I I SAINTE-COLOMBE The Greatest Masterworks Les plus grands chefs-d'oeuvre

Spectre dq la Rose Sainte-Colombe (died c.1700) Marin Marais (1656 - 1728) "Those who have heard excellent violists and good concerts of know that there is nothing more delightful, after good voices, than the moving strokes of the bow that accompany all the ornaments that are done on the fingerboard, but because it is no less difficult to describe their elegance than it is to describe that of a perfect orator, it is necessary to hear them in order to understand them."

In 1636 when the French theorist Marin Mersenne wrote this paragraph in his "Livre Quatriemedes Instruments"theviolwasa relative newcomerto musical life in France. Yet Mersenne'scommentsgive aclearinsight intowhy, fifty years later, it was to be the most hiahlv revered of all instruments. French taste. the elusive 'bon goijt'sooften referredto by writersatthetime, respondedimmediatelyto its unique blendof elegance, delicacy and, above all, an expressivenessakin to the human voice. In England during theseearlydecadesof theseventeenthcenturvtheviolwas alreadyenjoyingenormous popularityamongstthe nobility and wouid continue to doso until the reign of Charles II when theviolin family found favourwith the king. TheinstrumentinitiallvfoundfavourinEnqland becauseof itsohvsicalresemblance tothat most belovedof courtinstrumenG,the , thetuningif itssixstrings and the presence of frets on the fingerboard making it easy for lutenists to play yet having the greater expressive potentialthat a bow provides. Similarly, in France, the first virtuosi of the , Andre Maugars and Nicholas Hotman, were both lutenists and Mersenne again describes them in Harmonicum Libri (1635) as; '!..men who are very accomplished in this art." Maugars, interestingly, studiedin Englandforatime,whilstof Hotman another important theorist, Jean Rousseau, says; 8.550750 2 "The tenderness of his playing came from the beautiful bowstrokes which he animated and sweetened so fittingly and with so much skill that he charmed all those who heard him, and it is this which began to give perfection to the viol, and to make it preferred over all other instruments." (Traite de la Viole. Paris 1687) Thissubtle art of bowing, the mastery of which held the key to truly expressive playing, was the most precious skill which Hotman passed on to his pupil, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe (died c.1700), that most elusive of French viol players. Contemporary writers give us some tempting glimpses into his life: "He ....g ave concerts at his home where two of his daughters played, one on the treble viol and the other on the bass, thus forming a consort of three viols with their father, which was much enjoyed...." (Titon du Tillet 'Le Parnasse Fran~ais'.Paris 1732) Yet such descriptions are little more than fleeting images which can only paint a sketchy picture of a man forwhom wedo not even have achristian name. What we do know, however, is significant in charting the continued development of the viol in France. Sainte-Colombe added a seventh strina to the traditionallv six- stringed instrumentto extend its range afourth loweranzthen introducedainetal winding forthe gut bassstrings,to make a brighterandmore resonantsound. He also took standards of performance to new levels of excellence, his ability as a laver beina the subiect of manv written tributes aid atthe time bv theorists and musicians alike. ~isie~ac~to modernviolists, however, are his'~oncertsadeux violes esgales', avolume of oversixty piecesfortwo bassviols,twoof which can be heard on this disc. These are written in a style which is clearly inherited from a lute tradition, most obviously in the extensive use of chordal passages. However Sainte-Colombe's gift forcreating ma~ellouslyemotive melodies in combination with often sumptuous and sometimes unexpected harmonies sets them apart from the work of his predecessors and makes them a delight to listen to. Quite apart from the time spent in perfecting his technique on the viol and committing his compositions to paper, Sainte-Colombe was also a teacher dedicated to sharing his ideas with a group of talented students as one of them describes in this account; "His worth and his knowledge have made him sufficiently known, and if he has developed some pupils who surpass the ordinary, they are indebted for it to his unusual kindness and to the particular care he has taken in teaching them; and they must acknowledge frankly that they owe to him that fine hand position, those beautiful cadences, and finally that manner of drawing forth harmony, sometimes tender, sometimes brilliant, which agreeably surprises the ear." (Danoville 'L'Art deToucher le Dessus et Basse de Viole'. Paris, 1687) One of Sainte-Colombe's pupils not only 'surpassed the ordinary' but was to become one of the greatest performer-composers of the time. Indeed, at a time when LouisXIV was the 'Sun King'of France, Marin Marais (1656-1 728) was the undisputed ruler of a by then flourishing kingdom of French viol players. "The empire of the viol was founded and powerfully established by 'le P&re Marais'. ..." (Hubert le Blanc 'Defense de la Basse de Viole'. Amsterdam, 1740)

