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The story of my making violas pomposa started in the late 2002. Sigiswald Kuijken, a musician who does not need any further introduction specially if you are familiar with the Historically Informed performance, asked me if a viola-sized instrument sounding in the cello-range was physically possible. After giving it a brief thought I concluded that the few surviving examples I knew at that time have been cleverly constructed and obviously intended for the use along with the cellos. “Viola pomposa” is believed to have been invented by J.S.Bach for his cello soli, however this is a myth and it has been refuted by all recent scholars. There had also been a viola-like instrument used by Telemann and called a viola pomposa. Telemann’s viola pomposa had the pitch of an ordinary viola with the fifth string - the violin’s e’’. This instrument is not to be confused with Bach’s “viola pomposa”. The latter should rather be called a violoncello piccolo. It was also called viola da spalla, viola di spala, or simply a violoncello - without the modifier “piccolo”. Should you need some scholarly info on this subject you can download my article. This article was made available on-line by the kind permission of the Editor of the Galpin Society Journal.

Sigiswald’s request was followed by several months of library and museum research. This research resulted in the successful reconstruction of the concert quality viola pomposa - violoncello da spalla - and now it is being followed by a number of violin-makers as well.

Badiarov Viola Pomposa models

Not a single surviving instrument can reliably be tagged as “original”. Most of them have been rebuilt into some other instruments. Natural wear and tear and the shrinkage of wood contributed into the problem further. My original models are based on a number of historical examples and on the immense number of historical documents related to the context in which the violin-family instruments and the violoncelli in particular had evolved. My model is suitable for a large repertoire and is the closest to what J.S.Bach had in mind when he called for a violoncello in nine cantatas, Brandenburg Concertos and in the Cello Suites, all six.  I have a larger and a smaller model, both can be made with four or five strings. Sigiswald Kuijken owns both. It can also be played  by the cellists or viol players specially if made somewhat bigger.

The huge practical experience accumulated in making and using this instrument in various musical contexts have helped to refine the models to their best and create truly fine, career-grade instruments.

Before you leave this website don’t forget to subscribe to your e-Zine. Click on the CD covers to view them on the respective web-shop pages. Description of the CDs does not mention viola pomposa but violoncello. This is not intended to mislead you. Please, understand, that violoncello is a more proper word for what is known as Bach’s viola pomposa tuned in the cello range - CGDA and occasionally an extra e’. 

It is my violin-making studio’s policy - to do it well.

To be sure I know what I am making I mastered some technique of playing

on the viola pomposa and recorded this little CD in 2009. The CD came out in 2010.

It is still available directly from my violin-making studio as

well as from any music shop anywhere on the planet. J.S.Bach, Six Suites for Violoncello Solo

2CDs, 25 EUR, FREE shipping worldwide.

Don’t like it? Just send it back for a full refund.

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