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117-674: The city of Bruges joined the Flanders Festival in 1960. In the early years, the emphasis was mainly on the biennial exhibitions of Flemish Primitives in European possession. Gradually, the idea grew, given the evolution of the Flanders Festival in almost exclusively a musical direction, to organize a musical part in Bruges as well. To achieve this, a non-profit organization was founded in 1962. Mayor Pierre Venamme and two aldermen were among

234-467: A biennial event, alternating between keyboard instruments ( harpsichord and pianoforte ) and melodic instruments ( traverso , recorder , baroque oboe , baroque violin , baroque cello and viola da gamba ). Since 2008, the winner of the first prize will, in addition to a cash prize, win the chance to be invited to a series of concerts taking place in Belgium and abroad, including a guaranteed place in

351-410: A gambist , violist / ˈ v aɪ əl ɪ s t / , or violist da gamba . Notably, "violist" is a homograph of the word commonly used since the mid-20th century to refer to a player of the viola , which can cause confusion in written/printed texts when not clear from the context. Vihuelists began playing their flat-topped, originally plucked, instruments with a bow in the second half of

468-481: A "slide" (often made of mother of pearl ), which pinches the hair and holds it flat and stationary across the frog, viol bows have an open frog that allows more movement of the hair. This facilitates a traditional playing technique where the performer uses one or two fingers of the bow hand to press the hair away from the bow stick. This dynamically increases bow hair tension to control articulation and inflection. Viols come in seven sizes: " pardessus de viole " (which

585-428: A direct bus line from Brussels South Charleroi Airport to Bruges. Bruges has an extensive web of bus lines, operated by De Lijn , providing access to the city centre and the suburbs (city lines, Dutch : stadslijnen ) and to many towns and villages in the region around the city (regional lines, Dutch : streeklijnen ). In support of the municipal traffic management (see "Road" above), free public transport

702-456: A fairly generic way, having included even early violins ( viola da braccio ) under their umbrella. It is common enough (and justifiable) today for modern players of the viola da gamba to call their instruments violas and likewise to call themselves violists . That the "alto violin" eventually became known simply as the "viola" is not without historical context, yet the ambiguity of the name tends to cause some confusion. The violin, or violino ,

819-684: A flood of capital that soon took over the banking of Bruges. The building where the Genoese Republic housed its commercial representation in the city still survives, now housing the Frietmuseum . The Bourse opened in 1309 (most likely the first stock exchange in the world) and developed into the most sophisticated money market of the Low Countries in the 14th century. By the time Venetian galleys first appeared, in 1314, they were latecomers. Numerous foreign merchants were welcomed in Bruges, such as

936-533: A full-time carillonneur , who gives free concerts regularly. In addition to the "Historic Centre of Bruges" and the tower included in the "Belfries of Belgium and France", Bruges is also home to a third UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Ten Wijngaerde Béguinage , a beguinage built in the 13th century, is included in the World Heritage Site of "Flemish Béguinages". Bruges is known for its lace ,

1053-549: A limited number of " keys ". In some of these schemes, the two strands of the gut that form the fret are separated so that the player can finger a slightly sharper or flatter version of a note (for example G ♯ versus A ♭ ) to suit different circumstances. Descriptions and illustrations of viols are found in numerous early 16th-century musical treatises, including those authored by: Both Agricola's and Gerle's works were published in various editions. There were then several important treatises concerning or devoted to

1170-690: A number of soloists and ensembles have commissioned new music for viol. Fretwork has been most active in this regard, commissioning George Benjamin , Michael Nyman , Elvis Costello , Sir John Tavener , Orlando Gough , John Woolrich , Tan Dun , Alexander Goehr , Fabrice Fitch , Andrew Keeling, Thea Musgrave , Sally Beamish , Peter Sculthorpe , Gavin Bryars , Barrington Pheloung , Simon Bainbridge , Duncan Druce , Poul Ruders , Ivan Moody , and Barry Guy ; many of these compositions may be heard on their 1997 CD Sit Fast . The Yukimi Kambe Viol Consort has commissioned and recorded many works by David Loeb , and

1287-439: A seventh lower string. Viols were (and are) strung with gut strings of lower tension than on the members of the violin family. Gut strings produce a sonority far different from steel, generally described as softer and sweeter. Around 1660, gut or silk core strings overspun with copper wire first became available; these were then used for the lowest-pitched bass strings on viols, and many other string instruments as well. In 1664,

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1404-463: A size similar to a viola but with a deeper body; the typical bass is about the size of a cello . The pardessus and the treble were held vertically in the lap. The English made smaller basses known as division viols , and the still-smaller Lyra viol . The viola bastarda was a similar type of viol used in Italy for a virtuosic style of viol repertoire and performance. German consort basses were larger than

1521-511: A southern Dutch variant. The Dutch word and the English bridge both derive from Proto-Germanic * brugjō- . Bruges was a location of coastal settlement during prehistory. This Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement are unrelated to medieval city development. In the Bruges area, the first fortifications were built after Julius Caesar 's conquest of the Menapii in the first century BC, to protect

1638-451: A standard feature of German and Austrian viols and were retained to the very end. That feature was unique to viols and reminded one always of the viol's more ancient plucked vihuela roots, the "cuteness" of viols. Historians, makers, and players generally distinguish between renaissance and baroque viols. The latter are more heavily constructed and are fitted with a bass bar and sound post, like modern stringed instruments. The bow

1755-474: A style of string incorporating a copper wire spun within the gut fibers, called a 'gimped' string, was introduced, mimicking the style of embroidery of the same name. Viols are fretted like early guitars or lutes , using movable wrapped-around and tied-on gut frets. A low seventh string was supposedly added in France to the bass viol by Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe ( c.  1640 –1690), whose students included

