Instruments

- My bowed instruments -

Precise origins are not known, even though there is evidence of the presence of the violin already halfway through the 1500s, as evolution of the viole da braccio. Instruments which could equal or substitute the human voice were being searched for.

This was made possible through the arching of the instrument body, the indentations on the sides allowing greater movement of the bow, and the four strings tuned in fifths.

[Details of a viola.
(1997, viola Bruno Costardi on a model Gasparo da Salò)
(click the picture to magnify, 66Kb)]

The "primitive" Brescians always hold a special fascination, a "crude" but exalting beauty; their work is substantial, immediate, and of great character.
I imagined myself to be a pupil of Gasparo, stealing drawings from the master to construct this instrument, with a small amount of interpretative freedom so that this would not be just a "copy".

[Body of the viola made on the model by Gasparo da Salò.
(1997, viola Bruno Costardi)
(click the picture to magnify, 71Kb)]

"I have always been impressed by the scroll of Andrea, Antonio and Gerolamo Amati because of the perfect balance of design and the delicacy of the carving."

[Detail of the head or scroll of a violin made on the model of Andrea Amati.
(1997, violin Bruno Costardi)
(click the picture to magnify, 56Kb)]

From Antonio Stradivari onwards quartet instruments have not undergone significant evolution. In fact, this is the "modern" violin in its most accepted form.

[Harmonic plate of a violin made on the model of Antonio Stradivari 1715.
(1997, violin Bruno Costardi)
(click the picture to magnify, 62Kb)]

"I designed this viola 1987 in all its detail, trying to maintain completely the style of Antonio and his pupils."

[Base of a viola made on a personal model.
(1997, viola Bruno Costardi)
(click the picture to magnify, 59Kb)]

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