The Violin: Its Famous Makers and Their ImitatorsHart, George
History
The Violin: Its Famous Makers and Their Imitators
Hart, George
Violin -- History; Violin makers -- Biography
regarding its connection with the Rebec must necessarily be
speculative, and mainly dependent upon the etymological thread which
is drawn between the words Rebec and Rebab. It is worthy of notice in
relation to the opinion held by Sir John Hawkins and many other
musical historians as to a bowed instrument of the Fiddle kind having
been introduced into Spain from the East in the eighth century, that
we possess no certain evidence of bowed instrument cultivation in
Spain between the eighth and twelfth centuries, whilst we have proof
of the use of bowed instruments both in Germany and in England within
that period.[8] The evidence we have of the use of a description of
Viol at that time, from the carvings on the Portico della Gloria of
the Church of Santiago da Compostella, does not carry conviction that
a bow was used, since none is represented.[9]
[Footnote 6: Hawkins' "History of Music" was published in the year
1776. The MS. notes, which are attached to the author's copy in the
British Museum, were included in the edition published in 1853 by
Novello & Co.]
[Footnote 7: It may be remarked that nineteen years prior to the
publication of John Gunn's dissertation was published the valuable
work of Martinus Gerbertus, "De Cantu et Musica Sacra," dated 1774.
The volumes of Gerbertus were evidently perused with care and
attention by Gunn. The references of John Gunn to the work are the
earliest I have met with.]
[Footnote 8: Mention is made by Ash-Shakandi, who wrote on Moorish
music in Spain in the thirteenth century, of the Rebab. If this
instrument was not more developed than its modern namesake, we have
evidence of the Saxons being in possession of bowed instruments
infinitely superior at a much earlier date.]
[Footnote 9: In "The Violin and its Music," 1881, page 50, I have
assumed their use by the performers on the above mentioned arch,
believing it not improbable that the use of the bow was introduced by
the settlers in Spain from the North.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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