1872-639: A suitable instrument for adult learners; Percy Scholes wrote that the viol repertoire "belongs to an age that demanded musicianship more often than virtuosity." There are now many societies for people with an interest in the viol. The first was the Viola da Gamba Society, which was established in the United Kingdom in 1948 (by Nathalie and Cecile Dolmetsch ). The Viola da Gamba Society of America followed in 1962, and with over 1000 members in North America and around

1989-663: A surge in tourism and economic activity in the downtown area. International tourism has boomed, and new efforts resulted in Bruges being designated European Capital of Culture in 2002. It attracts some eight million tourists annually. The port of Zeebrugge was built in 1907. The Germans used it for their U-boats in World War I. It was greatly expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s and has become one of Europe's most important and modern ports. The municipality comprises following sub-municipalities : Bruges has an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ). The medieval architecture in Bruges

2106-452: A ten-year span brought the birth and diffusion in Italy of a new family of instruments (viola da gamba, or viols). These comprised instruments of different sizes, some as large as the famous violoni —as 'big as a man'—mentioned by Prospero Bernardino in 1493. Pio also notes that the fifth string of the viola da gamba is uniquely called a bordone (drone) —both in the manuscript of the early 15th-century music theorist Antonius de Leno, and in

2223-476: A textile technique. Moreover, the city and its lace would go on to inspire the Thread Routes film series, the second episode of which, shot in 2011, was partly set in Bruges. Several beers are named after the city, such as Brugge Blond , Brugge Tripel , Brugs , Brugse Babbelaar , Brugse Straffe Hendrik , and Brugse Zot . However, only the latter two— Brugse Zot and Brugse Straffe Hendrik —are brewed in

2340-511: A triennial competition for harpsichord and basso continuo and from 1983 also for pianoforte . In 1972 the competition was extended to include the recorder and the competition for ensembles was also started (which coincided with the organ competition from 2000). The program for baroque instruments became more and more extensive. Completed the list: traverso , baroque oboe , lute , cornetto , baroque violin and cello , viola de gamba ... Since 1984, singing has also been featured. Due to

2457-428: Is a bowed and fretted string instrument that is played da gamba (on the leg; Italian: [ˈvjɔːla da (ɡ)ˈɡamba] ). It is distinct from the later violin , or viola da braccio (viol for the arm); and it is any one of the earlier viol family of bowed , fretted , and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust

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2574-473: Is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO . It is oval and about 430 hectares in size. The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008), of whom around 20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area , including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km (238 sq mi) and had a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008. Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg , it

2691-432: Is available for those who park their cars in the main railway station car park. Although a few streets are restricted, no part of Bruges is car-free. Cars are required to yield to pedestrians and cyclists. Plans have long been underway to ban cars altogether from the historic center of Bruges or to restrict traffic much more than it currently is, but these plans have yet to come to fruition. In 2005, signs were changed for

2808-447: Is disputed), and like lutes, were very often played by amateurs. Affluent homes might have a so-called chest of viols , which would contain one or more instruments of each size. Gamba ensembles, called consorts , were common in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they performed vocal music (consort songs or verse anthems ) as well as that written specifically for instruments. Only the treble, tenor, and bass sizes were regular members of

2925-399: Is held underhand with the palm facing upward, similar to a German double bass bow grip, but away from the frog towards the balance point. The stick's curvature is generally convex as were violin bows of the period, rather than concave like a modern violin bow. The "frog" (which holds the bow hair and adjusts its tension) is also different from that of modern bows: whereas a violin bow frog has

3042-604: Is its New Music for Viols (NMV) a series devoted to newly written pieces. The Society sponsors the International Leo M. Traynor Composition Competition for new music for viols. The competition was first held in 1989 and has taken place every four to five years since. The competition is specifically for consort music for three to six viol that, like the repertoire of the Renaissance, is accessible to accomplished amateurs. The winning pieces are played in concert and also published by

3159-497: Is mostly intact, making it one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. The "Historic Centre of Bruges" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Its medieval buildings include the Church of Our Lady , whose brick spire reaches 115.6 m (379.27 ft), making it the world's second-highest brick tower/building. The sculpture Madonna and Child , which can be seen in

3276-454: Is occasionally confused with the viola , the alto member of the modern violin family and a standard member of both the symphony orchestra and string quartet. In the 15th century, the Italian word " viola " was a generic term used to refer to any bowed instrument, or fiddle . The word " viola " existed in Italy before the vihuela, or first viol, was brought from Spain. In Italy, " viola "

3393-505: Is relatively rare, exclusively French and did not exist before the 18th century), treble ( dessus in French), alto, tenor (in French taille ), bass, great bass, and contrabass (the final two are often called violone , meaning large viol ), the smaller one tuned an octave below the tenor (violone in G, sometimes called great bass or in French grande basse ) and the larger one tuned an octave below

3510-836: Is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North . Bruges has significant economic importance, thanks to its port , and was once one of the world's chief commercial cities. Bruges is a major tourism destination within Belgium and is well-known as the seat of the College of Europe , a university institute for European studies. The earliest mention of the location's name is as Bruggas , Brvggas or Brvccia in AD 840–875. Afterwards, it appears as Bruciam and Bruociam (892); as Brutgis uico (late ninth century); as in portu Bruggensi ( c.  1010 ); as Bruggis (1012); as Bricge in

3627-534: Is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium , in the northwest of the country. It is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 14,099 hectares (140.99 km ; 54.44 sq miles), including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (from Brugge aan zee , meaning 'Bruges by the Sea'). The historic city centre

