"The Monster" Vertical Viola
The vertical viola developed by Dautrich and Hutchins was an acoustical success, however the large body length prevented it from being held under the chin like a conventional viola, and the greater string length also proved a challenge. The conductor Leopold Stokowski was enthusiastic about the instrument, but he wrote to Hutchins in 1967 that: "As the resistance to the vertical viola is stronger than my enthusiasm for it, which is very great, it might be a good idea to return to the horizontal viola with short thick strings to enable the player to finger the same as for the violin . . ." Hutchins cleverly designed a viola with a body size that was effectively the same as those of the vertical viola, but by altering the shape and mounting the strings on an angle she was able to produce an instrument that could be held under the chin. The string length was reduced to 15 inches (38 cm), somewhat greater than proposed by Stokowski. Elements of this design are seen in 19th-century viola bassa designs by Lorenzo Arcangioli (active c. 1874). Contemporary makers such as David Lloyd Rivinus, maker of the "Pellegrina" ergonomic viola, also employ a similar asymmetric design.
Artwork Details
- Title: "The Monster" Vertical Viola
- Maker: Carleen M. Hutchins (Springfield, Massachusetts, 1911–2007 Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
- Date: 1969
- Geography: Montclair, New Jersey, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Wood, metal
- Dimensions: Overall: 41.9 x 13.3 x 76.2cm (16 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 30in.)
- Classification: Chordophone-Lute-bowed-unfretted
- Credit Line: Gift of Carleen Maley Hutchins, 2002
- Object Number: 2002.571.5
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Carleen M. Hutchins
1998
Carleen M. Hutchins
Carolyn Wilson Field
1986
Multiple artists/makers
1971
Carleen M. Hutchins
Reed Raphael Bernstein
1982
Carleen M. Hutchins
1979
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.