The viola da gamba used by Mieneke van der Velden was made by Antoine Despont in Paris in 1617.
Compositional Technique
Tombeaux, musical homages to deceased musicians, originated as instrumental transcriptions of medieval and Renaissance vocal lamentations and developed for lute, harpsichord, and viola da gamba.
Historical Context
The era of French viol music, lasting barely three-quarters of a century, saw three generations of gambists, from Sainte-Colombe to Marin Marais to Antoine Forqueray, serve the instrument before its disappearance.
Performer Biography
Glen Wilson, the harpsichordist, studied at the Juilliard School and later with Gustav Leonhardt in the Netherlands.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Jean Rousseau, in his 1687 treatise, claimed the viol was the instrument that best imitated the human voice, differing only in its inability to articulate words.
Performer Biography
Mieneke van der Velden, one of northern Europe's leading viola da gamba players, studied with Wieland Kuijken at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague.
Instruments
The harpsichord played by Glen Wilson was made by Henk van Schevikhoven in Helsinki in 1990, modeled after Ruckers/Hemsch instruments.
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