The Viola Alta

A Chronological List of Known Viola Altas

Can you help make this list more complete? There are certainly more than 20 surviving viola altas in the world. Please contact me if you can provide more information.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1876 #12

Owner: Tobias Breider
Named "Fasolt" by its current owner.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1881 #132

Owner: Tobias Breider
Named "Fafner" by its current owner.

Winterling, Georg, 1882 (468mm)

Owner: National Music Museum, USD Vermillion since 2011
  • 468mm body length
  • 436mm string length
  • 203mm upper bout
  • 254mm lower bout
  • 134mm C-bout

"Bozhidar Shopov acquired the instrument in Europe, where he was told it was used by the principal of the Gewandhaus Orchestra at one point."

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1882 (432mm)

Owner: Current owner unknown
Smallest viola alta known to the author.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1885 #152 (470mm)

Owner: Current owner unknown
Formerly owned by the late Carl Smith.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1885 #153

Owner: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg
  • 766mm overall length
  • 428mm string length
  • 258mm lower bout

Golden-brown in color, one-piece back. Acquired 2011 from the collection of Wolfgang Hanneforth.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1885 #154

Owner: Swedish Museum of Performing Arts
No other information given.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1890 #183 (456mm)

Owner: Jason Fruit
Owned since 2024 by Jason Fruit. Previous owners unknown.

Anonymous, Before 1891 (470mm)

Owner: Emil Jonasson
Repair label from Thos. S Hesketh (Dealer in Italian and French instruments), Manchester 1891.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1891 (18in)

Owner: Joel Rudin
"…in some ways I find it more comfortable to play than a 16.5" viola I also own."

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1893

Owner: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
No description given online.

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1894 #207 (472mm)

Owner: Dan Thomason as of 1990
  • 472mm body length
  • 420mm string length
  • 209mm upper bout
  • 258mm lower bout
  • 140mm C-bout

Golden honey in color; Thomason describes the tone as "open, full, bright in all registers."

Hörlein, Karl Adam, 1894 #224 (470mm)

Owner: Paul McMillan
470mm body length. Bought in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Label text: "Hermann Ritter invenit. privileg. Nr 224"

Hörlein, Karl Adam?, n.d. (470mm)

Owner: Sale pending as of September, 2026
Original label, if any, removed; bears remnants of Ritter signature typical of Hörlein instruments, mostly obscured. Partially refinished. A player of the instrument notes, "It is extreme: 47cm, very hard top wood, sound is loud, raw and uneven - I didn’t manage to tame it, yet."

Hörlein, Karl Adam, n.d. (479mm)

Owner: Verne Martin as of 1990
  • 479mm body length
  • 420mm string length
  • 212mm upper bout
  • 264mm lower bout
  • 145mm C-bout

Red-brown in color; Thomason describes the tone as "open, full, dark lower register."

Keller, Philipp, 1902

Owner: Grassi Museum für Musikinstrumente der Universität Leipzig
A four-string viola alta.

Keller, Philipp, 1904

Owner: PIVA, Brigham Young University
A five-string viola alta.

Keller, Philipp, 1905 (454mm)

Owner: Current owner unknown
Restored by Daniel Furian, 2016. A five-string viola alta.

Keller, Philipp, 1905 #97 (45cm)

Owner: Holger Niemann
5 stringed Altgeige, converted to a 4 string viola around year 2000 for non availability of reliable E-strings. All original parts preserved (Bridge, saddle, tailpiece, 5th peg). Played as preferred Viola in top German orchestra and at Bayreuth in 80s and 90s, thereafter as 2nd instrument of professional violist for special occasions.

Kaul, Paul, 1916 (485mm)

Owner: Musée de la Musique, Paris
  • 485mm body length
  • 220mm upper bout
  • 278mm lower bout
  • 147mm C-bout

Brown in color. Made for Paul-Louis Neuberth, who played it for his entire career. Includes a regular maker's label and a second label with quotes from Berlioz and Wagner.