VIOLONCELLO, the third largest member of the violin fam ily, standing midway, therefore, in point of size and pitch be tween the viola and the double-bass. Although the word vio loncello is a diminutive, signifying "small violone," or double-bass, the instrument is really a bass violin, formed on a differ ent model from the violone, which has the sloping shoulders, and flat back of the viol family, whereas those of the violoncello are rounded as in the violin. It may be added that as the word violoncello is a diminutive the adoption of the second half of it, 'cello, as a contraction, is hardly a happy procedure. The violoncello came into existence soon after the violin and took the place of the viola da gamba, or bass viol, which, however, it only sup planted very gradually. Its construction
is the same as that of the violin but on a larger scale, the total length of the instru ment being 482in., though the earliest instruments were somewhat larger. Al though at first the viola da gamba con tinued to be preferred by connoisseurs to the violoncello, which was considered suit able only for accompaniment purposes, the violoncello established its superiority in due course and to-day, alike in concerted music and for solo purposes, ranks second only to the violin among the instruments of its class. Its full rich tone lends itself especially to the execution of expressive cantabile passages. (See VIOLIN. )