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3744-814: The Kruispoort , the Gentpoort , the Smedenpoort and the Ezelpoort . The Dampoort , the Katelijnepoort and the Boeveriepoort are gone. The Old St. John's Hospital (Hans Memling museum) and Our Lady of the Potteries are Hospital museums . The city is known for Bruggemuseum ("Bruges Museum"), the general name for a group of 11 different historical museums in the city, including: Bruges' non-municipal museums include

3861-737: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1037); as Brugensis (1046); as Brycge in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1049–1052); as Brugias (1072); as Bruges (1080–1085); as Bruggas ( c.  1084 ); as Brugis (1089); and as Brugge (1116). The name probably derives from the Old Dutch for 'bridge': brugga . Also compare Middle Dutch brucge , brugge (or brugghe , brigghe , bregghe , brogghe ), and modern Dutch bruggenhoofd ('bridgehead') and brug ('bridge'). The form brugghe would be

3978-774: The Flemish revolts that occurred around the County of Flanders between 1323 and 1328. At the end of the 14th century, Bruges became one of the Four Members , along with Brugse Vrije , Ghent , and Ypres . Together they formed a parliament; however, they frequently quarrelled amongst themselves. In the 15th century, Philip the Good , Duke of Burgundy , set up a court in Bruges, as well as Brussels and Lille , attracting several artists, bankers, and other prominent personalities from all over Europe. The weavers and spinners of Bruges were thought to be

4095-513: The New York Consort of Viols has commissioned Bülent Arel , David Loeb, Daniel Pinkham , Tison Street , Frank Russo , Seymour Barab , William Presser , and Will Ayton , many of these compositions appearing on their 1993 CD Illicita Cosa . The Viola da Gamba Society of America has also been a potent force fostering new compositions for the viol. Among the music publications of the Society

4212-472: The corona pandemic in 2020, the MA Competition did not take place for the first time since 1969. Thanks to a quick and efficient overhaul of the organization, the rest of the programming could continue online. Partly due to this crisis, in 2021 the organization of the festival was adapted to the situation and the first round of the competition takes place digitally. Starting this year, the competition will be

4329-607: The 1490s. The term "viola" was never used exclusively for viols in the 15th or 16th centuries. In 16th century Italy, both "violas", —the early viols and violins—developed somewhat simultaneously. While violins, such as those of Amati, achieved their classic form before the first half of the century, the viol's form standardized later in the century at the hands of instrument makers in England. Viola da gamba, viola cum arculo , and vihuela de arco are some (true) alternative names for viols. Both "vihuela" and "viola" were originally used in

4446-399: The 15th century. Within two or three decades, this led to the evolution of an entirely new and dedicated bowed string instrument that retained many of the features of the vihuela: e.g., a flat back, sharp waist-cuts, frets, thin ribs initially, and identical tuning—hence its original name, vihuela de arco ; arco is Spanish for "bow". An influence on the playing posture has been credited to

4563-468: The 16th century and similar to that of the modern six-string guitar . Viols were first constructed much like the vihuela de mano , with all surfaces, top, back, and sides made from flat slabs or pieces of joined wood, bent or curved as required. However, some viols, both early and later, had carved tops, similar to those more commonly associated with instruments of the violin family. The ribs or sides of early viols were usually quite shallow, reflecting more

4680-449: The 19th century, Bruges became one of the world's first tourist destinations, attracting wealthy British and French tourists. By 1909, the 'Bruges Forward: Society to Improve Tourist' association had come into operation. In World War I , German forces occupied Bruges. However, the city suffered virtually no damage, and was liberated on 19 October 1918 by the Allies. The city was occupied by

4797-503: The Apostle to which the parish Church of St. Andrew & St. Anna is dedicated. Bruges has motorway connections in all directions: Driving within the 'egg', the historical centre enclosed by the main circle of canals in Bruges is discouraged by traffic management schemes, including a network of one-way streets. The system encourages the use of set routes leading to central car parks and direct exit routes. The car parks are convenient for

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4914-551: The Brewery Museum, Hof Bladelin , Choco-Story (chocolate museum), Lumina Domestica (lamp museum), Museum-Gallery Xpo: Salvador Dalí , Diamond Museum, Frietmuseum (a museum dedicated to Belgian fries ), Historium (museum of the medieval history of Bruges), Lace centre, St. George's Archers Guild, St. Sebastian's Archers’ Guild, St. Trudo Abbey, and the Public Observatory Beisbroek. The patron saint of both

5031-540: The Burgh terrain, probably with a fortified settlement and church. In 1089, Bruges became the capital of the County of Flanders . Bruges received its city charter on 27 July 1128, and new walls and canals were built. By the 12th century, the city had gained an autonomous administration. Het Zwin (Golden Inlet), the tidal inlet of Bruges, was crucial to the development of local commerce. Since about 1050, gradual silting had caused

5148-524: The Castilian wool merchants who first arrived in the 13th century. After the Castilian wool monopoly ended, the Basques , many hailing from Bilbao (Biscay), thrived as merchants (wool, iron commodities, etc.) and established their own commercial consulate in Bruges by the mid-15th century. The foreign merchants expanded the city's trading zones. They maintained separate communities governed by their own laws until

5265-449: The French gamba virtuoso and composer Marin Marais . Also, the painting Saint Cecilia with an Angel (1618) by Domenichino (1581–1641) shows what may be a seven-string viol. Unlike members of the violin family , most of which are tuned in fifths , viols are usually tuned in fourths with a major third in the middle, mirroring the tuning employed on the vihuela de mano and lute during

