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Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salo Viola WN

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 sound. It is a very light viola with a short scale length and a large sound. This Gasparo is perfect for delicate fingers and violists looking for an easy-to-play instrument.

Unlike the tops of conventional string instruments, this viola's top is not carved out of a single piece of wood. It is bent out of thin spruce plates, as has been practised in English viola making for centuries. This technique avoids breaking the wood fibres at the edges, which makes the blank considerably stiffer. In order to achieve the natural resonance of a carved plate, the curved top can be made thinner and thus lighter. A lower mass can be made to vibrate faster – in other words, it responds more easily. In addition, instruments with curved tops sound louder overall. The nut back also contributes to a darker sound.

  • Handmade in Germany by master violin maker Florian Hertzsch
  • Top made of Alpine spruce
  • Back and sides: Walnut
  • Ebony fingerboard
  • Ebony fittings
  • Antique oil varnish with amber varnish from our 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
  • Strings: Thomastik Dominant
  • Includes certificate and Jakob Winter viola case 51015 CAB
  • Available since March 2024
  • Item number 588783
  • Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
  • Size 15,5"
  • Flamed Back No
  • Fingerboard Ebony
  • Including Case Yes
  • Including Bow No
  • Model, Style G. da Salo - 1580
  • Top Spruce
  • Back and Sides Walnut
  • Neck & Head Maple
  • Fretboard Ebony
  • Tailpiece Ebony
  • Chinrest Ebony
  • Tuning Pegs Ebony
$8,777
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In stock
1

A viola like no other

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

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. His love for experimentation lives on almost 500 years later in this unique Scala Vilagio viola. The compact, harmonious form is an exact replica of a historical model from the year 1580. The selection of tonewoods used here, however, takes da Salò's musical philosophy to its logical conclusion: By using walnut for back and ribs, the sound is even darker and warmer than the original would have been, giving the instrument the maximal expression of the very qualities da Salò and his followers always aimed for. The emphatically arched top and the long, wide F-holes – two more classic trademarks of da Salò's Brescian school – also play their part in giving this viola its rich, resonant tone.

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

History, tradition, modernity

In creating his Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salò Viola WN, the master violin maker Florian Hertzsch (which is what F.H. here stands for, WN for walnut of course) has adhered painstakingly to the form of da Salò's historical masterpiece. The viola thus has a shorter 15.5" scale length, making it immensely playable. Furthermore, the top is not carved from a single piece of wood, as was typical for Baroque luthiery: Instead, it is made of bent staves of spruce, as was the style for English violas da gamba for centuries. This serves to make the top thinner and lighter; less mass means a faster response, and instruments with bent tops also sound louder. This instrument truly is a melding of traditional and modern skills – the woods were also tested for their resonance with specific frequencies to ensure a precise timbre and a robust build.

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

Lightweight 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 this smaller, broader, lighter viola. The walnut components are also less dense than the historically documented maple. All this means the Scala Vilagio F.H. Gasparo da Salò Viola WN is 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 to have had parts such as this replaced and modernised over the centuries.

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

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.

Jakob Winter hard case for viola

Hands-on history

This viola unites the knowledge and artistry from almost 500 years of luthiery, which is no coincidence: 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 WN, 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.