L'Achéron / François Joubert-Caillet

François Joubert-Caillet, bass viol
Pieter Theuns, theorbo

The viola da gamba is one of those instruments whose sound is so close to the human voice that it has come to symbolise human expression. It was in France that composers such as Sainte-Colombe, Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray left their mark on the collective memory, creating music that highlights inner feelings and self-awareness, revealing a profound insight into intimacy. This openness of mind and soul finds a magnificent tool in the viola: with its unique sounds, full of resonance, subtle tones and poignant lyricism, it urges Man to see himself as he is, to feel, to question himself and to seek authentic freedom and happiness.

While the intimacy of this repertoire calls for introspection, its virtuosity and brilliance invite intelligent reasoning and an agile, critical mind: like painted vanitas and moralistic writings, music for the viola accompanied the dawn of the Enlightenment in the 17th century, with pieces by composers such as La Bruyère, Pascal, Rousseau, Diderot and many others...