrochronologique soutient cette th\u00e9orie puisqu\u2019il date le bois de l\u2019instrument de 1511 et propose une r\u00e9alisation \u00e0 partir de 1520. Les diff\u00e9rentes analyses du bois ont \u00e9galement r\u00e9v\u00e9l\u00e9 des correspondances significatives avec les donn\u00e9es d\u2019autres instruments anciens, et notamment une lira da braccio de Francesco Ventura di Linarol dat\u00e9e 1563 et conserv\u00e9e au National Music Museum (South Dakota). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parmi les quelques autres correspondances int\u00e9ressantes, signalons \u00e9galement deux violons, le premier par Andrea Amati (Cr\u00e9mone, 1505 – 1577) et le deuxi\u00e8me par Gasparo da Sal\u00f2 (Sal\u00f2, 1540 – Brescia, 1609).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Giovanni<\/a>
Giovanni Maria da Brescia, Treble viol, deuxi\u00e8me moiti\u00e9 du XVI\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, Ashmolean, Oxford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Francesco<\/a>
Francesco Ventura di Linarol, Lira da braccio, 1563, National Music Museum of South Dakota<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Raret\u00e9 des mod\u00e8les<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Les instruments de cette \u00e9poque sont extr\u00eamement rares sur le march\u00e9 et dans les collections publiques. Peu sont parvenus jusqu\u2019\u00e0 nous et les quelques mod\u00e8les subsistants ont fr\u00e9quemment connu des modifications pour les conformer aux nouveaux usages. L\u2019instrument de la vente Vichy Ench\u00e8res du 2 juin 2022 fait partie de ces rares t\u00e9moins du pass\u00e9 et de l\u2019\u00e9volution des pratiques musicales, puisqu\u2019il a \u00e9t\u00e9 transform\u00e9 en alto. En effet, on observe que les \u00e9paules de l\u2019instrument ont \u00e9t\u00e9 l\u00e9g\u00e8rement sur\u00e9lev\u00e9es et que sa t\u00eate a \u00e9t\u00e9 remplac\u00e9e.
Parmi le peu de mod\u00e8les connus, l\u2019Ashmolean conserve une lira da braccio de Gasparo da Salo r\u00e9alis\u00e9e en 1561, \u00e9galement convertie en alto.
Le c\u00e9l\u00e8bre altiste Yizhak Schotten joue sur un autre de ces rares exemplaires, certainement une lira da braccio \u00e0 sept cordes r\u00e9alis\u00e9e par Francesco Ventura di Linarol \u00e0 Venise en 1580, transform\u00e9e par la suite en alto.
Aux ench\u00e8res, ces instruments sont encore plus rares que dans les collections publiques, voire inexistants. La vente du 2 juin 2022 est donc une occasion exceptionnelle d\u2019acqu\u00e9rir l\u2019un de ces instruments historiques. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Viola<\/a>
Viola da braccio\nInstrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 juin 2022\n\u00a9 Christophe DARBELET<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Gasparo<\/a>
Gasparo da Salo, Lira da braccio convertie en alto, 1561, Ashmolean, Oxford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Francesco<\/a>
Francesco Ventura di Linarol, Lira da braccio transform\u00e9e en alto, 1580, instrument de Schotten<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vichy Ench\u00e8res vous donne rendez-vous le 2 juin 2022 \u00e0 l\u2019occasion de sa vente d\u2019instruments du quatuor de prestige pour d\u00e9couvrir cette pi\u00e8ce de collection, v\u00e9ritable joyau de la lutherie \u00e0 la Renaissance, \u00e0 l\u2019origine du d\u00e9veloppement de la viole et de l\u2019alto.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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A PIECE OF HISTORY: A VIOLA DA BRACCIO FROM THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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There are fascinating instruments that seem to carry with them a piece of human history; this viola da braccio is one of them. Made during the first half of the 16th<\/sup> century, this instrument is one of the few of this type that have come down to us. A product of the Renaissance, it bears witness to the entire history of the viol and of the future viola. This exceptional piece, of historical significance, was probably made around 1520 in Brescia and it is both unique, since it represents a milestone in the evolution of the instrument, and a testimony to the burgeoning culture in Italy at the time, reflected in the musical representations and the few surviving instruments. Let\u2019s head to the Italian Renaissance\u2026<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Version fran\u00e7aise<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The history of the viola da braccio <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The origins of the viol are rather obscure, especially since we find the terms “vi\u00e8le” and “viole” used interchangeably in the first French medieval documents mentioning the instrument, like those by Guillaume de Machaut (circa 1300-1377). Although, from the Middle Ages, several types of bowed instruments, such as the rebec, emerged, the viol is a 15th century invention and the most common theory is that the instrument originated in Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is generally considered that the viola da braccio was based from a pre-existing plucked string instrument, which musicians began to play vertically instead of horizontally, using a bow. The plucked string instrument in question could be the vihuela, \u201cwhose shape, size and tuning correspond to those of the tenor viol.