Several Viola d'Amore and Baryton, Deutsches Museum

upper left

Viola d'amore
Norbert Gedler, Würzburg 1721,
Bogen deutsch 3. Viertel 18. Jahrhundert
Inv.-Nr. ... und ...

2nd right

Viola d'amore
ursprünglich Philomele,
Vogtland oder Böhmen, 
Ende 19, Jahrhundert
Inv.-Nr. 72090 ?

bottom center

Baryton
... ..., ..., 1925 ?
Inv.-Nr. ...

description

String Instruments with Sympathetic Strings

Metal strings vibrate in clearly audible resonances if they are caused to do so by another string. The overhearing harmonics give a melody a special sound. This effect is used in several instruments, specifically in the euphonium and the viola d'amore.

The viola d'amore was built in two versions. Both were string with metal strings. The early type has 5 to 7 strings that were bowed in the usual manner, for example, the viola made by Norbert Gedler. The later type, first documented around 1700, has 6 to 14 additional metal strings which lie beneath the finger board and vibrate sympathetically.

The euphonium is a bass instrument of the gamba family. It has 6 to 7 gut strings and 10 to 15 metal string beneath the finger board which can vibrate sympathetically, but can also be plucked by the player. This makes it a very dif- ficult instrument to play. It has only been mastered by a few virtuosos. One of the masters of this instrument was the Austrian prince Esterhazy [I or  II] who com- manded his director of music, Joseph Haydn, to compose specifically for this instrument. The excellent chamber music available to musicians today stems