5382-430: The French instruments designed for continuo. Those instruments were not all equally common. The typical Elizabethan consort of viols was composed of six instruments: two basses, two tenors and two trebles, or one bass, three tenors and two trebles (see Chest of viols ). Thus the bass, tenor and treble were the central members of the family as far as music written specifically for viols is concerned. Besides consort playing

5499-611: The Germans from 1940 during World War II and was again spared destruction. On 12 September 1944, it was liberated by the 12th Manitoba Dragoons ' Canadian troops. The liberation of the city was facilitated by the bridge, now known as the Canada Bridge  [ nl ] , connecting the outer municipalities with the city centre. After 1965, the original medieval city experienced a "renaissance". Restorations of residential and commercial structures, historic monuments, and churches generated

5616-412: The Italian " braccio "). Some other instruments have viola in their name, but are not a member of the viola da gamba family. These include the viola d'amore and the viola pomposa . Though the baryton does not have viola in its name, it is sometimes included in the viol family. Whether it is considered a member of this family is a matter of semantics. It is organologically closely related to

5733-541: The Italianate violin). Composers such as Marc-Antoine Charpentier , François Couperin , Marin Marais , Sainte Colombe , Johann Sebastian Bach , Johannes Schenck , DuBuisson , Antoine Forqueray , Charles Dollé and Carl Friedrich Abel wrote virtuoso music for it. Georg Philipp Telemann published his Twelve Fantasias for Viola da Gamba solo in 1735, when the instrument was already becoming out of fashion. However, viols fell out of use as concert halls grew larger and

5850-568: The Portuguese traders selling pepper and other spices. With the reawakening of town life in the 12th century, a wool market, a woollens weaving industry, and the cloth market all profited from the shelter of city walls, where surpluses could be safely accumulated under the patronage of the counts of Flanders . The city's entrepreneurs reached out to make economic colonies of England and Scotland's wool-producing districts. English contacts brought Normandy grain and Gascon wines. Hanseatic ships filled

5967-483: The Society. The Society's goal is to stimulate development of a contemporary literature for this remarkable early instrument and thus continue its tradition in modern society. The Palazzo Strozzi in Florence commissioned composer Bruce Adolphe to create a work based on Bronzino poems, and the piece, "Of Art and Onions: Homage to Bronzino", features a prominent viola da gamba part. Jay Elfenbein has also written works for

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6084-469: The Venetian viole and the 15th- and 16th-century Spanish vihuela , a six-course plucked instrument tuned like a lute (and also like a present-day viol) that (at the time) looked like, but was quite distinct from, the four-course guitar (an earlier chordophone). Although bass viols superficially resemble cellos , viols are different in several respects from instruments of the violin family :

6201-478: The Viol , points to evidence that the viol does start with the vihuela, but that Italian luthiers immediately began to apply their own highly developed instrument-making traditions to the early version of the instrument after it was introduced into Italy. Viols most commonly have six strings, although many 16th-century instruments had only four or five strings, and during the 17th century in France, some bass viols featured

6318-1173: The Yukimi Kambe Viol Consort, Les Voix Humaines, and Elliot Z. Levine, among others. Other composers for viols include Moondog , Kevin Volans , Roy Whelden , Toyohiko Satoh , Roman Turovsky , Giorgio Pacchioni , Michael Starke , Emily Doolittle , and Jan Goorissen. Composer Henry Vega has written pieces for the Viol: "Ssolo," developed at the Institute for Sonology and performed by Karin Preslmayr, as well as for Netherlands-based ensemble The Roentgen Connection in 2011 with "Slow slower" for recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord and computer. The Aston Magna Music Festival has recently commissioned works including viol from composers Nico Muhly and Alex Burtzos . The Italian contemporary composer Carlotta Ferrari has written two pieces for viol: "Le ombre segrete" in 2015, and "Profondissimi affetti" in 2016, this latter being based on RPS modal harmony system. Since

6435-420: The back that are very worthwhile repertoire. A little later, in England, Thomas Mace wrote Musick's Monument , which deals more with the lute but has an important section on the viol. After this, the French treatises by Machy (1685), Rousseau (1687), Danoville (1687), and Etienne Loulie (1700) show further developments in playing technique. Viols were second in popularity only to the lute (although this

6552-408: The bass (violone in D, or the contrabass viol). This latter instrument is not to be confused with the double bass . Their tuning (see next section) alternates G and D instruments: pardessus in G, treble in D, tenor in G, bass in D (the seven-string bass was a French invention, with an added low A), small violone in G, large violone in D and the alto (between the treble and the tenor. The treble has

6669-415: The bass could also be used as a solo instrument (there were also smaller basses designed especially for a virtuosic solo role, see above division viol , lyra viol , viola bastarda ). And the bass viol could also serve as a continuo bass. The pardessus was a French 18th-century instrument that was introduced to allow ladies to play mostly violin or flute music but eventually acquired its repertoire. The alto

6786-542: The best in the world, and the population of Bruges grew to at least 46,000 inhabitants at this time around 1350 AD. The new oil-painting techniques of the Flemish school gained world renown. The first book in English ever printed was published in Bruges by William Caxton . Edward IV and Richard III of England were then living in exile in Bruges. Starting around 1500, the Zwin channel, (the Golden Inlet) which had given