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was in Italy that interest in making viols really emerged in the 16th<\/sup> century. The term “viola da braccio” (viol of the arm) appeared there at this time because the instrument was held in the arm while played, whereas violas da gamba were held between the legs. The viola da braccio family included soprano, tenor and bass models. The soprano ones were later named \u201cviolino\u201d (violin) whilst the term viola endured to designate the instrument of the same name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> David Munrow, Instruments de Musique du Moyen \u00c2ge et de la Renaissance, 1979, p 86.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Luis<\/a><\/figure>\n
Luis Milan, Frontispice du Libro de m\u00fasica de vihuela de mano, Orph\u00e9e jouant de la vihuela<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Fra<\/a>
Fra Angelico, Le Couronnement de la Vierge, Louvre – Viole \u00e0 quatre cordes dont une en bourdon, vers 1430<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Gaudenzio<\/a>
Gaudenzio Ferrari, anges jouant diff\u00e9rents mod\u00e8les de viola da braccio, vers 1530, cath\u00e9drale de Saronno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Viola<\/a><\/figure>\n
Viola da braccio
Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 juin 2022
\u00a9 Christophe DARBELET<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A constantly evolving instrument in the 16th<\/sup> century  <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Throughout the 16th<\/sup> century, the shape of the viol evolved significantly and several models were in circulation. It was not until the beginning of the 17th century that its form was fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can therefore come across different forms of viola da braccio in the rare surviving instruments and, above all, in musical representations of the 16th<\/sup> century.\u201d<\/p>David Munrow, Instruments de Musique du Moyen \u00c2ge et de la Renaissance, 1979, p 86.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

These instruments vary mainly in their proportions, their outline and their soundholes. At the beginning of the 16th<\/sup> century, we find in Italy several models with elongated upper bodies, without corners, but with pronounced indentations in the lower body. The soundholes are mostly C-shaped and face inward. Italian paintings include a number of examples, like the Orpheus of Parnassus by Raphael painted circa 1509-1511, or the Apollo by Dosso Dossi in the Borghese Gallery, dated 1519. These paintings show the similarity between the general shape of Italian violas da braccio from the first third of the 16th<\/sup> century and that of the instrument in the sale of 2 June 2022.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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However, this unique instrument has C-shaped soundholes, with a central notch, which face outward. Soundholes facing outward appeared during the 16th<\/sup> century[1]<\/sup><\/a>, as evidenced in particular by a painting by Tintoretto representing Apollo and the muses and dated from around 1580. Those of the instrument in the sale of 2 June 2022 are however still compact and not elongated as will become more frequent during the second half of the century, which points to the instrument having been made earlier than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it is worth noting that some models of viols did not have C-bouts at all in the 16th<\/sup> century and had more or less sloping shoulders. This is the case of an Italian example made at the end of the 16th<\/sup> century, kept at the Palais Lascaris in Nice, with double C soundholes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things appear to have changed in the 17th<\/sup> century, as evidenced by the famous plate XX of Syntagma Musicum<\/em> by Praetorius which features five models of viols, all with pronounced C-shaped middle bouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Hadi T. Nia, Ankita D. Jain, Yuming Liu, Mohammad-Reza Alam, Roman Barnas, Nicholas C. Makris, The evolution of air resonance power efficiency in the violin and its ancestors, 2015<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Rapha\u00ebl,<\/a>
Rapha\u00ebl, Le Parnasse, Chambre de la Signature, Rome, 1509-1511<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Dosso<\/a>
