Robert de Visée, a modest 17th-century French musician, composed only for the lute, theorbo, and guitar, and his theorbo pieces, though never published, are considered the most important for the instrument.
Composer Biography
Théophile de Viau, a 17th-century French poet, was accused of atheism, blasphemy, and debauchery, leading to his imprisonment in the Conciergerie for almost two years.
Composer's Artistic Vision
In the 17th century, the 'verity' in theatre, as described by Denis Diderot, was not about showing things as they are in nature, but rather the conformity of actions, speech, and gestures with an ideal model imagined by the poet.
Instruments
The theorbo, an instrument invented in Italy, became a symbol of a new 'eloquence' in French instrumental music of the second half of the 17th century, with its accents and rhythms resembling spoken word.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in September 1998 at the Château de Maisons, a historic French castle built between 1632 and 1646 by architect François Mansart.
Compositional Technique
Baroque declamation and Robert de Visée's theorbo music share inherent elements like tonal structure, pronunciation, rhythmic signs, and intonation, using the full range of their respective mediums to 'paint the word'.
