the bass violin was developed in italy in the first half of the sixteenth century to play in consort with the violin and viola. the first builder was possibly andrea amati, as early as 1538. the first specific reference to the instrument was probably made by jambe de fer in his treatise "epitome musical" (1556). one of the first known instances of a composer explicitly calling for the bass violin (""basso da brazzo"") was monteverdi in "orfeo" (1607) (the first was possibly giovanni gabrieli in "sacrae symphoniae", 1597).