Master of the Viol

Paris in the second half of the 17th century. The acknowledged master of the viol was Monsieur de Sainte Colombe. But such are the vagaries and chance of history that information about this character is extremely sketchy. Which hasn't stopped this cd having extensive and erudite booklet notes which I won't regurgitate here. Suffice it to say that Sainte Colombe was a skilful teacher and founded a school of viol playing that led on to Marin Marais. But he lived in a time and place when hardly any music was written down in manuscript, so much of the music on this album Pieces de Viole is partially improvised from sketches by the very proficient team of Paolo Pandolfo on viola da gamba and Thomas Boysen on theorbo and baroque guitar. These sketches were probably made by pupils of Sainte Colombe. The music is grouped into four suites, some for instance predominantly in the minor, others in the major. Dance forms of the time are liberally represented such as the gigue, sarabande, courente and chaconne.