Chest of viols
Encyclopedia
Chest of viols is a term which was used primarily in the 16th and 17th centuries in England for either a consort
of viol
s, or the specialized cabinet
made to contain a small consort of viols, usually containing two treble, two tenor, and two bass viols, or alternately two treble, three tenor, and one bass viol.
When the term refers to instruments, they are generally similar in make, tone, power, relative size, wood type, and color. In terms of size, the bass viol's string length should be exactly twice that of the treble viol's. The similarity required of the viols in a chest of viols usually meant that they were made by the same maker, and sometimes were ordered in sets. Similar viols were desirable because they would blend better, and also stay in tune with each other better than more disparate instruments.
One enclosure is described by Thomas Tudway in Hawkins's General History as "a large hutch, with several apartments and partitions in it; each partition was lined with green bays, to keep the instruments from being injured by the weather." These cases were sometimes expanded to house an expanding collection of instruments. As mentioned in the above quote, the purpose of the chest was not only to house the instruments, but also to protect them from changes in temperature and humidity, which can damage instruments.
Many wealthy English families owned a chest of viols, which speaks to the popularity of consort music for viol in home music-making, as a private entertainment. In 1617 Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
bought a chest of viols for £8 sterling. £8 sterling in 1600 would be worth about US$1550 in 2010. A similar grouping can be found in chests of lutes.
Consort of instruments
A consort of instruments was a phrase used in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to indicate an instrumental ensemble. These could be of the same or a variety of instruments. Consort music enjoyed considerable popularity at court and in households of the wealthy in the...
of viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
s, or the specialized cabinet
Cabinet (furniture)
A cabinet is usually a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors or drawers for storing miscellaneous items. Some cabinets stand alone while others are built into a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood or, now increasingly, of synthetic...
made to contain a small consort of viols, usually containing two treble, two tenor, and two bass viols, or alternately two treble, three tenor, and one bass viol.
When the term refers to instruments, they are generally similar in make, tone, power, relative size, wood type, and color. In terms of size, the bass viol's string length should be exactly twice that of the treble viol's. The similarity required of the viols in a chest of viols usually meant that they were made by the same maker, and sometimes were ordered in sets. Similar viols were desirable because they would blend better, and also stay in tune with each other better than more disparate instruments.
One enclosure is described by Thomas Tudway in Hawkins's General History as "a large hutch, with several apartments and partitions in it; each partition was lined with green bays, to keep the instruments from being injured by the weather." These cases were sometimes expanded to house an expanding collection of instruments. As mentioned in the above quote, the purpose of the chest was not only to house the instruments, but also to protect them from changes in temperature and humidity, which can damage instruments.
Many wealthy English families owned a chest of viols, which speaks to the popularity of consort music for viol in home music-making, as a private entertainment. In 1617 Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork
Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork , also known as the Great Earl of Cork, was Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland....
bought a chest of viols for £8 sterling. £8 sterling in 1600 would be worth about US$1550 in 2010. A similar grouping can be found in chests of lutes.