If you’ve enjoyed Jordi Savall’s previous two programs of music by Sainte Colombe the elder (Astrée 7729 and 8743), this new Alia Vox offering of Six Suites for solo bass viol by the composer’s son Sainte Colombe le Fils’ (ca. 1660-1720?) also will delight. While there are stylistic similarities with his father’s work, Sainte Colombe le Fils’ suites are more straightforward and less programmatically allusive. For example, instead of the suggestive titles his father often used, the movements here are differentiated by the usual dance markings. However, like his father Sainte Colombe le Fils favors quieter, less-animated treatments of the dances, and save for the rather low-key gigues the meditative regularity rarely changes.
The final movement of the Sixth suite, Tombeau pour Mons. de Sainte Colombe le père, composed in memory of the composer’s recently deceased father, promises to be the most inspired moment of the set since it also features speaker Jean-Pierre Marielle (who performed the role of Sainte Colombe in the movie Tous les matins du monde). A few composers during this period imaginatively and effectively integrated the role of speaker into their works (notably, François Couperin in D’Apothéose de Lully and Marais in his notorious Le Tableau de l’Operation de la Taille), though all Marielle does here is quietly announce the complete title at the beginning and in three inner movements–Passage du Styx, dernier Adieu, and desespoir.
Alia Vox’s sound is up-front and close, capturing all the resonance and percussive detail of Savall’s seven-string period instrument. The sumptuous presentation typical of Alia Vox is superb, as are the informative and engaging notes by Savall and Catherine Cessac. This is recommended to those tireless, sensitive few listeners (this reviewer included) charmed by chamber music of this period regardless of its simplicity and austerity.
