The development of the viola; and the evolution of viola technique as viewed through its use in selected chamber ensembles

Part One presents Information concerning the history and development of the violin family and particularly the viola. Three ancestral families of string instruments are discussed: The viola da gamba, the lyra da braccia, and the rebec. Included in the discussion are the shapes, tunings, manners of holding the instruments, and other matters that influenced the development of the violin family as we know it today. Part Two presents a discussion, with illustrations, of the technique of the viola concerning both the finger board and the bow, and a discussion of the growth of the use of the viola as reflected in the string chamber works of selected composers. Composers represented are Johann Rosen- mueller, Arcangelo Corelli, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Frederick Handel, Johann Stamitz, Franz Joseph Haydn, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and Johannes Brahms. Part Three discusses the String Quintet in G Major, Opus 111, Number 2, by Johannes Brahms and presents a general description and analysis of the first movement.