Dosso Dossi, Apollo and Daphne, 1519, Galerie Borgh\u00e8se, Rome<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Tintoret,<\/a>
Tintoret, Apollon et les muses sur le Parnasse, vers 1580<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Evolution<\/a>
Evolution des ou\u00efes, planche tir\u00e9e de The evolution of air resonance power efficiency in the violin and its ancestors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Italie,<\/a>
Italie, Viola, fin XVI\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, Palais Lascaris, Nice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Michael<\/a>
Michael Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum, Violes, Planche XX, vers 1620<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dendrochronological analysis and comparisons<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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The study of extant examples and of musical representations therefore allows us to date the instrument in the sale of June 2, 2022 to the 16th<\/sup> century in Italy, which the dendrochronological report confirms. The Museum of Art and Archeology<\/em> of the University of Oxford (\u201cAshmolean\u201d) preserves a very rare example of a viol made in Venice in the second half of the 16th<\/sup> century by Giovanni Maria da Brescia. In the shape of a guitar, it is the only known instrument of this maker and one of the rare viols from the 16th<\/sup> century to have come down to us with C-shaped soundholes with central notches. This comparison of the soundhole shapes is interesting since, as mentioned previously, we find this same style of soundholes on the instrument in the Vichy Ench\u00e8res sale, but in short form, suggesting that this instrument was probably made in Brescia before the one in the Ashmolean, in other words during the first half of the 16th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The dendrochronological analysis supports this theory, since it dates the wood of the instrument from 1511 and suggests a date of manufacture of 1520. The various analyses of the wood also revealed strong connections with the wood of other old instruments, in particular a lira da braccio by Francesco Ventura di Linarol dated 1563 and kept at the National Music Museum (South Dakota).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the few other interesting connections, we should mention two violins, the first by Andrea Amati (Cremona, 1505 – 1577) and the second by Gasparo da Sal\u00f2 (Sal\u00f2, 1540 – Brescia, 1609).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Giovanni<\/a>
Giovanni Maria da Brescia, Treble viol, deuxi\u00e8me moiti\u00e9 du XVI\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, Ashmolean, Oxford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Francesco<\/a>
Francesco Ventura di Linarol, Lira da braccio, 1563, National Music Museum of South Dakota<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The rarity of such instruments<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Instruments from this period are extremely rare on the market and in public collections. Few have come down to us and the few surviving models have often been modified to adapt to new practices. The instrument in the Vichy Ench\u00e8res sale of 2 June 2022 is one of those: a rare witness to the past and to the evolution of musical practices, as it has been converted into a viola. Indeed, we can see that the shoulders of the instrument have been slightly raised and that its head has been replaced.
Amongst the few other known models, the Ashmolean has a lira da braccio by Gasparo da Salo made in 1561, also converted into a viola.
The famous violist Yizhak Schotten plays on another of these rare examples, a seven-string lira da braccio made by Francesco Ventura di Linarol in Venice in 1580, later converted into a viola.
These instruments are even rarer at auction than in public collections, if appearing at all. The sale of 2 June 2022 is therefore an exceptional opportunity to acquire one of these historic instruments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Viola<\/a>
Viola da braccio\nInstrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 2 juin 2022\n\u00a9 Christophe DARBELET<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Gasparo<\/a>
Gasparo da Salo, Lira da braccio convertie en alto, 1561, Ashmolean, Oxford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Francesco<\/a>
Francesco Ventura di Linarol, Lira da braccio transform\u00e9e en alto, 1580, instrument de Schotten<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Vichy Ench\u00e8res invites you to its fine string quartet instruments sale on 2 June 2022 to discover this collector’s item, a true gem of instrument making in the Renaissance, which bears witness to the origins and the development of the viol and the viola.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n