This album features two masterworks from the Musée de la musique's collection, recently restored to playing condition: a 1679 bass viol by John Pitts and a 1654 archlute by Christoph Koch.
Instruments
The 1654 archlute by Christoph Koch features violetwood with ivory marquetry in the Venetian Baroque style, including engraved ivory medallions on the fingerboard.
Recording & Production
Nearly half of the pieces on this recording have never been recorded before, revealing magnificent music unheard for almost four centuries.
Historical Context
England in the 17th century was a turbulent period, described as 'a warlike, various and tragical age,' with civil war, assassinations, and exiled kings.
Instruments
The 1679 bass viol by John Pitts is the only known surviving instrument by this 17th-century London luthier.
Composer Biography
Anthony Poole, an English violist and Catholic, fled religious persecution to Saint-Omer, France, where he contributed to the manuscript featured on this album.
Composition History
Many pieces on this album come from a mysterious manuscript found at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, with most composers remaining anonymous.
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