What is "viola"

Viola \Vi"o*la\, n. [L., a violet. See Violet.] (Bot.) A genus of polypetalous herbaceous plants, including all kinds of violets.

Viola \Vi"o*la\, n. [It. See Viol.] (Mus.) An instrument in form and use resembling the violin, but larger, and a fifth lower in compass.

Viola da braccio [It., viol for the arm], the tenor viol, or viola, a fifth lower than the violin. Its part is written in the alto clef, hence it is sometimes called the alto.

Viola da gamba [It., viol for the leg], an instrument resembling the viola, but larger, and held between the knees. It is now rarely used.

Viola da spalla [It., viol for the shoulder], an instrument formerly used, resembling the viola, and intermediate in size between the viola and the viola da gamba.

Viola di amore [It., viol of love: cf. F. viole d'amour], a viol, larger than the viola, having catgut strings upon, and brass or steel wires under, the keyboard. These, sounding sympathetically with the strings, yield a peculiarly soft and silvery sound. It is now seldom used.

fem. proper name, from Latin viola "the violet" (see violet).

"tenor violin," 1797, from Italian viola, from Old Provençal viola, from Medieval Latin vitula "stringed instrument," perhaps from Vitula, Roman goddess of joy (see fiddle), or from related Latin verb vitulari "to exult, be joyful." Viola da gamba "bass viol" (1724) is from Italian, literally "a viola for the leg" (i.e. to hold between the legs).

Etymology 1 n. 1 (context music English) A stringed instrument of the violin family, somewhat larger than a violin, played under the chin, and having a deeper tone 2 (context music English) An organ stop having a similar tone 3 (context music English) A 10-string steel-string acoustic guitar, used in Brazilian folk music. Etymology 2

n. (qualifier: botany) Any of several flowering plants, of the genus ''Viola'', including the violets and pansies.

1. n. any of the numerous plants of the genus Viola

2. large genus of flowering herbs of temperate regions [syn: genus Viola]

3. a bowed stringed instrument slightly larger than a violin, tuned a fifth lower

The viola (; ) is a bowed and plucked string instrument. It is slightly larger than a violin in size and has a lower and deeper sound than a violin. Since the 18th century it has been the middle or alto voice of the violin family, between the violin (which is tuned a perfect fifth above it) and the cello (which is tuned an octave below it).The strings from low to high are generally tuned to C3, G3, D4, and A4.

In the past, the viola varied in size and style as did its names. The Italians often used the term: " viola da braccio" meaning literally: 'of the arm'. "Brazzo" was another Italian word referring to the viola which the Germans adopted in the form: "Bratsche". The French had their own names: "Cinquiesme" was a small viola,"Haute Contre" was a large viola and "Taile" meant "Tenor". In the modern era, the French use the term "Alto", a reference to its range.

The viola had enjoyed popularity in the heyday of five-part harmony up until the eighteenth century, taking three lines of the harmony and occasionally playing the melody line. Music that is written for the viola differs from that of most other instruments in that it primarily uses the alto clef. Viola music employs the treble clef when there are substantial sections of music written in a higher register.

The viola often plays the "inner voices" in string quartets and symphonic writing, and it is more likely than the first violin to play accompaniment parts. The viola occasionally has a major, soloistic role in orchestral music. In the earlier part of the 20th century, more composers began to write for the viola, encouraged by the emergence of specialized soloists such as Lionel Tertis. English composers Arthur Bliss, York Bowen, Benjamin Dale, and Ralph Vaughan Williams all wrote chamber and concert works for Tertis. William Walton, Bohuslav Martinů and Béla Bartók wrote well-known viola concertos. Paul Hindemith wrote a substantial amount of music for viola. In the latter part of the 20th century a substantial repertoire was produced for the viola.

Viola ( and ) is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing between 525 and 600 species. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, some are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes.

Some Viola species are perennial plants, some are annual plants, and a few are small shrubs. A large number of species, varieties and cultivars are grown in gardens for their ornamental flowers. In horticulture the term " pansy" is normally used for those multi-coloured, large-flowered cultivars which are raised annually or biennially from seed and used extensively in bedding. The terms "viola" and "violet" are normally reserved for small-flowered annuals or perennials, including the species.

A viola is a 4-string bowed musical instrument related to the violin.

Viola may also refer to:

Paulo Sergio Rosa, usually known as Viola (born January 1, 1969), is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Brazilian side Taboão da Serra.

"Viola" is the fourteenth single from Japanese singer Hitomi Shimatani, and the first single from her 2004 album Tsuioku+Love Letter. It peaked at #17 on the Oricon charts and has sold around 22,000 copies.

Viola is a dance track with a heavy Eastern influence, bearing mandolin and flutes. The B-side, "Brand New Heart", is a poppy, bouncy dance song with what may be synthesized harpsichord and pizzicato style strings.

Viola is an unfinished romantic opera by Bedřich Smetana. The libretto was written by Eliška Krásnohorská, and is based on Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night. The composer did some work on it in 1874 and then came back to it in 1883, when he only managed to orchestrate a few scenes; the opera was left incomplete upon Smetana's death in 1884.

Viola is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.

Viola is a feminine given name, a variant of the given name Violet.

Viola (pronounced \\) is the heroine and protagonist of the play Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare.

Viola's actions produce all of the play's momentum. She is a young woman of Messaline, a fictional country invented by Shakespeare, although some believe that this country really did exist. In the beginning Viola is found shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria and separated from her twin brother, not knowing whether he is alive or dead, the Sea Captain that tells her that this place is ruled by the Duke Orsino, who is in love with the Countess Olivia. Viola wants to serve her, but, finding this impossible, she has the Sea Captain dress her up like a eunuch, so she can serve the Duke instead.

Viola chooses the name Cesario and secures a position as a page working for the Duke. He then entrusts Cesario (Viola) to express his love for Olivia. Cesario continues to pass messages back and forth between the Duke and Olivia, but this eventually places her in somewhat of a quandary: she is forced by duty to do her best to plead Orsino’s case to Olivia, but an internal conflict of interest arises when she falls in love with Orsino, and Olivia, believing her to be male, falls in love with her. Upon receiving a ring from Olivia's steward, Viola contemplates the love triangle her disguise has created, admitting only time can solve it.

When Sebastian, Viola's lost twin, arrives alive and well in Illyria with a pirate named Antonio, the chaos of mistaken identity ensues. The absurdity of the identity crisis builds until Sebastian and Viola as Cesario meet for the first time, and eventually recognize one another. Olivia and Sebastian have already been secretly married, as she mistook him for Cesario, and Sebastian, ignorant of the foregoing love triangle, was simply entranced by a beautiful woman. Ultimately then, given what he has witnessed, Orsino admits that he will no longer pursue Olivia, agreeing to love her as his sister, and decides to take Viola as his wife once she quits her disguise.

Although Viola is the play's protagonist, her true name is not spoken by any character—including herself—until the final scene of the play (Act 5, scene 1). __NOTOC__