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M. de Sainte-Colombe - Chaconne Raportée À Deux Violes Esgales
For sublime melancholia, the viol music of the ancien régime is my choice these days.
Musical changes over a ground bass was a simple harmonic formula that generated profound outpourings (like the blues and jazz in our time).
One thing I love about this music is that you can hear the layers. There is the unchanging harmonic ground in the background. There are the notes of the melody lying above, which simultaneously articulate the harmony and comment on it. Then on top is the surface of decoration, which articulates the melody and comments on it. It is this surface that draws our attention with its amazing speech and rhythm - the pauses, the silences, the sudden surges of activity - the trills, turns, and flourishes (les agréments) that breathe life into each phrase.
I also love the dark, rich sounds of the instruments of this period: the sound of two viola da gambas; or two gambas, a harpsichord, and an theorbo.
This YouTube performance is very good - but the sound isn't quite optimal. There is a beautiful CD by Sophie Watillon that includes this piece, and others by M. de Sainte-Columbe and Marin Marais. YouTube has a track or two from this CD.
For sublime melancholia, the viol music of the ancien régime is my choice these days.
Musical changes over a ground bass was a simple harmonic formula that generated profound outpourings (like the blues and jazz in our time).
One thing I love about this music is that you can hear the layers. There is the unchanging harmonic ground in the background. There are the notes of the melody lying above, which simultaneously articulate the harmony and comment on it. Then on top is the surface of decoration, which articulates the melody and comments on it. It is this surface that draws our attention with its amazing speech and rhythm - the pauses, the silences, the sudden surges of activity - the trills, turns, and flourishes (les agréments) that breathe life into each phrase.
I also love the dark, rich sounds of the instruments of this period: the sound of two viola da gambas; or two gambas, a harpsichord, and an theorbo.
This YouTube performance is very good - but the sound isn't quite optimal. There is a beautiful CD by Sophie Watillon that includes this piece, and others by M. de Sainte-Columbe and Marin Marais. YouTube has a track or two from this CD.
