The History of Violin Playing from Its Origins to 1761: and Its Relationship to the Violin and Violin Music

by David D. Boyden

This volume presents a comprehensive history of violin performance against the background of the violin's evolution and the music written for it. Boyden focuses on the techniques of violin playing in centuries past, and discusses such practical questions as the development of bowing disciplines, the performance of staccato, the use of vibrato, the meaning of performing directions, the notation and performance of double stops, the rules of scordatura playing, and the sound of the violin in early times.

Genres: Music, History

594 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 1965

About the author

David Dodge Boyden (Westport, Connecticut, December 10, 1910 – Berkeley, California – September 18, 1986) was an American musicologist and violinist specializing in organology and performance practice.

Reviews

[Allen Garvin]

Indispensable work for anyone interested in Renaissance or (especially) Baroque performance practice and repertoire. While dated somewhat in research, it's the one go-to book for information on early string playing.

[Mills College Library]

787.1 B789h 1975