RESEARCH General Arts

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Extraordinary design of unique instrument honors musician, family

Melissa Mitchell, News Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu

9/1/2001

Photo by Bill Wiegand Music professor Rudolph Haken commissioned instrument-maker David Rivinus to design and build a viola pomposa, the only one in the world.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — "Unique" is often applied indiscriminately to things that just aren't. But no other single word more accurately describes University of Illinois music professor Rudolf Haken's new amoeba-shaped, five-string instrument. That's because it's the only one in the world.

Oh, other viola pomposas exist. In fact, Johann Sebastian Bach is credited with inventing the instrument, which combines the ranges of a viola and violin. But Haken's instrument – which he commissioned instrument-maker David Rivinus to design and build – is in a class of its own. Rivinus calls it a Pellegrina pomposa. He gave it an Italian name in honor of the country known historically as the world's foremost producer of violins and violas; in Italian, Pellegrina means "pilgrimess."

"He took each problem of the traditional viola and corrected it," Haken said. For example, "the fingerboard is normally made of ebony, an endangered wood. An ebony fingerboard needs to be planed frequently due to the grooves made by the fingers. Rivinus' fingerboard is made of Formica, which is much lighter. In fact, the entire instrument is noticeably lighter; this is an obsession of his."

Another improvement to the fingerboard is its revolutionary design. "With a viola, the C string may hit the fingerboard and cause a buzzing sound when played aggressively. On this, the fingerboard is cut at a slant," so there’s no interference. "He (Rivinus) found the highest point a violist will ever play on each string," then tapered the fingerboard as required.

And unlike other viola pomposas, Rivinus' creation has a bigger, richer sound – the result of two additional sound holes and the instrument’s exaggerated, asymmetrical design that is reminiscent of something from a Salvador Dali painting. In fact, the design was inspired by Dali, one of Rivinus' favorite artists; Dali's stylized signature is inlaid on the back of the viola.

And that's just the tip of the pomposa when it comes to the instrument’s artistry.

Emulating a practice common among old-world instrument makers, Rivinus decorated Haken’s commission with a host of personalized images. For example, in honor of his wife Leila's heritage, the back side depicts a pair of hands that form a traditional East Indian greeting, "namaste." From the hands of the music-maker float a series of bubbles featuring images of his three children. His wife's likeness is carved at the top of the instrument, crowning the entire creation.

On the front, the designer has embellished the instrument with a small painting of a hook harp, which grows from a bunch of lilac blossoms. The image is actually a musical and linguistic pun making reference to Leila, a professional harpist. In German, the native language of Haken's parents, the instrument would be called a Hakenharfe. Remove one letter from Leila's name, and it becomes "Lila Hakenharfe," or lilac (or purple) hook harp.

Haken will perform with his unique instrument for the first time in concert in the United States at 8 p.m. Sept. 20 in the UI's Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, with pianist Robert Auler.