Forget everything you thought you knew about the viola da gamba, or viol: at our spring festival you will quite simply discover this finely strung wonder all over again! Don’t miss a moment of this expedition, which will explore every facet of the aristocratic elder cousin of the cello. Although the instrument may be most familiar as a modest accompanist today, VIOLA DA GAMBAinPRIMETIME presents it in all its forms: from a soloist to a team player, a whisper in the heart to a party tune, traditional to contemporary. Whatever the guise in which you find it, this is the hot-blooded seducer among the strings, the elegant rebel that proves a sound revolution is possible without bells and whistles.
Born in the intimacy of aristocratic chambers and fashionable salons, the viol attracted a rich and enchanting repertoire over the centuries. From mediaeval fortresses to Renaissance courts, it made its way onwards to baroque temples of music. Gradually the violin pushed it into the background, where it lived on as a curiosity until the early 20th century. With the birth of the early music movement, however, the viol embarked upon an impressive comeback. Today’s concert stages would be unimaginable without the instrument and the constant astonishment it sparks as a gorgeous outsider: a slender sounding box, no end pin or chin support, intimately embraced by the virtuosos whose underhand bowing coax it into producing the most wonderful sounds.
Another reason to come and sample the programme is the musical portfolio of this diva, which accepts no limits in time or distance. So we will hear lavish English consort music by Hathor Consort and Fretwork, the astonishing solo fireworks of Lucile Boulanger in German repertoire, and the supreme refinement of François Joubert-Caillet, the French viol specialist. The fact that the viola da gamba is anything but a museum piece in today’s music will be clear from Fretwork’s performance of My Days (2012) by Nico Muhly; Liam Byrne goes even further in a combination of the viol and electronics.
Fascinated by the story of the grande dame of stringed instruments? Hathor Consort’s compelling lecture concert will be just the thing for you. Or maybe the unforgettable film Tous les Matins du Monde, in which Jordi Savall’s soundtrack brings the story of the mysterious Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and the legendary virtuoso Marin Marais to life. Generous, you say? Downright lavish, we hope!
Tickets per concert below.