Défense de la basse de viole – sunday, 25 October

Concert on Sunday, October 25 – 7:00 PM

Défense de la basse de viole contre les entreprises du violon et les prétentions du violoncelle* by Hubert Le Blanc is a remarkable, polemical, and at the same time very valuable treatise from 1740. It was written at a time when the viola da gamba was gradually falling out of fashion and being supplanted by the violin and cello.

In this book, Le Blanc attempts to “defend” the gamba — not only as an instrument, but as a symbol of an entire musical culture.

Le Blanc views the gamba as the instrument of refinement, aristocratic elegance, and French taste. He associates the
rise of the violin and cello rather with virtuosity, spectacle, and the Italian style. The book is therefore simultaneously:

• a defense of the viola da gamba,
• a critique of changing musical tastes,
• and a testimony to the transition from the old aristocratic music culture to the public concert culture of the 18th century.

We conclude our concert in a particularly surprising way, entirely focused on the four participating musicians.