Violino piccolo

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The violino piccolo is a stringed instrument of the baroque period. Most examples are similar to a 3/4 size violin in size, and are tuned a third or a fourth higher. Probably the most famous work featuring violino piccolo is the first Brandenburg Concerto of Johann Sebastian Bach.

When the construction of the violin changed as the rococo period began, it became possible to play many higher-pitched violin parts on a standard violin, and the piccolo was no longer considered necessary. In modern performances of older works that specifically call for the violino piccolo, it is common for a woodwind instrument capable of playing in its range, such as an oboe, to be substituted.

Violins of similar tuning have been built in modern times but have not yet been accepted as standard.