The
violin in the Northern Netherlands - Fred Lindeman
The design of the violin, the oldest known examples of which date
from the sixteenth century, was a creation of such genius that after more
than four centuries it is still practicable. It has only been necessary
to adapt details, even though completely different demands are made on
stringed instruments today. Even the choice of wood has remained virtually
the same. The belly, the soundboard, is still made of softwood, usually
pine or spruce, just as it is in all other stringed instruments (the harp,
guitar, lute and piano for example). This is because pine or spruce enhances
the sound of the strings better than any other type of wood. The maple
in the other parts of the body combines strength and stability, even when
it is not very thick. Furthermore, this wood has a relatively low specific
gravity, so that the instrument does not need to be heavier than necessary.
In cheap instruments, beech or poplar is sometimes used for the body because
they cost less. These types of wood, however, have a much greater tendency
to deform and crack than maple. Another disadvantage of poplar is that
it absorbs, as it were, the high frequencies and the sound can be less
brillant, or even woolly. However, for economic reasons these drawbacks
are accepted. The violinmakers in the Netherlands stemmed from the circle
of cittern, lute and viol makers who began to make violins at the beginning
of the seventeenth century. Originally, they still called themselves cittern,
lute or musical instrument makers depending on what their principal
occupation was. As far as I am aware, the earliest mention of the profession
of violinmaker was of Gerrit Heinrixss as "fijoelmaker" in 1622.
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