His enormous achievement in reaching such exalted status was due not only to his talent and the quality of Sainte-Colombe's teaching but also to the age in which hewas living.~itondu~illet tells usthat aftersix moithsof tuition thegreat .. teacher ~rofessedthat he had nothina left to show Marais and that. indeed. his pupil wa's able 'to surpass him'. This gves a clear insight into the level of ~arais' innate genius on the viol, a genius which Louis XIV was quick to recopnise and keen tonurture. ~husthe young prodigy, at theage of twenty-three accepted the position of 'Ordinaire de la Chambre du Roi', a oost which reauired him to serve at court for six months in each year, leaving therest of his time free to compose, teach and to give private concerts in the homes of the French nobility. The royal appointment not only gave Marais instant credibility, for the king's fine artistic judgementwas seen by all asthearbiter of taste, but allowed him to workwith the finest composers and performers of his day. Indeed, he was, it seems, a soloist in the opera orchestraandwas thereforecloselyassociated with the great Jean- Baptiste Lullv who pave him composition lessons and allowed him on occasion to beat time.~naccolade indeedi Amongst Marais' pupils, as well as talented young professionals such as his son. Roland. theye were manv membersof the nobilitvforwhomlearnina theviol wai deemed one of the moHt desirable of accomp~shments.It was f;;r these 'amateur' players that he wrote his five volumes of 'PiBces de Violes', published between 1686and 1725.These publicationsare made up of several largesuites, some of them containing up to thirty stylised dance movements, preludes, and characterpieces. These would never have been performedin theirentirety; each suite contains pieces of varying difficulty and the performer would simply have chosenthe movements best suited to his or her abilities. Manvof Marais'students must have reachedavery high standard, for in the introductibnto his fourth book of 1717 he mentions thatsome of them have been complainingthat his music is too easv! Forthem he wrote the 'Suite d'un GoDt Etranaer'. not a dance suite so much aia collection of thirty-three individual pieces w6ch are, as the composer promised, highly demanding. Each is very different; from the sombre, reflective 'La R6veuse'to the joyful, quirky charm of 'L'Arabesque', yet all are united in the genius of their conception. Oneof Marais'finestpiecesis his6Tombeaupour MonsieurdeSainte-Colombe' written in 170.1 after the death of his teacher. his speaks more than words ever could of the depth of his loveforsainte-Colombefor he draws from theviol even/ ounceof itsexpressive potentialtoconvey thenatureof hisgrief. ln this6~ombea;' 5 8.550750 we have a fitting tribute to both men; to the devotion and kindness of the teacher and to the brilliance of his pupil in carrying the viol "... to its highest degree of perfection..." (Titon du Tillet 'Le Parnasse Franpais') 0 1993 Susanna Pell Spectre de la Rose Marie Knight, Baroque Violin Alison Crum, Viola da Gamba Elizabeth Liddle, Viola da Gamba Susanna Pell, Viola da Gamba David Miller, and Baroque Guitar Timothy Roberts,

Formed in 1991 by a number-of Britain's finest exponents of Early Music, the Spectre de la Rose varies between three and seve" members depending upon the re~ertoireperformed.The individual members aDDearassoloists in concerts throughout the country, including in 1993 one of the most prestigeousevents in Britain, the Sheffield Chamber Music Festival. The disc of Marais and Sainte- Colombe for Naxos is their first recording. L'Apogee de la Viole

