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The present concert features solo music for the lute from 17th century France. By the turn of the 17th century, the lute had already been the favorite instrument of Europe for 200 years, favored for its portability, its nimble voice, its intimate character, and its capacity for the playing of multiple parts simultaneously. It was played by men and women of all classes of society. Refined French circles of lutenists began to experiment with the instrument, retuning it and expanding its range to make it more resonant and robust. The sheer number of strings on the lute at this time (18-20 on average) allowed for a omnipresent wash of sympathetic vibration. These experiments led to the development of a new musical idiom featuring heavily arpeggiated chords and syncopated melodic lines that would last through the end of the century and would become known as the French Golden Age of the Lute. When French lute music is happy, it is melancholy; when it is sad, it is quietly devastating.
This concert features the music of two eminent masters of the French lute, Jacques Gallot (1625 – 1695, Paris) and Charles Mouton (1617 – before 1699, Paris).
The performer encourages you to sit close to them, as the lute is an exceedingly quiet instrument.