Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salo Viola

Viola

Gasparo Bertolotti ‘daSaló’ is one of the most successful violin makers in Brescia. He was not only a musician himself, which helped him to perfect the sound of his instruments, but he also trained important violin makers such as Maggini. He is known for his incredibly full and deep sounding instruments, which also include the small viola from 1580. The high arching of the top and back plates, as well as the enormous width of the body, contribute to this volume of sound. The viola is very light with a short scale length and a large sound. For delicate fingers and violists looking for an easy-to-play instrument, this Gasparo is perfect.

Handmade in Germany by master violin maker Florian Hertzsch
Top made of Alpine spruce
Back, sides and scroll made of flamed maple
Ebony fingerboard
Boxwood fittings
Antique oil varnish with amber varnish from own production according to the Italian model
Thin layer of varnish for freely vibrating wood
Traces of wear and tear modelled on old Italian violins
Final sound adjustment carried out via bridge and sound post
Back length: 392 mm / 15.5"
Bridge position: 209 mm
Neck length: 139 mm
Scale: 351 mm
Strings: Thomastik Dominant
Includes certificate and Jakob Winter viola case 51015 VIBE

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Available since March 2024
Item number 588345
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Size 15,5"
Flamed Back Yes
Fingerboard Ebony
Including Case Yes
Including Bow No
Model, Style G. da Salo - 1580
Top Spruce
Back and Sides Maple
Neck & Head Maple
Fretboard Ebony
Tailpiece Boxwood
Chinrest Boxwood
Tuning Pegs Boxwood

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A viola that tells a story

Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salò Viola, replica of a historical model

Gasparo da Salò had an almost unparalleled influence on Baroque luthiery: At once a musician, a craftsman, and an innovator, his life's work was celebrated even in his lifetime. The Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salò Viola is a testament to his genius – a replica that reproduces in every detail one of his earlier violas, from the year 1580. Although da Salò and the Brescian School he founded were principally famous for their violins, a viola like this is perhaps an even better example of his musical philosophy: Invariably, the goal was to achieve a powerful, dark tone, with a deep, projecting resonance. The instrument produces this rich colouration despite its astonishing lightness and playability, factors which are primarily the result of its 15.5" scale length; short for a viola, even for the time. More important for the tone are, instead, the generously arched top and back, as well as the long, wide F-holes.

Well-researched, well-tuned

In creating his Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salò Viola, the master violinmaker Florian Hertzsch (which is what the F.H. in the instrument's name stands for) has taken great pains to use historically authentic woods. The top is made of well-seasoned Alpine spruce, with the rest of the body made from very distinctively quilted maple, one of da Salò's trademarks. The fittings are made of boxwood, a hardwood that is known to have been used in the region around Brescia before tropical ebony became commonplace. This viola is thus a mixture of history and modernity – the tonewoods are specially selected to give a precise acoustic response, being tested beforehand to ensure their resonance with certain frequencies, as well as their robustness.

Delightful playability

Before the dimensions of the orchestral strings as we know them today were codified and standardised, master craftsmen like da Salò in particular experimented with form – curvature, bout width, scale length – to achieve the desired tone: in this case, direct, warm, almost earthy. One result of this freeness was the 1580 original model for this replica, a small, broad, and yet harmoniously proportioned viola. As such, it's especially well suited both to smaller violists and to violinists who occasionally dabble in the alto clef. This accessible playability is underlined by the ebony fingerboard: Although it is quite unlikely that solid ebony would have been used in this way in 1580, it is typical for instruments of this kind (and in fact demonstrably so for this historically well-documented piece) to have had parts such as this replaced and modernised over the centuries.

About Scala Vilagio

Scala Vilagio is a Thomann-exclusive brand that offers-high quality bowed string instruments, as well as professional accessories. The products are made exclusively from sustainably grown European woods that have been naturally dried over a long period of time. The instruments are precisely built by master violin makers according to the same traditional methods as their most legendary forebears: Besides Stradivarius and Guarneri del Gesù, the range also includes instruments by other grandmasters such as Nicolò Amati and Giovanni Paolo Maggini. Each one has a unique tonal palette, giving modern players a chance to own a piece of musical history. Scala Vilagio's extensive range originates with numerous expert craftspeople, based in Franconia, the Carpathians, and Czechia (among other places), and who build each instrument by hand in the tradition of the old masters.

Hands-on history

This viola was made with the most exacting adherence to historical methods, but it is anything but a museum exhibit. In his Bavarian workshop, Florian Hertzsch makes musical instruments for musicmaking, combining a love for authentic techniques with hi-tech acoustic analysis. This approach is further reflected in the accessories that come with the Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salò Viola, from the Thomastik strings – hand-wound in Vienna – to the robust Jakob Winter case, with its removable backpack straps. An experienced musician looking to treat themselves to an instrument like this will usually own a number of bows already, but of course Scala Vilagio also offer a number of suitable bows with a variety of fittings and finishes.

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Eine tolle Bratsche

Annamària 26.03.2025

Seit einigen Wochen bin ich glückliche Besitzerin diese wunderschöne Gasparo da Salo Viola von Geigenbauer Florian Hertzsch.

Die Bratsche klingt voll, warm und hat einen sehr tragfähigen Ton. Obwohl das Instrument momentan eher neutral klingende Thomastik Saiten hat, ist der Ton voller Charakter. In der jetzigen Einspielphase werde ich immer wieder mit neuen Nuancen und Klangfarben überasscht.
Die Viola ist federleicht bei der Handhabung. Eingeübte Techniken, wie z.B.Doppelgriffe funktionieren mühelos auf Anhieb, durch die perfekten Maße und ergonomische Bauweise.

Eine Kontaktaufnahme mit dem Geigenbauer Florian Hertzsch war unkompliziert, kompetent, stets freundlich und sehr zuvorkommend.
Der Versand und Kundenbetreuung von Thomann läßt keine Wünsche offen.
Ich empfehle diese tolle Bratsche für alle, die einen optisch sehr ansprechenden, leicht spelbaren Bratsche mit vollen, warmen Ton suchen.

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Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salo Viola

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