Re: also Viola picture

[Roger E. Blumberg]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger E. Blumberg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, December 02, 2004 6:27 PM
Subject: Re: also Viola picture


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "rosinfiorini" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 7:59 PM
> Subject: also Viola picture
>
>
> >
> >
> > actually, i made the image paler and enlarges and it becomes apparent
that
> it is simply the way the bridge is drawn (its shadow) that looks like a
dark
> stripe.
> > I'm not very good at drawing with the mouse, but here i enlarged the
image
> and drew the way the bridge actually is shaped (IMHO).. it's here:
> http://perso.wanadoo.fr/raydimitry/imagini/Viola].jpg
> > :)
> > ------------------------------------------
>
>
> Hi Rosinfiorini;
>
> let me just clearify that the problem with the bridge in general,  and the
> way you've connected those dots, is that this artist _knows_ how to draw
> good perspective. If you look at the right side edge of the viol's face,
as
> it drops down the side of instrument, all the well exicuted perspective
and
> geometry of those boxy edges and sides of the middle waist bout, you can
see
> how true this is. Now if you go back the the bridge, if it were all one
> connected piece, it's perspective (in relation to all other prespective on
> the viol) would be way off -- the work of a talented 5 year old perhaps,
but
> not Viti. That rendering would not pass muster, would never get out the
door
> (or on the wall) with Viti's name and reputation attached to it, I
believe.
> So, if  for no other reason, that's why I'm not ready to accept that we're
> looking at one connected piece of bridgework.
>
> In your minds eye, imagine standing a boxed deck of cards or cigarette
pack
> upright on it's long narrow edge on top of  the face of that instrument,
> perpendicular to the face of the viola.
> http://www.thecipher.com/viol_TimoteoViti_c1500Madonna-italy.jpg
>  can you see the kind of perspective it would create, and the kind of
> perspective Viti would have seen? He sees the correct perspective just 2
or
> 3 inches away at the right side of the instrument, so why can't he see it
> for the bridge?
>
> Thanks
> Roger
>


just another bit of detail to add to the mix (I don't know here else to tack
it, so I'll put it here);

regarding the likelihood of the Viti viola having originally been a 4 or 5
stringed machine, and that it better defaults to a plucked viola as well
(and no kind of even 5 string bowed viol), see the width of the tail piece,
and the exteme paths and angles the strings need to take to reach the 1st
and 6th slots of the bridge, and then they head in the sharp opposite
direction after the bridge to meet the nut slots.
http://www.thecipher.com/viol_TimoteoViti_c1500Madonna-italy.jpg

Under tension those strings will want to walk up the bridge to rest closer
to center, closer to a straight line path -- tail to nut. They'll jump their
bridge slots guaranteed.

Now compare the width of a true real dedicated and better developed/refined
6 string gamba as again seen in the 1502 fresco grouping.  I'll isolate one
instrument.
http://www.thecipher.com/AngelConsort1503single.jpg

See the wide width of the tail behind the bridge, and the better string path
that would create? Some of that greater width is shadow I think, but it's
still much wider than on the Viti viola, wide enough for six strings to fit
comfortably, and the string path is much straighter from tail to bridge,
pretty much a straight line.

even the tail-width of this true dedicated bowed 5 stringer is wider than
the Viti tail.
http://www.thecipher.com/oldestGamba-40p.jpg

The Viti tail and neck width _are_ in good proportion to each other, the
plucking bridge (if it is) is also in good proportion to tail width and neck
width. But neither that bowing bridge's width, nor 6 strings, are
proportional for that instrument.

I think maybe we are getting closer to unraveling this.

Roger



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