Style and Performance for Bowed String Instruments in French Baroque Music

Reviews / Votes

'Careful consideration of the intersection of written and unwritten music is of the utmost importance to all musicians, but particularly to those whose chosen repertory was born in years long before audio recordings were possible. French music composed between 1680 and 1760 presents stylistic and aesthetic challenges into which viol players in particular have been given insights by player-composers of the time. Mary Cyr generously shares not only her knowledge as a performer, but also her expertise as a musicologist researching seventeenth- and eighteenth-century music in a rigorous scholarly examination of the bowed strings and their techniques and repertory. This book is essential reading, not only for bowed string instrument players, but for anyone who wishes to perform the glorious music of the French Baroque.' Wendy Gillespie, Professor of Music, Indiana University, USA 'This is a beautifully-written account of string instruments, technique, style and repertoire in France during the Baroque era. Mary Cyr knows her sources intimately and discusses them with a fine musical intelligence. This volume is a welcome addition to the literature on historical performance practice.' Peter Walls, Emeritus Professor of Music, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand 'Mary Cyr's work is a welcome and much needed addition to the gambist's library... The value of this work is unquestionable, especially for musicians who may be taking their first steps with a baroque string instrument or historical performance practice. More experienced early music performers and musicologists may find this work an eye opener to repertoires or techniques with which they are less familiar.' Viola da Gamba Society Journal 'Cyr's handbook on French style neatly fills a gap in the literature, bringing together a wealth of primary source material in a way that performers will find easy to use... Her organized, lucid approach will pique interest in the topic and inspire the curious reade