Viola da spalla is a rediscovered type of baroque violoncello. It can be played by violinists and violists.

The name

Baroque composers wrote for this type of violoncello lots of music but they never called it a “viola da spalla”. It was called a violoncello.

Sources

Not a single surviving instrument can reliably be tagged as “original”.

Instruments used in these photos and CDs listed below are based on historical models and documents related to the context in which violoncello had evolved.

Last but not least, the ongoing re-birth of the viola da spalla is based on artistic re-interpretation of sources and - by now - considerable musical, practical experience with this instrument since 2004.

CDs

1. 
   

2. J.S.Bach, Brandenburg Concertos,
   

3. La Petite Bande
   
   
   
   

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8. A. Vivaldi
   

9. Four seasons, La Petite Bande
   
   
   
   

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14. J.S.Bach, Canatas Vo.36 and 39
    

15. Bach Collegium Japan
    
    
    
    

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20. J.S.Bach, Six Suites for Violoncello Solo
    

21. Ryo Terakado
    
    
    
    

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26.   J.S.Bach, Brandeburg Concertos,
    

27. Bach Collegium Japan
    
    
    
    
    
    

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33. J.S.Bach, Six Suites for Violoncello Solo, Sigiswald Kuiken
    
    
    
    

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37. J.S.Bach, Six Suites for Violoncello Solo
    

38. Dmitry Badiarov. On sale on this website.
    

39. Regular price 25 EUR FREE shipping.
    

40. Now 20 EUR for the subscribers
    

41. shipping. SignUp and follow the links
    

If you mastered the violin or the viola, or both, and if the thick, low bass sound is something you loved on your g-string, than the viola da spalla is the instrument which will give you that pleasure ten times as much.

Simply try it at Badiarov Violins in The Hague or at one of our exhibitions.

Links

1. •Badiarov Violins
   

2. •Badiarov Violins Japan
   

3. •The Viola Pomposa
   

4. •Baroque Violin Making - modern VS baroque
   

5. •Baroque Violin models by Dmitry Badiarov
   

6. •The Violin and Violoncello da Spalla Blog
   

VIDEO

Dmitry Badiarov’s 40 pages Galpin Society Journal article is reduced to 5 minutes of this “historically informed” entertaining video.

It has it all! 

The point is that there was the time when the cello was still a modern instrument. It was not widely known.

It was not readily accepted by players, both professional and amateur. Consequently it was not accepted by the publishers.

Who would buy music written for an unknown instrument? Would you?

The funny thing is that the re-discovered instrument is experiencing exactly the same situation in the 21st century as it did in the end of the 17th century.

Anyone who sees it for the first time exclaims, "what the hell is that!?"

Well, it is a violoncello, aka viola da spalla and here is where the re-birth comes from.

Sigiswald Kuijken

Ryo Terakado

Sergey Malov