The innovations in bow technology, facilitated by Viotti and Tourte, vastly increased the expressive and technical possibilities for the violin.
Composer Biography
Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824), acknowledged as the founder of the 19th-century school of violin playing, collaborated with François Xavier Tourte to profoundly change the violin bow.
Composer Biography
Hélène de Montgeroult (1764-1836) significantly influenced 19th-century piano playing and composition with her 114 Études progressives.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Montgeroult's Études and sonatas aimed to 'make the piano sing' ('de faire chanter le piano'), promoting a cantabile style.
Composer Biography
Hélène de Montgeroult, imprisoned during the French Revolution for her aristocratic background, was spared the guillotine by impressing the Committee for Public Safety with an improvised set of variations on La Marseillaise.
Composition History
Carl Maria von Weber's (1786-1826) 6 Sonates progressives were commissioned for domestic music-making and feature a more independent violin part than earlier accompanied keyboard sonatas.
Historical Context
Viotti's collaboration with bow maker François Xavier Tourte led to significant changes in bow design by the early 1800s, including reversing the arc and repositioning the center of gravity.