6903-652: The best-known modern viola da gamba players. Among the foremost modern players of the viol are Alison Crum , Vittorio Ghielmi , Susanne Heinrich , Wieland Kuijken , Paolo Pandolfo , Andrea de Carlo , Hille Perl and Jonathan Dunford . Many fine modern viol consorts (ensembles) are also recording and performing, among them the groups Fretwork , the Rose Consort of Viols , Les Voix Humaines , and Phantasm . The Baltimore Consort specializes in Renaissance song (mostly English) with broken consort (including viols). A number of contemporary composers have written for viol, and

7020-421: The bouts—but more commonly, they had two. The two C-holes might be placed in the upper bouts, centrally, or in the lower bouts. In the formative years, C-holes were most often placed facing each other or turned inwards. In addition to round or C-holes, however, and as early as the first quarter of the 16th century, some viols adopted S-shaped holes, again facing inward. By the mid-16th century, S-holes morphed into

7137-560: The central commercial and tourist areas; they are not expensive. Bruges' main railway station is the focus of lines to the Belgian coast. It also provides at least hourly trains to all other major cities in Belgium, as well as to Lille in France. Further there are several regional and local trains. A third track is being constructed between Bruges and Dudzele, the junction for Zeebrugge to alleviate congestion. Similarly, two extra tracks are being built between Bruges and Ghent. Bus links to

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7254-597: The centre are frequent, though the railway station is just a 10-minute walk from the main shopping streets and a 20-minute walk from Market Square. The national Brussels Airport , one hour away by train or car, offers the best connections. The nearest airport is the Ostend-Bruges International Airport in Ostend (around 25 kilometres (16 miles) from the city centre of Bruges), but it offers limited passenger transport and connections. Recently there also started

7371-720: The characteristic "humming" sound of viols; yet the absence of a sound post also resulted in a quieter and softer voice overall. It is commonly believed that C-holes (a type and shape of pierced sound port visible on the top face or belly of string instruments) are a definitive feature of viols, a feature used to distinguish viols from instruments in the violin family, which typically had F-shaped holes. This generality, however, renders an incomplete picture. The earliest viols had either large, open, round, sound holes (or even round pierced rosettes like those found on lutes and vihuelas), or they had some kind of C-holes. Viols sometimes had as many as four small C-holes—one placed in each corner of

7488-541: The city its prosperity, began silting up and the Golden Era ended. The city soon fell behind Antwerp as the economic flagship of the Low Countries . During the 17th century, the lace industry took off, and various efforts to bring back the glorious past were made. During the 1650s, the city was the base for Charles II of England and his court in exile. The maritime infrastructure was modernized, and new connections with

7605-622: The city itself, in the De Halve Maan Brewery . Bruges is home to many museums. Its art museums include the Arents House, as well as the Groeningemuseum , which has an extensive collection of medieval and early modern art. Members of the 15th century Early Netherlandish school of painters are represented, including works by Jan van Eyck . Van Eyck, as well as Hans Memling , lived and worked in Bruges. The preserved old city gateways:

7722-685: The city of Bruges and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges is Donatian of Reims . The St. Salvator's Cathedral is therefore also known as Cathedral of the Saviour and St. Donat . The Basilica of the Holy Blood ( Dutch : Heilig-Bloedbasiliek ) houses the relic of the Holy Blood , which was brought to the city after the Second Crusade by Thierry of Alsace , and is paraded every year through

7839-460: The city to lose its direct access to the sea. A storm in 1134, however, re-established this access, through the creation of a natural channel at the Zwin . The new sea arm stretched to Damme , a city that became the commercial outpost for Bruges. Bruges had a strategic location at the crossroads of the northern Hanseatic League trade, who had a kontor in the city, and the southern trade routes. Bruges

7956-494: The classic F-shaped holes, which were then used by viols and members of the violin family alike. By the mid-to late 16th century, the viol's C-holes facing direction were reversed, becoming outward-facing. That configuration then became a standard feature of what we today call the “classic” 17th-century pattern. Yet another style of sound holes found on some viols was a pair of flame-shaped Arabesques placed left and right. The lute- and vihuela-like round or oval ports or rosettes became

8073-578: The coastal area against pirates. The Franks took over the whole region from the Gallo-Romans around the fourth century and administered it as the Pagus Flandrensis . The Viking incursions of the ninth century prompted Count Baldwin I of Flanders to reinforce the Roman fortifications; trade soon resumed with England and Scandinavia . Early medieval habitation starts in the ninth and tenth centuries on

8190-475: The composer was requesting violas as well as treble and bass instruments. The full name of the viola, namely "alto de viola da braccio" , was finally shortened to "viola" in some languages (e.g. English, Italian, Spanish) once viols became less common, while other languages picked some other part of the phrase to designate the instrument, e.g. " alto " in French and " Bratsche " in German (the latter derived from

8307-407: The construction of their plucked vihuela counterparts. Rib depth increased during the 16th century, finally coming to resemble the greater depth of the classic 17th-century pattern. The flat backs of most viols have a sharply angled break or canted bend in their surface close to where the neck meets the body. This serves to taper the back (and overall body depth) at its upper end to meet the back of

8424-474: The convenience of cyclists, allowing two-way cycle traffic on more streets; however, car traffic has not decreased. Nevertheless, in common with many cities in the region, there are thousands of cyclists in the city of Bruges. The port of Bruges is Zeebrugge (Flemish for Bruges-on-Sea). On 6 March 1987, the British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsized after leaving the port, killing 187 people, in

8541-466: The early 1980s, numerous instrument makers, including Eric Jensen, Francois Danger, Jan Goorissen, and Jonathan Wilson, have experimented with the design and construction of electric viols. Like other acoustic instruments to which pickups or microphones have been added, electric viols are plugged into an instrument amplifier or a PA system , which makes them sound louder. As well, given that amplifiers and PA systems are electronic components, this gives

