Paris, 1666 we travel to the 17th Century where Louis XIV the « Sun King » reigns over France.
This album invites you to the intimate circle of the private salons of Jean de La Fontaine in Paris at the end of the 17th century.
Here is a place to relax, where one drinks wine, plays cards, listens to new poems and most importantly listens to beautiful music.
Nicolas Hotman 1610 or 1614, Paris 1663 was Sainte-Colombe’s teacher. This is a world premier of his duos for two bass viols.
Le Sieur Dubuisson (Jean Lacquemant) 1622 or 1623 - 1681 was a prolific composer for solo bass viol. A book of his music contains the date September 1666 where the title of the album comes from. Some of his music has an added bass accompaniment composed after his death. We present both the solo music as well as the accompanied version here.
Le Sieur DeMachy was the first composer for the viol to have ever published music for this instrument in 1685 preceding Marin Marais by a whole year. His harmonic style and views on technique for the viol brought on the wrath of Sainte-Colombe and his students.
Le Sieur de Sainte-Colombe known worldwide thanks to the popular film « Tous les Matins du Monde » is a central figure in the development of the viol. He added a low seventh string « A » lower by a third than the ‘cello’s bottom string, and changed the left hand technique considerably. « Le Tendre » contains many improvisatory passages where the two viols imitate each other and perform echos. The gavotte near the end of the piece titled « La Ferme » was also heard in the movie sound track.
The album was recorded in Paris in April 2019 by Jonathan Dunford, for Astres Records.
Sylvia Abramowicz performs on a 17th century French viol (anon.)
Jonathan Dunford performs on a Salomon viol, Paris 1741.
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