.. Jusqu'au debut du 17eme siecle laviole n'etait utilisee, en France, qu'au sein d'ensembles appeles "consorts".C'est alorsuue I'instrument pritson essoren tant que soliste. ~e mouvement qui allait conduke aux oeuvres majeures incluses dans ce CD. fut initie ~ardeux violistes virtuoses: Mauaars et Hotman. Aooarut ensuite ~nedeuxieme'~6n6rationde musiciens incarneeiar Demachy,Deb;;sson et I'ancien eleve de Hotman: Sainte-Colombe. Ce dernier ajouta une septieme corde ason instrument et en accrut ainsi les possibilites expressives en etendant la tessituredans le grave. Saint-Colombene composa pas moins de 67 Concertsa deux violes esgales. Longtemps conservees dans la bibliotheque @Alfred Cortot, ces oeuvres ne furent publiees qu'en 1973. Sainte-Colombe attribua a chaque concert un titre descriptif, suivi de sa justification (ex:Le Cor:'parce que le chant imite le corde chasse en plusieurs endroits'y. Ce fut neanmoins une troisieme generation d'artistes qui porta la viole a son aooaee. Parmi euxfiuurait Marin Marais (1656-1728). I'eleve le plusdoue qu'ait jam& rencontre ~ainte-~olombe.~ce p;opos, ~itondu~illet,lincommentateur de la vie musicale de I'epoque, note 'Sainte-Colombe fut m&me le maftre de Marais; mais s'etant apergu au bout de six mois que son eleve pouvoit le surpasser, il lui dit qu'il n'avoit plus rien a lui montrer. Marais qui aimoit passionnementla viole, v~ulutcependant~rofiterencoreduscavoirdeson m aft re ~ourse~erfectionnerdans cetlnstrument: et comme ilavoitauelaue acces dans 'sa maison, ilprenoit le temps en kt6 que ~ainte-~olombe&toit dans soh jardin enferme dans unpetit cabinet de plan'ches, qu'ilavoitpratique sur les branches d'un Miirier. afin d'viouer DIUStranauillement ~~D/USdelicieusement de la viole. ~araisse~lissoitsbusce cabinet; ilientendoitshn m aft re etprofitoitde quelques passages et de quelques coups d'archets pafliculiers que les Maitres de I'Art aimesa se cons-erver;mais cela ne dura pas longtemps, Sainte-Colombes'en etantaperguets'etantmissursesgardespourn'&treplusentenduparsonEleve: cependant il lui rendoit toujoursjustice surle progres etonnant qu'ilavoit fait sur la viole: et etant un iour dans une compaanie oil Marais iouoit de la Viole, avant et6 int&roge par des personnes de disti&tion surce quipensoit de sa maiiere de jouer, il leur repondit qu'il y avoit des Eleves qui pouvoient surpasser leur Maitre, mais que le jeune Marais n'en trouveroitjamais qui le surpass5t. Pour rendre la Viole plus sonore Marais est le premier qui ait imagine de faire filer en laiton les trois dernieres cordes des Basses." Marin Marais composa cinq Livres de viole - respectivement dates de 1686, 1701.171 1.1717et 1725 - oir toutes les oossibilit6sex~ressives de I'instrument sontexploitees.Tout au long deces ~ivres,l'instrumen~ation nevariejamais: une viole soliste accompagnee d'une secondeviole, d'un clavecin et d'untheorbe. Le com~ositeurutilisaeaalement lavioledansses Piecesen trio. ~ourlesviolon, flcite ethautboisavecla bisse(l6921,oir lavioleet le basson reakent lecontinub. En 1723,apres avoir rempoltedegrandssucc~sdansledomainelyrique (ex:~lcyone), Marais donna encore un recueil d'un aenre different com~renantla Sonnerie de Sainte Genevieve du Mont de ~arisyuneSonate B la n;a&sienne et, enfin, la Gamme, en forme de petit opera, toutes trojs pour violon, viole et clavecin. Si la Sonate fait figure de clin d'oeil amuse en direction des inconditi~nnelsdu "gofit italien", la Gammeest la transoosition instrumentaled'une scenetted'odra~lus. . lu~l~ste'~uenature. Lorsque Marin Marais mourut en 1728, son rivel et aA\dh toujgurs Fran~ois Couperin"le Grand" (1668-1 733) composadeux Suitesdepi~cespourlaviolequi figurent, avec les ouvrages de Marais, au sommet du repehoire de I'instrument. La viole entama alors un declin auquel I'immensetalent des Forqueray ou de Caix d'He~eloisne put slopposer. A ia fin du 18eme siecle, a ~ondres,seu~ un Carl Friedrich Abel, ami intime de Jean-Chretien Bach, s'obstinaitencorea iouer de la viole. Le present enregistrernent propose deux des Concerts du Sieur de Sainte- Colornbe: Le Retouc "farce qu'il faut retourner au signe de rdpetition avant de com- mencerce quiest en gigue. 