Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689-1755)
6 Sonatas for 2 Pardessus de viole Op. 63
Dialogue Viols
rec. 2023, St Martin’s Church, Eastwood Hay, Newbury, UK
Reviewed as a download
First Hand Records FHR159 [72]

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier was one of the most prolific and versatile composers in France in the first half of the 18th century. By composing music which was pleasant to the ear and not too difficult to perform he was able to earn a good living and remain independent all his life. In a time when nearly every composer was at the service of a court, a city or a church, he was an exception. He published 101 collections with an opus number. In addition, his oeuvre contains some collections without an opus number as well as motets and operas. Boismortier also wrote two treatises about the transverse flute and the descant viol (both lost). This shows that he was an exponent of the Enlightenment, which aimed at increasing the knowledge of, in particular, the bourgeoisie. Providing them with music which they could play properly was part of that. In that respect one could compare Boismortier with someone like Georg Philipp Telemann.

A look at the work-list in New Grove reveals that about 25 collections of music with an opus number have been lost. Among them was also the Op. 63, until it was rediscovered recently. It concerns a set of duets for two pardessus de viole. Duets for instruments of equal pitch were quite popular in the 18th century. Such pieces were suitable for performance in domestic surroundings, as entertainment, but could also be used for pedagogical purposes. In such cases the teacher may play the first part and the pupil the second.

The scoring is rather unusual, though. Today the pardessus de viole plays hardly a role in music life, also because it is less suitable for performances in a concert hall, due to its relatively soft sound. It needs to be noted that this instrument is not identical with the dessus de viole or discant viol, which during the renaissance played the upper part in music for a consort of viols, and played a solo role in the oeuvre of some composers who had a special liking for the French style, such as Telemann and Johann Melchior Molter. The pardessus de viole was tuned a fourth higher than the discant viol and had a similar range as the violin. It was also treated as a substitute for the violin, in particular for ladies, as Michel Corrette states in his Méthode pour apprendre facilement à jouer du Pardessus de Viole (1748): “Women for example play the pardessus de viole with five strings and will never take up the violin as they are not fond of the position in which it is held: furthermore, their hands are too small to hold it”.

That does not mean that the pardessus de viole was only played by ladies. Both Marin Marais and his son Roland played it, and Charles Dollé, another bass viol virtuoso, taught the pardessus de viole.

Corrette, in the quotation above, refers to an instrument with five strings, which was a later adaptation of a previous instrument with six strings. The latter came into being at the end of the 17th century: the booklet mentions that a pardessus has been found which was built by Michel Collichon in 1686. It may be even older. Simone Eckert, in the liner-notes to her recording of sonatas by Jean-Baptiste Barrière (Christophorus, 2021), quotes a book of 1738, which makes mention of a dessus de viole that was adapted to become a pardessus as early as 1665. 

“The 6-string pardessus is tuned G C E A D G according to treatises by Michel Corette and C.R. Brijon, the third between the fourth and fifth strings. As a natural development, a smaller body soon began to be built to serve this new tuning. At some point before 1730 the 6-string pardessus shed one string and became tuned G D A D G in fifths and fourths.” (booklet) The later form is first mentioned in 1730 in the inventory of the viol-maker Claude Pierray. It was popularly known as quinton; the ‘official’ name was pardessus à cinq cordes. A feature of music written for amateurs is that composers often offered alternative scorings, allowing them to play the music on which instruments they had at their disposal. That was especially the case when an instrument was not that widespread. The liner-notes to the present disc mention that over 250 publications from the 18th century mention the pardessus de viole as one of the options, but very few music was specifically intended for this instrument. 

Among the composers who have left music that was specifically scored for the pardessus de viole was the above-mentioned Barrière, and Charles Dollé and Pierre Hugard wrote music for the instrument, mentioning the violin as an alternative.

Given that so little was specifically written for the pardessus de viole, and probably even less for two such instruments, the importance of the discovery of Boismortier’s Op. 63 cannot be overstated. It is not only important for historical, but also musical reasons. The fact that Boismortier has written so much music has worked against him, as it was considered superficial and hardly worth to be performed. That seems to have changed: in recent years quite a number of recordings of his music have been released. I have heard many of them, and have become more and more impressed by the quality of his oeuvre.

Yes, it is written in the galant idiom, but that does not imply that it is superficial. Take here the Sonata No. 4 in D minor, which Michael Talbot, in his liner-notes, rightly calls melancholic. It opens with a movement called gravement; it is a piece of considerable expressive depth, and for me one of the highlights of this disc. What also impresses me about Boismortier are his skills in exploring the features of a particular instrument, making sure it appears in full glory. That is the case here as well. And then he treats the two instruments in different ways, also with regard to their relationship. There are moments of imitation, sometimes in strict canon or with fugal passages, and also moments where they follow their own route. Many pieces are dances, such as sarabande, gigue and gavotte, and other pieces with a tempo indication may also have the rhythm of a dance. Inevitable, given its popularity in Boismortier’s time, is the use of the form of the rondeau, again in different ways. Sometimes it is very basic, with just one reprise, sometimes more extended, with variations in the last reprise.

On a technical note: according to the booklet the rondeau of the Sonata No. 5 takes 3:55, the ensuing lentement 1:14. The tracks have them the other way round. The former is undoubtedly the longest of the two; apparently the tags are wrong and the order of the two tracks has been swapped.

The programme closes with two additional pieces. The Fantaisie en écho by Marin Marais is especially interesting, as it is performed here in an arrangement by Jean-Pierre de Villeneuve, who transcribed Marais’ pieces for two and three bass viols for pardessus de viole. That means that the original pitch is transposed up an octave. The basso continuo part is ignored here, which is no problem, as this piece is from the first book, which was originally intended for viol(s) without basso continuo; it was only later that Marais added that part. Notable is that the piece is a strict canon, just as Boismortier used, for instance, in the Sonata No. 1 in D.

It may have inspired the ensemble to make its own arrangement of a harpsichord piece by François Couperin, Le Dodo, ou L’Amour au berceau. It is a piece that is very suitable for such a treatment, as it consists of two parts in the same pitch, which have to be played on different manuals, known as pièce croisée. It works wonderfully well in this version for two pardessus de viole.

This recording is the best-possible case for an instrument that many music lovers may not have heard before. In case you are sceptical, investigate this disc and I am sure you will be won over. You may even fall in love with the pardessus de viole. There is something special about this instrument and I wish many to discover it. Boismortier’s music is very good, and Dialogue Viols’ interpretation is simply superb, both technically and in the exploration of the qualities of music and instruments. They also show a fine sense of rhythm, which is very important in these works.

In short, this is a lovely disc which deserves a special recommendation.

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
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Contents
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier
Sonata No. 1 in D
Sonata No. 2 in A minor
Sonata No. 3 in G
Sonata No. 4 in D minor
Sonata No. 5 in A
Sonata No. 6 in F
Marin Marais (1656-1728)
Fantaisie en écho (arr. Jean-Pierre de Villeneuve, 1706-1771)
François Couperin (1668-1733)
15th Ordre in A major/minor: 
Le Dodo, ou L’Amour au berceau (arr. Dialogue Viols)

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