The viola pomposa growing usage

PAULINYI, Zoltan. The viola pomposa growing usage. Romania: No. 14 Plus Minus
Contemporary Music Journal, n. 16, October 10, 2010. Available at:
<http://no14plusminus.ro/2010/10/10/the-viola-pomposa-growing-usage/>
— Zoltan Paulinyi —
The viola pomposa growing usage
ABSTRACT
From many instruments invented in the baroque age, the viola pomposa has survived
almost without a proper name. Defined as a 5-stringed instrument tuned in c-g-D-A-E'
with a timbre similar to the traditional orchestral viola, it has received many divergent
names since the late 18th century, making confusion with 'violino pomposo', 'violino
tenor', 'violoncello da spalla' and even 'violoncello piccolo'. This article compares two
violas pomposas in modern set up made in Brazil by Carlos Martins Del Picchia (2006,
2010) after Guadagnini's La Parmigiana (1765) and suggests an explanation for its
unpopularity until early 21st century. The repertoire for this instrument grows quickly in
Brazil, Belgium and USA. Many examples from contemporary music point out the viola
pomposa features and propose that its technique surpasses the violin and the viola.
Keywords: viola pomposa, repertory, 5-stringed, spalla, violoncello piccolo PREVIEW
RESUMO
Dos muitos instrumentos inventados no período barroco, a viola pomposa sobreviveu
quase sem um nome apropriado. Definido como instrumento pentacorde afinado em Dó2Sol2-Ré3-Lá3-Mi4 com um timbre semelhante à tradicional viola de orquestra, tem
recebido nomes divergentes desde o século XVIII, criando confusão com 'violino
pomposo', 'violino tenor', 'violoncello da spalla' e até mesmo 'violoncello piccolo'. Este
artigo compara duas violas pomposas em montagem moderna feitas no Brasil por Carlos
Martins Del Picchia (2006 e 2010) inspirado no La Parmigiana de Guadagnini (1765) e
sugere uma explicação para sua impopularidade até o século XXI. O repertório para este
instrumento cresce rapidamente no Brasil, Bélgica e EUA. Muitos exemplos da música
contemporânea destacam características da viola pomposa e propõe que sua técnica
ultrapassa a do violino e da viola.
Palavras-chave: viola pomposa, repertório, pentacorde, spalla, violoncello piccolo
INTRODUCTION Human creativity was repeatedly responsible for new instruments inventions
seeking for better sonic expression ways. Kastner noticed, in his instrumentation treatise
published in 1837, that 'each year still sees a multitude of these still-born instruments
that disappear a few weeks after their appearance' 1. Among many of those exotic
instruments invented at the baroque age, the viola pomposa stands out because of the
music and literature written for it. The viola pomposa revival in Brazil in a modern
background expanded the academic research about this subject. Why have such a
promising instrument almost disappeared? Why is it appearing at concert halls again?
Can we accept the traditional literature to be performed on it? Is it possible to integrate
1
Georges Kastner, Traité général d’instrumentation (1837) cited in Patricia Jovanna Woodward, JeanGeorges Kastner’s Traité Général d’instrumentation: a Translation and Commentary (USA, 2003)
Thesis for the Degree of Master of Music, University of North Texas, 285.
Ex. 1: double-stops and ascending arpeggio in Rudolf Haken's Concerto (cadenza), mm. 118-127.
Reproduced by permission of Rudolf Haken.
Ex. 2: dense counterpoint in Harry Crowl's Concert Antítese, 3rd mov. (cadenza), mm. 4-5. Reproduced by
permission of Harry Crowl.
PREVIEW
Ex. 3: ascending scale in double-stops in Rudolf Haken's Galapagos mm. 51-53. Reproduced by
permission of Rudolf Haken.
Ex. 4: descending running notes in Rudolf Haken's Galapagos mm. 26-29. Reproduced by permission of
Rudolf Haken.
Ex. 5: harmonics in Rudolf Haken's Concerto mm. 448-450. Reproduced by permission of Rudolf Haken.
14
Ex. 6: new sonorities in Claude Ledoux's Ô Loli's dream p.5. Reproduced by permission of Claude
Ledoux.
PREVIEW
Ex. 7: bariolage on E and A strings in Claude Ledoux's Ô Loli's dream p.3. Reproduced by permission of
Claude Ledoux.
Ex. 8: double-stop glissandi in opposite directions in Zoltan Paulinyi's Toile mm.3-8. Reproduced by
permission of Zoltan Paulinyi.
Ex. 9: crossing 5 strings in Harry Crowl's Antíteses 1st movement, mm.81-84. Reproduced by permission
of Harry Crowl.
15
Ex. 10: 'Bério tremulando' over 5 strings in Jan Van Landeghem's Widmung mm. 173-175. Reproduced
by permission of Jan Van Landeghem.
PREVIEW
Ex. 11: comparing the timbre on extremely high and low notes in Harry Crowl's As impuras imagens do
dia se desvanecem, p.4. Reproduced by permission of Harry Crowl.
Ex. 12: five-stringed idiomatic characteristics in Harry Crowl's As impuras imagens p. 2. Reproduced by
permission of Harry Crowl.
16
Ex. 13: counterpoint between bassoon and viola pomposa in Harry Crowl's Antíteses, 1st movement,
mm.1-8.
PREVIEW
Ex. 14: extreme register combinations between viola pomposa and bassoon in Zoltan Paulinyi's Ofertório,
mm. 4-11. Reproduced by permission of Zoltan Paulinyi.
Ex. 15: Rudolf Haken's Surennatalia for 2 violas pomposas mm.10-14. Reproduced by permission of
Rudolf Haken.
17
Ex. 16: quick alternation of all five strings in Zoltan Paulinyi's Toada, m.131. Reproduced by permission
of Zoltan Paulinyi.
Ex. 17: polyphonic writing in Zoltan Paulinyi's Toada mm.169-172. Reproduced by permission of Zoltan
Paulinyi.
PREVIEW
Ex. 18: polyphonic writing in Zoltan Paulinyi's Toada with bowed melody and left-hand pizzicato for
accompaniment on the remaining strings (mm.24-31). Reproduced by permission of Zoltan Paulinyi.
18
Ex. 19: polyphonic writing with ostinato in left-hand pizzicato in Zoltan Paulinyi's Oblação ('Offering')
for solo viola pomposa. Reproduced by permission of Zoltan Paulinyi.
PREVIEW
Ex. 20: Béla Bartók's viola concerto, Finale, measures 17-20. (C) Copyright 1950 by Boosey & Hawkes
Inc. Reproduced by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Badiarov,
Dmitry.
Violoncello
(piccolo)
da
spalla.
http://violadabraccio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=
29 (accessed November 16, 2009).
Badiarov, Dmitry. 2007. The Violoncello, Viola da Spalla and Viola Pomposa in
Theory and Practice. Galpin Society: The Galpin Society Journal, (60): 121-145.
Boussoir, Eliakim. 2000. La Viola Pomposa. Diplôme des Métier d'Art.
http://eboussoir.ifrance.com/viola_pomposa2.htm (accessed February 2, 2010).
Brown, Howard Mayer. "Viola pomposa." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music
Online,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/29453
(accessed November 14, 2009).
Conversa de músico: Zoltan Paulinyi e Iracema Simon. Nov. 2008. TV Senado,
Brasília, recorded at Palácio do Itamaraty, broadcasted since Dec. 2008.
Cozio.com.
Guadagnini's
viola
19
"La
parmigiana"
1735.