Alto violin (British nomenclature, alto violin)

Carleen Hutchins

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Alternative Title

Alto violin of the New Violin Family.

Instrument

Viola/Violas/Strings/Musical Instrument ; Viola

Instrument Family

Strings

Maker

Carleen Hutchins

Place Made

Montclair ; North America ; United States of America

Date Made

1974

Description

This instrument has a soundboard of spruce; back, ribs, scroll and neck of maple; fingerboard and tail-gut protector of ebony, tailpiece, pegs and endpin holder of rosewood. The instrument has an orange varnish and dyed pear/poplar/dyed pear purfling; there are ebony plugged holes just inside the purfling at each of the points and offset plugged holes at the top and bottom. The back has good figure. The tailpiece is angled on top rather than curved. The scroll and neck are of one piece. Measurements: Neck length 169mm; fingerboard length 351mm, width at nut 27.2mm, at bottom 51.1mm. Soundboard arch 20mm; Back arch 20mm. Inscription: Labelled "CARLEEN HUTCHINS / SUS No. 126 / Montclair, N.J. 1974", the '126' and '74' being handwritten, the rest printed. "CMH" monogram in middle of label. "VIOLA. C-G-D-A" handwritten. "CMH" monogram stamped on the inside of the back. "C-G-D-A / VIOLA" handwritten on the inside of the back. "CATGUT ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY, INC" label under treble sound-hole, with handwritten "developed by:" on label. Playing accessories: tail-pin, chin-rest. With hard case and soft case. General literature refrences: Hutchins 1962; Hutchins 1967; Hutchins 1973; Atwood 1986. Performance characteristics: described in Skeaping 1980; can be played either viola-style under the chin or cello-style using tail-pin. Tuned C3, G3, D4, A4. Specific literature references: Darius 1977; Skeaping 1980. Illustration references: New Scientist 75 No. 1061, 21 July 1977, p. 175. Specific usage history: brought to Britain for the International Congress on Acoustics, 1974; musical and scientific research programme at the Royal College of Music, London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 1976-79; University College, Cardiff, 1980-86; Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1987-. Current ownership: Gift of Peter Fellgett.

Other Information

Specific usage history: brought to Britain for the International Congress on Acoustics, 1974; musical and scientific research programme at the Royal College of Music, London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, 1976-79; University College, Cardiff, 1980-86; Faculty of Music, University of Edinburgh, 1987- .

Notes

D. Martin, 1993-94.

Measurements

832.

Provenance

Gift of Peter Fellgett.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

2794