Ibrahim Aziz
The Lady and The Sultan
The story of the viol and the cello
Ibrahim Aziz (viola da gamba, baroque cello); Dan Tidhar (harpsichord)
With the ever-increasing size of concert spaces and the love for Italian music in France, the bass viol gradually lost its support from the public, who once saw it as the noblest of instruments. In his allegorical treatise, the Abbé Le Blanc referred to the viol as "The Lady", while the boisterous and arrogant violin was "The Sultan", who was keen to exert his power and dominance over other instruments and across the concert halls. The violoncello, a close ally of the violin, was in close competition with the viol.
Who was to win the duel, or was a compromise between the two sides the solution to the crisis?
Sun, 16 November 2025
Blackheath Quaker Meeting House
4:00pm
£15 (£8 students)
Full Event Details
In 1740, Hubert Le Blanc published his "Defense of the bass viol against the enterprises of the violin and the pretensions of the violoncello", a treatise defending the dying viola da gamba as it gradually fell from favor with its once admiring audiences.
With the ever-increasing size of concert spaces and the love for Italian music in France, the bass viol gradually lost its support from the public, who once saw it as the noblest of instruments. In his allegorical treatise, the Abbé Le Blanc referred to the viol as "The Lady", while the boisterous and arrogant violin was "The Sultan", who was keen to exert his power and dominance over other instruments and across the concert halls. The violoncello, a close ally of the violin, was in close competition with the viol.
Who was to win the duel, or was a compromise between the two sides the solution to the crisis?
Venue Details & Map
Location
Blackheath Quaker Meeting House
Lawn Terrace, London SE3 9LL