Academic thesis

Josef Rath: Examination, conservation, restauration and reconstruction of the oldest known Viennese double bass made by Nikolaus Leidolff, 1693 (KHM Wien, Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente, SAM 909) Back
Language: Original   -   Translation
Overview:  
 
Abstract: This double bass, made by Nikolaus Leidolff, is nowadays known as the oldest of this type. At the moment the bass is exhibited by a museum, but has probably been played before for almost three centuries.
During the years it was repaired quite often in a pragmatic and amateurish manner in order to meet the changing demands of each period.
Consequently, the theoretical part of the thesis presents the current discussion, whether the instru¬ment is to be seen as a basic commodity or an artefact. A large part of the work was dedicated to the examination of the instrument and its historical context. Also the hypothetical possibility of the playability and the consequences thereof were discussed.
In the practical part of the work the instrument was cleaned from the accumulated rosin dust. Vulnerable parts were consolidated and cracks were splinted. For opening and closing the corpus in an accurately fitting way a special construction for support was engineered.
Furthermore, a new double bass based on the examination of the Leidolff instrument, was reconst¬ructed.

Top

Keywords: Viennese double bass, Violone, Nikolaus Leidolff, Anton Losschmidt, crack splitting, playability, string tension, bridge pressure
Details:
  • academic institution: Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien
  • kind of theses:  Diplomarbeit
  • main Tutor:  o.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dipl.Ing. Wolfgang Baatz
  • assistant Tutor:  Mag. Dr. Alfons Huber
  • date:  2018
  • Language:  German
  • pages:  331
Back

The Hornemann Institute offers only the information displayed here. For further information or copies of academic work, please contact the author or - if there is no contact provided - the secretariats of the respective faculties.