11 y a un menuet et un balet tendre". En re rnajeur ce concert suit un deroulernent habitue1 chez Sainte-Colornbe, fait de sequences abstraites: semi-improvisations, coups d'archet, reponses virtuoses entre les deux violes, et de danses: gigues, menuet, courante, balet tendre et, enfin, une "pianelle" d'hurneur legere. Tombeau "Les Regrets": "On finit sans y adiouster les chants (sic) Elizdes comme contrairesaureste'! En re rnineur. tonalite arave aui sied a une Dartition plus recueilliequetouteautre, ce concertse pr6sent&ornm'e une oraison'funhbre cornprenant un Tombeau dit "Les Regrets': un Quarrillonfunebre et glacial, un Apelde Charon, des Pleurstres douloureuxet, enfin, une Joyedes Elizees, suivie des Elizeesproprernent dites, en sol rnajeur. Dans la Sonnerie de Sainte Genevieve du Mont de Paris, Marin Marais echo au Quarrillondu Tombeau 'Yes Regretsl'de Sainte-Colornbe. L'oeuvre, comprise dans le recueil de 1723, est destinee a une viole et un clavecin. Sur une basse obstinee irnitant les cloches de la celebre eglise parisienne, le violon et la viole brodent d'inlassables variations. Le Tombeau de Monsieurde Sainte-Colombeprovient du 2eme Livre (1 701) de Marais. I1 s'agitd'unedeploration instrurnentale ~oiananteauiex~loitesouvent des chrornatismes, des sanglots et des respirationsi la rna;liere'd'un larnento vocal. Cette pagesornpteuseest a rattacher1agrandetraditiondes"tombeaux" tres prises des luthistes et des clavecinistes franpais. A I'instarde FranFois Couperin et deses piecesdeclavecinatitre, Marin Marais baptise souvent ses compositions de norns evocateurs. Ses pieces "charactdrizees"n'ont plus de lien avec la danse et s'apparentent a des etudes pour la viole. La Rkveuse et le Badinage, extraits du 4eme Livre (1717), Bu caractere Blegiaque, appartiennent au groupe des pieces "aisdes, chantantes et peu chargees d'accordsndont la seduction melodique immediate renvoie au genie couperinien. Lasecondepartie du 4eme Livreest, en revanche, destinee aceux qui sont "avancezsurlaviole". Elle est constituee par la Suitte d'ungolitetranger. On y trouve, entre autres, le Labyrinthe. A son sujet, laissons une nouvelle fois la parole a Titon du Til1et:"apre.s avoir passe par divers tons, touche diverses dissonances, et avoirmarquepar des tons graves, et ensuitepardes tons vifs et animes I'incertitude d'un homme embarasse dans un labvrinthe: il en sort enfin heureusement, et finit par une Chaconne d'un ton gracie;x et nature/." Autre element de cette Suitte, le rondo /'Arabesque fait la part belle aux ornements et aux variations d'intensite des differents registres de la viole. Enfin, au sujet des Preludes, genre prise du 17eme siecle fran~ais,on notera aue Marais, a I'imaaede Fran~oisCouperin,lescon~oitcomme des chants nobles et gracieux empr&ts de melancolie. Ils apparaissent donc tres eloignes des "oreludes non mesures"au lanaaae audacieuxdes clavecinistes Louis Couoerin itdlAnglebert ou de ceux des~utlhistesGauthier et Mouton. O Frederic Castello

#a0750 MARIN MARAIS sAINTECOLOMB& I-iBq The Greatest ~orks SpctmdelaRow 68'23"

-IS: Suite in G Major m- l(l Abwwhet hbk 1Gigue '~a~etite*

Rccordd at SeIdon Hall. H8berda9hws' Ask's School, EW.Hdfofdahirr. England on 6th and 7th January, 1993. Ploductc John Bryan hgincct: John Tayh Muuic N~oas:Susanna Pell [ Cover: Louis XIV by Ripud I