Viola
Viola,
alto
member of the violin family, having four strings tuned c g d1 a1 (c
= C below middle C; a1 = A
above middle C). About 2 to 7 cm (1 to 3.5 in) longer than the violin, and tuned a fifth
lower, the viola varies more in size than do the violin and cello. Most violas are
resonant and mellow in the lower range and have rich, full sounds in the middle and upper
ranges. The earliest surviving examples are two fairly large violas by the Italian builder
Gasparo da Sal?. Used prominently in such early works as the opera Orfeo (1607) by
Claudio Monteverdi, the viola in the late 17th and 18th centuries took a secondary role,
and smaller models prevailed. With the viola's resurgence in compositions such as the
symphony for viola and orchestra Harold in Italy (1834) by Hector Berlioz, and
other solo works by Brahms and Schumann, large violas again predominated. But since the
18th century, the viola's best known role has been its place in chamber ensembles, most
notably of all in the string quartet.