8658-566: The early 21st century, the Ruby Gamba, a seven-string electric viola da gamba, was developed by Ruby Instruments of Arnhem , the Netherlands. It has 21 tied nylon (adjustable) frets in keeping with the adjustable (tied gut) frets on traditional viols and has an effective playing range of more than six octaves. Electric viols have been adopted by such contemporary gambists as Paolo Pandolfo , Tina Chancey , and Tony Overwater . The viola da gamba

8775-554: The economic collapse after 1700. Such wealth gave rise to social upheavals, which were for the most part harshly contained by the militia. In 1302, however, after the Bruges Matins (the night-time massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by the members of the local Flemish militia on 18 May 1302), the population joined forces with the Count of Flanders against the French , culminating in

8892-535: The emphasis was also placed on these competitions, as the main opportunity to support the vibrancy and image of the festival and to introduce the ideas that the organizers were propagating to the younger generations. Music making has been complemented by exhibitions and fairs, interpretation courses and master classes , forums, lectures, and guided visits to historic instruments in Flanders. Concert performances are focused on lesser-known music until about 1800. Ever since

9009-413: The ends of their fretboards flat on the deck, level with or resting upon the top or soundboard. Once the end of their fretboards was elevated above the top of the instrument's face, the entire top could vibrate freely. Early viols did not have sound posts , either (again reflecting their plucked vihuela siblings). This reduced damping again meant that their tops could vibrate more freely, contributing to

9126-506: The evolution in music performance, were of good advice. Among them are: Gustav Leonhardt, Kamiel D'Hooghe, prof. Marcel Boereboom, prof. Jozef Robijns, Pieter Enriessen and Johan Huys. The management tasks were taken over after 2004 as follows: • 2004-2005: Bart Demuyt; • 2005-2007: Stefan Dewitte; • 2007-2009: Tomas Bisschop and Hendrik Storme; • 2009-2019: Tomas Bisschop; The current directors are Tomas Bisschop (artistic director) and Goedele Bartholomeeusen (business director). From

9243-447: The example of Moorish rabab players. However, Stefano Pio (2012) argues that a re-examination of documents in light of new data indicates an origin different than the vihuela de arco from Aragon. According to Pio, the viol had its origins in Venice , and evolved independently there. He asserts it was implausible that the vihuela de arco underwent such a rapid evolution by Italian rather than Venetian instrument makers. Nonetheless,

9360-433: The first edition of this prestigious international competition, the MA Competition has established itself as a unique platform for training and professional integration and encounter of young promising talent. It actively supports the artistic process and some important values including equality, diversity and inclusion. The MA Competition first took place in 1964 with a triennial competition for organ , followed in 1965 by

9477-464: The founders on behalf of the city, together with persons who mainly belonged to the music sector (Kamiel D'Hooghe, Jan Briers, Robrecht Dewitte, Herman Sabbe, Canon Paul François, Raymond Van Wassenhove). In 1963, ' Organ Days' were organized. The first official festival took place in 1964. From that year and until 2004, the festival was led by co-founder and driving force Robrecht Dewitte. The organizer called on specialists who, with their knowledge of

9594-637: The general knowledge we have on the viola da gamba, its forms, and the different techniques used for its manufacture. The 1991 feature film Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World) by Alain Corneau , based on the lives of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais , prominently featured these composers' music for the viola da gamba and brought viol music to new audiences. The film's bestselling soundtrack features performances by Jordi Savall , one of

9711-578: The harbor, which had to be expanded beyond Damme to Sluys to accommodate the new cog-ships . In 1277, the first merchant fleet from the Republic of Genoa appeared in the port of Bruges, the first of the merchant colony that made Bruges the main link to the trade of the Mediterranean. This development opened not only the trade in spices from the Levant but also advanced commercial and financial techniques and

9828-543: The louder and more penetrating tone of the violin family became more popular. In the 20th century, the viola da gamba and its repertoire were revived by early music enthusiasts, an early proponent being Arnold Dolmetsch . The treble viol in d and the even smaller pardessus de viole in g (often with only five strings) were also popular instruments in the 18th century, especially in France. Composers like Jean-Baptiste Barrière , Georg Phillipp Telemann and Marin Marais wrote solo- and ensemble pieces for treble or pardessus. It

9945-454: The low register. The fifth string was incorporated into the neck. This was surpassed by a sixth string ( basso ) which fixed the lower sound produced by the instrument. Pio's view was: the origin of the viola da gamba is tied to the evolution of the smaller violetta, or vielle , which was originally fitted with a fifth-string "drone"; and the name 'stuck' even after it ceased to perform this function. Ian Woodfield, in his The Early History of

10062-419: The moment. The single most common and ubiquitous pairing of all was always and everywhere the lute and bass viol: for centuries, the inseparable duo. The bass viola da gamba remained in use into the 18th century as a solo instrument (and to complement the harpsichord in basso continuo ). It was a favorite instrument of Louis XIV and acquired associations of both courtliness and "Frenchness" (in contrast to

10179-405: The neck is oriented upwards and the rounded bottom downwards to settle on the lap or between the knees. The viola da gamba uses the alto clef. Seven and occasionally eight frets made of "stretched gut", tied on the fingerboard around the instrument's neck. Frets tied in this manner—instead of permanently fixed as on a guitar—allow fine-tuning to improve tuning. Frets enable the performer to stop

10296-543: The neck joint flush with its heel. Traditional construction uses animal glue, and internal joints are often reinforced with strips of either linen or vellum soaked in hot animal glue—a practice also employed in early plucked vihuela construction. The peg boxes of viols (which hold the tuning pegs) were typically decorated either with elaborately carved heads of animals or people or with the now-familiar spiral scroll finial. The earliest vihuelas and viols, both plucked and bowed, all had sharp cuts to their waists, similar to

