Before the Guillotine

Boüin, Marais, Villeneuve, Dandrieu, Hotteterre, Forqueray, Corelli and Corrette played on original Quintons and violas da gamba, with cello and theorbo.

The genesis of this programme started with a single thought of music being played in France during the 18th century and then its sudden demise with the French Revolution in 1789. It’s not widely known that the Quinton, a viol with a violin-shaped body, was played in the 18th century, up until the French Revolution, and that it eventually metamorphosed into a violin.

It’s because of Corelli’s influence on music that a new viol was made, so viol players could join the new fashion, playing violin repertoire on a smaller and higher version of the treble viol, known as the par-dessus de viole. Michel Collichon made the first pardessus in 1686 – 6 years before Marais’s publication of Pieces en trio. Quintons were made all over France with makers in Paris producing the most elaborate ones. They were also built and played in England, Germany and even Sweden. The popularity enjoyed by the instrument was such that Guersan’s violins and even Cremonese ones were transformed into Quintons.

The sound of the Quinton is documented by Michel Corrette: 'The quinton has a delightful sound because it possesses the fluted high register of the pardessus de viole and the sonorous bass register of the violin – it sounds much better than an ordinary pardessus, the table being less loaded with strings.'

Included in this programme is a bass viola da gamba trio by Forqueray, to which, in this concert, we have added a theorbo continuo to some of the movements.

Performers:
Peter Wendland, Jacqui Robertson-Wade, Ibrahim Aziz and Lynda Sayce bass viols, quintons, cello, theorbo

Dialogue Viols' recording of this programme, generously supported by Angel Early Music and Continuo Foundation, is out later this year.