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Shaping the modern bow: Viotti and the Tourte bow

2026-10-30T08:40:00

Figure 11 Viotti seated

Debate has raged over the role of Giovanni Battista Viotti in the development of the Tourte-style bow. Markus Laine sifts through the evidence

Historically, the French bow maker François Xavier Tourte (c.1747–1835) is widely credited with developing the modern bow through his collaborations with musicians. His key advancements include standardising the dimensions of the length, head and frog, introducing even camber, and implementing the metal ferrule to secure the hair in a flat ribbon. The modern bow has been referred to as the ‘Viotti bow’, after the violinist Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755–1824). However, recent scholarly discussions have raised questions regarding the specific nature of Viotti’s bow and his exact role in its evolution. My research uses historical documentation to demonstrate the chronological development of a modern bow…

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