10413-694: The next edition of the MA Competition. In addition, since 2013, one of the candidates has the opportunity to record a CD with the internationally renowned Ricercar label. 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2012 Bruges Bruges ( / b r uː ʒ / BROOZH , French: [bʁyʒ] ; Dutch : Brugge [ˈbrʏɣə] ; West Flemish : Brugge [ˈbrœɦə] )

10530-544: The northeast of England. It gives young people the opportunity to learn the viol and gives concerts in the North East and abroad. Ensembles like these show that the viol is making a comeback. A living museum of historical musical instruments was created at the University of Vienna as a center for the revival of the instrument. More than 100 instruments, including approximately 50 historical violas da gamba in playable condition, are

10647-446: The only slightly later plucked vihuelas and the modern guitar, they would be out of luck. By the mid-16th century, however, "guitar-shaped" viols were fairly common, and a few of them survive. The earliest viols had flat, glued-down bridges just like their plucked counterpart vihuelas. Soon after, however, viols adopted the wider and high-arched bridge that facilitated the bowing of single strings. The earliest of viols would also have had

10764-500: The performer the ability to change the tone and sound of the instrument by adding effects units such as reverb or changing the tone with a graphic equalizer . An equalizer can be used to shape the sound of an electric viol to suit a performance space, or to create unusual new sounds. Electric viols range from Danger's minimally electrified acoustic/electric Altra line to Eric Jensen's solid-body brace-mounted design. They have met with varying degrees of ergonomic and musical success. In

10881-447: The pitch of each of the strings. Although treble, tenor and bass were most commonly used, viols came in different sizes, including pardessus (high treble, developed in 18th century), treble, alto, small tenor, tenor, bass and contrabass (called violone ). These members of the viol family are distinguished from later bowed string instruments, such as the violin family, by both appearance and orientation when played—as typically

10998-419: The profile of a modern violin. This was a key and new feature—first appearing in the mid-15th century—and from then on, it was employed on many different types of string instruments. This feature was also key in seeing and understanding the connection between the plucked and bowed versions of early vihuelas. If one were to go searching for very early viols with smooth-curved figure-eight bodies, like those found on

11115-592: The property of this new concept of a museum: the Orpheon Foundation Museum of Historical Instruments . All the instruments of this museum are played by the Orpheon Baroque Orchestra, the Orpheon consort, or by musicians who receive an instrument for a permanent loan. The instruments can be seen during temporary exhibitions. They are studied and copied by violin makers, contributing to the extension of

11232-596: The pure consort of viols was the mixed or broken consort (also called Morley consort). Broken consorts combined a mixture of different instruments—a small band, essentially—usually comprising a gathering of social amateurs and typically including such instruments as a bass viol, a lute or orpharion (a wire-strung lute, metal-fretted, flat-backed, and festoon-shaped), a cittern , a treble viol (or violin , as time progressed), sometimes an early keyboard instrument ( virginal , spinet , or harpsichord ), and whatever other instruments or players (or singers) might be available at

11349-404: The sea were built, but without much success, as Antwerp became increasingly dominant. Bruges became impoverished and gradually faded in importance. The symbolist novelist George Rodenbach made the city into a character in his novel Bruges-la-Morte , meaning "Bruges-the-dead", which was adapted into Erich Wolfgang Korngold 's opera, Die tote Stadt (The Dead City). In the second half of

11466-463: The start they wanted to show the highlights from the city's past and provide a meeting place for specialists, performers, instrument makers, educators, students, and music lovers. The path had been prepared for this by Safford Cape, who had set the tone for its summer courses with Pro Musica Antiqua since 1961 in Bruges. From 1964 the organization of competitions was worked out in concrete terms within regularly successive three-yearly cycles. Immediately,

11583-575: The streets of the city. More than 1,600 inhabitants take part in this mile-long religious procession , many dressed as medieval knights or crusaders. Other religious landmarks and museums include the Church of Our Lady , English Convent, Jerusalem Church, St. Trudo's Abbey , Ten Wijngaerde Béguinage ( Dutch : Begijnhof ), and Ter Doest Abbey ( Dutch : Abdij Ter Doest ) in Lissewege . The sub-municipality (or deelgemeente ) and former parish of Bruges Sint-Andries has its own patron saint Andrew

11700-573: The strings more cleanly, improve consistency of intonation and lend the stopped notes a tone that better matches the open strings. Viols first appeared in Spain and Italy in the mid-to-late 15th century, and were most popular in the Renaissance and Baroque (1600–1750) periods. Early ancestors include the Arabic rebab and the medieval European vielle , but later, more directly possible ancestors include

11817-493: The transept, is believed to be the only of Michelangelo 's sculptures to have left Italy within his lifetime. Bruges' best-known landmark is the Belfry of Bruges , a 13th-century belfry housing a municipal carillon comprising 47 bells. The Belfry of Bruges, independent of the previously mentioned UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bruges, is included on the World Heritage Site of Belfries of Belgium and France . The city still employs

11934-489: The treatises of the Venetian Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego and Giovanni Maria Lanfranco  [ de ] . However, it is not a drone and is played the same as the other strings. This inconsistency is justified, Pio argues, only by assuming the invention (in the latter 15th century) of a larger instrument derived from the medieval violetta , which gradually added more strings to allow greater extension to

