Violin Bow Construction and Its Influence on Bowing Technique in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

The following treatise is based on information that relates to the bow construction and its influence on the bowing technique of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This period is especially important because major changes happened in this period. In the history of the bow's development, there were many different shapes of the bows. Among them were the short French bow that was found among the players of dances and the long Italian bow used for playing the sonatas. It was in the second half of the eighteenth century that the bow took its final form owing to Tourte, an excellent bow maker. He made major changes that contributed to performing various bow strokes. In the romantic period there was an intention to imitate the human voice and the modern Tourte bow facilitated this need. Therefore, more sustained musical phrases were encountered after its emergence. There are several violin methods that relate to the bowing technique of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among them are treatises by Francesco Geminiani, Leopold Mozart, Giuseppe Tartini, Jean-Baptiste Lully's analysis explained by Georg Muffat, Louis Spohr, and Pierre Baillot. Geminiani offered information regarding the various expressive elements in music. Mozart wrote a treatise in which he analyzes "correct" and "incorrect" bow grips. He also discusses four dynamic divisions that are important in playing various dynamic shadings with the pre-Tourte bow. Mozart mentioned in his treatise the important rule of the down-bow that was first found in Italian music. Mozart suggested that each measure should start with the down-bow stroke in order to emphasize the strong beats in the measures. Muffat also explained the importance of the down-bow rule (based on information by Lully) that was so much discussed between the authors of violin methods. Many authors of that time accepted this rule. However, Geminiani and Tartini emphasized that all the strokes should be practiced with both down and up-bow. Nevertheless, the rule of the down-bow was accepted by a majority of the authors of that time. Various bow grips co-existed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and L'abbe le fils was a supporter of the bow hold at the frog, which was in contradiction to that of Geminiani who emphasized that the bow should be held a little above the frog (but not at it). Spohr was a follower of holding all four fingers together, which was a different technique to that of Mozart who was a supporter of separating the index finger from the others in order to achieve a powerful sound. Baillot wrote a massive treatise in which he explained the various bow strokes that existed in the period before and after Tourte. The major transformation that happened in the late eighteenth century influenced changes and improvements in sound as well as supplying the solo performers with a great device such as the modern Tourte bow. Thanks to the improvements that Tourte invented, the bow is able to produce the best possible sound on the violin and to give us all the pleasure that is found in the music.