[It. and Sp. viola, = F. viole VIOL sb.1]
1. A four-stringed musical instrument slightly larger than a violin; the alto or tenor violin.
1797. Southey, Lett. Resid. Spain, xv. 265. The King of Spain wished to hear his daughter play on the viola, and an express was … sent to Lisbon for her instrument!
1801. Busby, Dict. Mus., Viola, a tenor violin…. The part it takes in concert is between that of the bass and the second violin.
1845. E. Holmes, Mozart, 14. The father … took the bass part on the viola, Wenzl played the first violin, I the second.
1891. Meredith, One of our Conq., xxviii. Colney brought his viola for a duet.
attrib. 1856. Mrs. C. Clarke, trans. Berlioz’ Instrumentation, 25. Viola players were always taken from among the refuse of violinists.
b. One who plays the viola.
1894. Daily News, 25 April, 5. Herr Ludwig Strauss, for many years viola in the quartet at the Monday Popular Concerts.
c. A variety of organ-stop.
1876. Hiles, Catech. Organ, ix. (1878), 65. Viola, an open stop of narrow measure, and a particularly soft and agreeable … tone.
2. Viola da (also di) gamba, = VIOL DA GAMBA 1.
1724. Short Explic. For. Wds. in Mus. Bks., Viola Da Gamba, is the same as Viola Basso, or Bass Viol.
1787. Ann. Reg., Chron., 210/1. The Viola di Gamba is not an instrument in general use; and will perhaps die with him, but his performance rendered it exquisitely charming.
1885. Daily News, 17 Aug., 6/1 (Stanf.). The early 18th century room contains the spinet, the viola da gamba, and the viola d’amore.
b. = VIOL DA GAMBA 2.
1876. Hiles, Catech. Organ, ix. (1878), 66. Viola di Gamba, or Gamba,… is of tin or metal, and the tone is soft, and somewhat cutting.
1889. E. J. Payne, in Grove, Dict. Mus., IV. 267. Under the incorrect title of Viola da Gamba it designates an organ stop of 8 ft. pitch, with open pipes, in the choir organ.
3. Viola d’amore (or † d’amour): see VIOL1 2 b.
1724. Short Explic. For. Wds. in Mus. Bks., Viola D’Amour, a kind of Treble Viol, strung with Wire, and so called because of its soft and sweet Tone.
1885. [see 2].
1889. Grove’s Dict. Mus., IV. 267.