12051-418: The tunings that have been adopted at least somewhat widely during the 20th and 21st-century revival of the viols. (Lyra viol tunings are not included.) Alternative tunings (called scordatura ) were often employed, particularly in the solo lyra viol style of playing, which also made use of many techniques such as chords and pizzicato , not generally used in consort playing. An unusual style of pizzicato

12168-717: The victory at the Battle of the Golden Spurs , fought near Kortrijk on 11 July. The statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck , the leaders of the uprising, can still be seen on the Big Market square. The city maintained a militia as a permanent paramilitary body. It gained flexibility and high prestige through close ties to a guild of the organized militia, comprising professionals and specialized units. Militia men bought and maintained their own weapons and armour, according to their family status and wealth. Later, Bruges would be consumed in

12285-502: The viol consort, which consisted of three, four, five, or six instruments. Music for consorts was very popular in England in Elizabethan times, with composers such as William Byrd and John Dowland , and, during the reign of King Charles I, John Jenkins , William Lawes and Tobias Hume . The last music for viol consorts before their modern revival was probably written in the early 1680s by Henry Purcell . Perhaps even more common than

12402-418: The viol family has flat rather than curved backs, sloped rather than rounded shoulders, c holes rather than f holes , and five to seven rather than four strings. Additional differences include tuning strategy —in fourths, with a third in the middle, rather than in fifths (similar to a lute)—the presence of frets , and underhand rather than overhand bow grip. A modern player of the viol is commonly known as

12519-417: The viol is attracting ever more interest, particularly among amateur players and early music enthusiasts and societies, and in conservatories and music schools. This may be due to the increased availability of reasonably priced instruments from companies using more automated production techniques, coupled with the greater accessibility of early music editions and historic treatises. The viol is also regarded as

12636-461: The viol. The first was by Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego : Regola Rubertina & Lettione Seconda (1542/3). Diego Ortiz published Trattado de Glosas ( Rome , 1553), an important book of music for the viol with both examples of ornamentation and pieces called Recercadas . In England, Christopher Simpson wrote the most important treatise, with the second edition being published in 1667 in parallel text (English and Latin ). This has divisions at

12753-402: The viola da gamba proper, but if we think of the family as the group of differently sized instruments that play together in consorts, the baryton would not be among this group. The names viola (Italy) and vihuela (Spain) were essentially synonymous and interchangeable. According to viol historian Ian Woodfield, there is little evidence that the vihuela de arco was introduced to Italy before

12870-529: The world. Since then, similar societies have been organized in several other nations. In the 1970s, the now-defunct Guitar and Lute Workshop in Honolulu generated resurgent interest in the viol and traditional luthierie methods within the western United States. A notable youth viol group is the Gateshead Viol Ensemble. It consists of young players between the ages of 7 and 18 and is quite well known in

12987-614: The worst disaster involving a British civilian vessel since 1919; it had set sail with its bow door open. The Herald of Free Enterprise was a passenger ship bound for the Port of Dover in Kent . Most of the occupants had taken advantage of a newspaper promotion offering a £1 return trip from Dover to Zeebrugge . Brugge is the sixth most populous city in the country after Brussels , Antwerp , Charleroi , Liège , and Ghent . Viola da gamba The viola da gamba , or viol , or informally gamba ,

13104-424: Was a relatively rare smaller version of the tenor. The violones were rarely part of the consort of viols but functioned as the bass or contrabass of all kinds of instrumental combinations. The standard tuning of most viols is in fourths , with a major third in the middle (like the standard Renaissance lute tuning), or in fourths , with a major third in between the 2nd and 3rd strings. The following table shows

13221-595: Was already included in the circuit of the Flemish and French cloth fairs at the beginning of the 13th century, but when the old system of fairs broke down, the entrepreneurs of Bruges innovated. They developed, or borrowed from Italy, new forms of merchant capitalism, whereby several merchants would share the risks and profits and pool their knowledge of markets. They employed new forms of economic exchange, including bills of exchange (i.e. promissory notes) and letters of credit. The city eagerly welcomed foreign traders, most notably

13338-409: Was also common to play music for violins or flutes or unspecified top parts on small viols. Historic viols survive in relatively great number, though very few remain in original condition. They can often be found in collections of historic musical instruments at museums and universities. Here are some of the extant historic viols at The Metropolitan Museum of Art : In the 20th and early 21st century,

13455-494: Was first applied to a braccio precursor to the modern violin, as described by Tinctoris ( De inventione et usu musice , c.  1481 –3), and then was later used to describe the first Italian viols as well. Depending on the context, the unmodified viola da braccio most regularly denoted either an instrument from the violin family, or specifically the viola (whose specific name was "alto de viola da braccio" ). When Monteverdi called simply for "viole da braccio" in "Orfeo",

13572-588: Was known as a thump. Lyra viol music was also commonly written in tablature . There is a vast repertoire of this music, some by well-known composers and much by anonymous ones. Much viol music predates the adoption of equal temperament tuning by musicians. The movable nature of the tied-on frets permits the viol player to make adjustments to the tempering of the instrument, and some players and consorts adopt meantone temperaments , which are more suited to Renaissance music. Several fretting schemes involve frets that are spaced unevenly to produce better-sounding chords in

13689-629: Was originally the soprano viola da braccio , or violino da braccio . Due to the popularity of the soprano violin, the entire consort eventually took on the name "violin family". Some other names for viols include viole or violle (French). In Elizabethan English , the word "gambo" (for gamba) appears in many permutations; e.g., "viola de gambo", "gambo violl", "viol de gambo", or "viole de gambo", used by such notables as Tobias Hume , John Dowland , and William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night . Viol da Gamba and Gamba also appear as string family stops on

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