Benjamin Franklin and His Search for The Viola da Gamba

Division Viol (Bass Viol), circa 1680, by luthier Richard Meares. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

In 1789, founding father Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to a colleague based in London and asked him to find an instrument he called the “Viol de Gambo.” The ardent music lover and statesman was looking for a replacement. British soldiers had taken his previous one from his home during the American Revolution.

Though America had gained its independence 13 years prior to the letter, the colonies still relied heavily on European merchants for their musical needs. The New World, including Franklin’s home, was full of music, from classical pieces and folk songs to sacred works. Franklin owned popular instruments like the guitar and the harp. But, his prized possession was a unique and elusive stringed instrument with a soulful, commanding sound.

Now  referred to as the “viola da gamba,” or “viol” for short (this term rhymes with the word “smile”), the instrument was mysterious due to its niche audience in Europe and the difficulty of getting it overseas to the New World.

The viol is sometimes underrated as an instrument of Colonial America due to limited information about its history. But based on what musicologists and historians know now, the viola da gamba had a significant impact on music lovers like Franklin who set out to establish their own culture of the arts in the newly independent nation.

Franklin spent years in the late 1700s trying to locate one of history’s most unique, enigmatic musical inventions.

An Intimate Connection Between Viol and Gambist

Painting of German composer Carl Friedrich Abel playing the viola da gamba, circa 1765, by Thomas Gainsborough. National Portrait Gallery, London. Public Domain

In the late 18th century, America lacked supply for a growing demand for musical instruments. Without native luthiers, many colonists who procured violins, flutes, or other popular instruments had to buy them overseas in England and ship them to America. This process required patience and significant motivation, both of which Franklin possessed, no matter his endeavor.

Viols have a range of three different sizes: treble, tenor, and bass. As instruments became more accessible to the public thanks to the work of European luthiers, experimentation increased. Some viols had five strings and some had seven. In the letter to his colleague, Franklin specifically asked for one with with six strings, which is standard for today’s modern viola da gamba.

Division Viol (Bass Viol), circa 1680, by luthier Richard Meares. Spruce, ebony, maple; 46 1/16 inches by 14 3/4 inches by 5 inches. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

The viol’s body is shaped much like a cello, and it has a flat back. Though it is played like a cello, it shares similarities to the “lute” family (a term used to describe guitar-shaped instruments during the Renaissance period) due to its frets and tuning. The viola da gamba experienced its first wave of admiration during the Renaissance. The name is Italian for “viol for the leg,” and viol players, who are also called “gambists,” rest the fretted instrument in an upright position between their legs while playing.

The use of the instrument’s bow is its most unique feature. When playing other bowed instruments like the violin or cello, the musician’s fingers do not contact the bow hair as it glides across the strings. However, viola da gamba players hold the bow in an underhand position, with the player’s middle finger resting lightly on the bow hair as it contacts the strings. This creates an intimate connection, with the vibration of sounds flowing directly from the viol to the gambist.

From Solo Act to Small Band

A painting of Benjamin Franklin, 1778, by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

The viol’s unique features thrilled amateur musicians like Franklin, who remains one of America’s earliest known viola de gamba owners. Was he one of the first to bring the Spanish born instrument to the colonies? Perhaps.

In the historical record, the first mention of Franklin’s viola da gamba was actually by his son. Sometime around 1779, during the height of the Revolutionary War, Franklin’s son wrote to him from their Philadelphia home to tell him British forces had taken several instruments from their residence, including Franklin’s “welch harp, bell harp, the set of tuned bells which were in a box, [and the] Viol de Gambo.” During this time, the statesman was thousands of miles away in Paris serving as a diplomat in charge of fostering support from the French for American independence.

Although the viola da gamba could be found in the homes of America’s upper-class families, the instrument was most popular among European royals in the 18th century. Its emotive, rich sounds could be heard in palaces, on estates, and in symphony halls. The viol was often hired as entertainment for political functions and cultural events of great significance.

It’s unclear whether Franklin ever replaced his beloved viola da gamba, of which he was reported to be a skilled player.

Viols and the Classical Era

(L) Manuscript of Sonatas for viola da gamba and bass, 18th century by Carl Friedrich Abel. (R) a drawing of Abel titled "Seignor Catgutaneo," 1773. The British Library, London. Public Domain

Widespread use of the viola da gamba in Europe experienced waves of popularity. Maybe Franklin heard its yearning strings at times while conducting business in France, keeping the absence of his own viol in the back of his mind, ultimately inspiring him to contact his friend in London.

As more people appreciated the sound of the viol throughout the Classical era, several composers created compositions with the instrument in mind. Both Handel and Bach wrote sonatas in the early-to-mid-1700s for the viola da gamba, and the pieces were meant to be played alongside the in-demand harpsichord.

Though the viol was at times popular in Europe, the instrument was always hard to find in America, making its impact that much more profound when a listener did stumble upon someone playing it.

In the 1730s, the “James River Music Book” began circulating throughout British colonies. Compositions featured in the collection were written for the viola da gamba, and they were shared among amateur musicians in places like Virginia. Though copies of other works for the viola da gamba have been found in the states, the “James River Music Book” remains the only surviving collection of compositions specifically for the instrument that can be found in its original manuscript form.

The Annual Viola da Gamba Conclave

"A Musical Party," 1659, by Gabriël Metsu. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Public Domain

Though the viol experienced acclaim in the Renaissance and Classical periods, its popularity waned in the 1800s. As symphony halls grew bigger and orchestras grew louder, the viol was slowly phased out in favor of instruments with a more powerful sound. The violin became the preferred option over the viola da gamba.

Although mainstream love of the instrument weakened, interest in it eventually reignited. In the 20th century, a group of dedicated musicians with a powerful love of classical music created a grassroots effort to reintroduce the viol into the classical music landscape. From performing historic compositions written for the instrument to creating new ones, a love for the viola da gamba was reborn.

In 1962, the Viola da Gamba Society of America was created to continue efforts to build on the unique instrument’s underrated place among European and American historic musical culture. In 2012, a passionate group of society members got together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their “Annual Viola da Gamba Conclave,” which continues to run each year. The meeting recognizes the unique history of the elusive, mesmerizing bowed instrument and celebrates its bright future. Supported by contemporaries with characteristics like Benjamin Franklin’s, modern gambists keep the soulful, rich sounds of the viola da gamba alive.

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