Viola
The viola in five languages — viola, Bratsche, alto, 中提琴
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Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 中提琴 |
| English | viola |
| Italian | viola |
| German | Bratsche |
| French | alto |
The viola is the alto member of the violin family, tuned a fifth below the violin (C3–G3–D4–A4) and usually read in alto clef. Italian viola matches the English name, but Italian violino is the violin; German Bratsche and French alto have their own roots.
Watch out: the Chinese 中提琴 can suggest "a medium-sized violin", but its role is the inner voice — filling the harmony in a quartet, often unnoticed and yet decisive for the sound's thickness.
Read deeper → Viola
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与中提琴定弦，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Viola"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.