PARDESSUS DE VIOLE Works by Jean Barrière, Louis de Caix D'Hervelois, Jean Bodin de Boismortier, Charles Dollé Mélisande Corriveau | pardessus de viole Eric Milnes | harpsichord ACD2 2729 • Mélisande Corriveau is equally at ease with the Baroque cello, recorders, and the viola da gamba as she is with the pardessus de viole.   In 2014, she obtained a doctorate with honors in performance on the latter instrument from the Université de Montréal, becoming one of the few people in the world specializing in the pardessus de viole. • The pardessus de viole used for this recording belongs to the unique Hart House Collection of the University of Toronto. This rare exemplar from 1710 is from the workshop of Nicolas Bertrand, one of the great French “faiseurs d’instruments” of the period. • Eric Milne’s complete discography contains over 50 CDs as conductor, harpsichordist and organist.   He has also undertaken the project of recording Bach sacred cantatas for the ATMA Classique label. The works selected for Pardessus de viole present a vibrant array of French musical styles, which developed during the eighteenth century until the French Revolution.   The origin and development of the pardessus de viole — known in France as “the woman's violin” — coincided with the increasing prominence of the violin in French instrumental fashion.   The crowning glory of the viola da gamba family, the pardessus facilitated the instruments' rise in popularity in France. Most of the works performed here are unpublished and few have been recorded.   They were selected from the microfilm collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.   At the time of their composition, these pieces catered to a large public, responding to widespread demand for refined entertainment.   They are without exception charming, playful, luminous and exquisitely elegant. JEAN BARRIÈRE 1670-1747 Sonates Pour le Pardessus de viole avec la Basse continüe. Livre Ve [1739]   l :: 4 Sonata IV Sol Majeur [ 14:30 ] LOUIS DE CAIX D'HERVELOIS 1680-1759 Ve livre de pièces pour un pardesus de viole A Cinq et Six cordes avec la Basse, Xe Œuvre [1753]   5 :: 9 Suite en ré mineur [ 13:14 ] JEAN BODIN DE BOISMORTIER 1689-1755 Œuvre soixante-uniéme contenant VI semates Pour le Pardessus de Viole Avec la Basse [1736] 10 :: 13 Deuxième sonate, sol mineur [ 9:55 ] CHARLES DOLLÉ l710-1755 Sonates, Duo & Pièces Pour le pardessus de voie, Livre Second [1737] 14 ::       La Favoritte [2:03] 15 :: 18 Sonata I, la mineur [11:59] 19::       La Précieuse [3:41] 20::       Les Regrets [3:59] ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile +61 (0)3 9444 6879