“The violin – that most human of all instruments.”
Louisa May Alcott
The violin is one of the world’s most popular instruments. A simple four-stringed instrument played with a bow, its tone is bright and dynamic, and its fretless fingerboard offers an infinite number of possibilities. Its origins can be traced back to the Ravanastron and Erhu in India and China, respectively. In various parts of Europe, folk versions included fiddles, viols, and crwths that were played joyously during times of celebration. The modern-day violin’s ancestors can be found in northern Italy in the 16th century. During the Renaissance period, the time when art and culture flourished all across Europe, the violin gained popularity in classical and dance music.
The violin has cemented its place in the modern world as one of the most versatile instruments, used as a solo piece, accompanying instrument, or as part of an orchestra across various music forms such as Classical, Jazz, Folk, Indian Carnatic, and popular music (TV and film).
For several reasons, the violin (Baroque violin) has been one of the most important instruments in classical music since the Baroque era. The violin’s tone stands out above other instruments, making it suitable for playing a melody line. The extremely agile violin, in the hands of a skilled player, can execute rapid and difficult note sequences. Violins are an important part of an orchestra and are usually divided into two sections, the first and second violins. Niccol Paganini, Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and others were among the most renowned classical violinists and composers whose contributions are still remembered today.
From the sixteenth century onwards, India was heavily influenced by numerous European powers. Baluswamy Dikshitar (1786-1859), a notable Carnatic (South Indian classical) musician and composer, and brother of the illustrious Muttusvami Dikshitar of the Carnatic trinity, received some Western violin training and subsequently began to play Indian music on the instrument in the early 1800s. The violin proved to be an excellent match for the music, since the gamakas (note glides and oscillations – the lifeblood of Carnatic music) were not only conceivable, but also natural and intuitive on the instrument. The violin swiftly rose to prominence as an accompaniment instrument, demonstrating an exceptional ability to follow and respond to the music of the voice and other instruments. Later, it was brought to the front of the stage as a solo instrument. Lalgudi Jayaraman, A. Kanyakumari, T. N. Krishnan, Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, and others are well-known Indian classical violinists.
There are numerous differences between the Western and Indian styles, ranging from position (standing or seated on a chair vs cross legged sitting on the floor) to style (focus on sheet music/orchestral conductor vs instinct/improvisations) and emphasis (there are breaks between notes or the bow is reversed between every two notes vs the focus is more on having the notes flow and merge into each other (melody)).
Regardless of these technical disparities, the violin is a great illustration of music’s unifying phenomena. Our techniques may differ across continents and civilizations, but the heart and spirit of music remains the same. The violin is still a language with several dialects that exist exclusively to enhance the beauty of string music.
Written by Sanjana Arun
Image Credits : WallpaperAccess
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