Editing Viola d'amore (section)

== Use ==
[[File:Viola d'amore 1.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The bridge on an early 18th-century instrument, showing both sets of strings.]]
The instrument was especially popular in the late 17th century, although a specialised viola d'amore player would have been highly unusual, since it was customary for professional musicians to play a number of instruments, especially within the family of the musician's main instrument. Later, the instrument fell from use, as the volume and power of the [[violin family]] became preferred over the delicacy and sweetness of the [[viol]] family. However, there has been renewed interest in the viola d'amore in the last century. The viola players [[Henri Casadesus]] and [[Paul Hindemith]] both played the viola d'amore in the early 20th century, and the film composer [[Bernard Herrmann]] made use of it in several scores. It may be noted that, like instruments of the violin family, the modern viola d'amore was altered slightly in structure from the baroque version, mainly to support the extra tension of steel wound strings.

[[Leoš Janáček]] originally planned to use the viola d'amore in his second string quartet, "Intimate Letters". The use of the instrument was symbolic of the nature of his relationship with [[Kamila Stösslová]], a relationship that inspired the work. However, the version with viola d'amore was found in rehearsal to be impracticable, and Janáček re-cast the part for a conventional viola.<ref>Tyrrell, John (2006/7). 'Janáček: Years of a Life', Faber & Faber, London, Volume II at pages 264, 832, 881</ref>
[[Sergei Prokofiev]]'s ballet [[Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)|''Romeo and Juliet'']] features a viola d'amore as well.
 
The viola d'amore can regularly be heard today in [[musical ensemble]]s that specialise in [[historically informed performance]]s of [[Baroque music]] on authentic instruments.