Ralph Rousseau: viola da gamba | Lenny Kuhr: voiceAfter 2008, when his first CD was issued on the Challenge label, ... [read more]

Ralph Rousseau: viola da gamba | Lenny Kuhr: voice

After 2008, when his first CD was issued on the Challenge label, the career of viola da gamba player Ralph Rousseau took off. On that CD, ‘Chansons d’Amour’ he plays – with the Matangi String Quartet and bassist Hein Van der Geyn – French chansons ranging from Marin Marais to Jacques Brel.  Chansons d’Amour has become a bestseller in The Netherlands and also in countries abroad Rousseau becomes more and more visible.
Ralphs and Lenny's cooperation began with the presentation of the cd Chansons d'amour, where Lenny was handed out the first cd officially and where she sang with Ralph and the stringquartet Cent Mille Chansons of Frida Boccara. Lenny Kuhr had won the Eurovision Songcontest in 1969 and is a celebrity in the Netherlands. Ralph and Lenny have a musical chemistry and this is very clear on this cd.

The most part of this cd is full of wonderful arrangements for solo viola da gamba, played by Ralph Rousseau. First Ralph made a number of English traditionals that were scarcely known in the Netherlands, songs like On Christmas Night all Christians sing and The Lord at first did Adam make. There was also an old Dutch song that almost nobody knew: Laat nu alle droefheid vluchten [Let Now All Sadness Flee]. When Ralph organized his own Christmas concert a couple of years ago, with those traditionals alternating with Baroque pieces, which has since become his trademark, it was a success. People started to ask for the material on cd. Some more solo-arrangements where made by Ralph and the cd was a fact.

Ralph: “The alternation of instrumental and vocal music adds something extra to the CD. Still, the music isn’t too prominent. I think we’ve struck a wonderful balance.”
Lenny Kuhr: “We also have musical similarities. I very much want to ‘sing’ with the viola da gamba. It’s no accident that people in the 17th century said that the gamba, of all instruments, comes closest to the human voice. In addition, I love the song genre and want to convey emotion.” Lenny adds:  “I’ve always loved the viola da gamba, even before I knew Ralph. The instrument immediately evokes centuries inside you, I think. And it clicked right away with Ralph and me; we are both delighted by each other’s talent.”Their pleasure at making music together is audible on this Christmas CD.

The Christmas melodies on this cd have such purity, a directness that’s lacking in some classical music, an unspoiled quality. Everyone had to be able to sing the Christmas songs, so the melodies are simple, never getting too involved. It is this very quality that gives them that terse beauty that takes hold of you.

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Ralph Rousseau: viola da gambaThis “Tour de Gamba” provides a representative survey of the evolution of music for the bass ... [read more]

Ralph Rousseau: viola da gamba

This “Tour de Gamba” provides a representative survey of the evolution of music for the bass viol from its’ beginnings until its’ extinction at the times when the Viennese classic style emerged. With Great Britain, France and Germany all represented, it touches the main geographical centers of viola da gamba-playing.
The program is framed and punctuated by works by two main figures of viol-playing: Captain Tobias Hume (c. 1569-1645), whose First Part of Ayres (London 1605) is the very first volume of music written expressly and exclusively for the bass viol ever published in print; and Marin Marais (1656-1728), gamba-player at the court of Louis XIV., who earned the title of a «Chopin of the bass viol» by the breadth and audaciousness of his voluminous œuvre for this instrument.
Inserted in this framework are pieces by the enigmatic Johannes Schenck (1660-after 1717), pupil of Marais’ and active in Amsterdam and Düsseldorf, by the equally enigmatic pupil of Marais’ Louis de Caix d’Hervelois (c.1680-c.1760) who might have belonged to the famous and extended family of gamba-players of the same name as well as works by Karl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787), the so called «last gambist».

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‘Tou can hear that Ralph a experienced, musical player is in the autentic work for gamba, what’s although the best ... [read more]

‘Tou can hear that Ralph a experienced, musical player is in the autentic work for gamba, what’s although the best part of the cd.

''The album 'Chansons d'amour' is more then just a flirt. This is true
inner love''

''De viola da gamba is de koningin onder de instrumenten''

''All pieces have verve and sound beautiful absolutely beautiful''

Winner of the Edison Classical Audience Award 2009!

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Ralph Rousseau Meulenbroeks, Pieter-Jan Belder "Eindelijk iemand die Bach speelt zonder dat calvinistische toontje, zonder dat puristische gedweep van de ... [read more]

Ralph Rousseau Meulenbroeks, Pieter-Jan Belder

"Eindelijk iemand die Bach speelt zonder dat calvinistische toontje, zonder dat puristische gedweep van de oudemuziekbeweging. Hier wordt "gewoon" meeslepend muziek gemaakt, met fikse tempi in de snelle delen en spontaan en soepel samenspel."
Oswin Schneeweiss in HP/DeTijd 26 oktober 2007****

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Ralph Rousseau Meulenbroeks, Pieter-Jan Belder, Remy Baudet "...bij Meulenbroeks is alles anders, maar als je hem hoort spelen weet je ... [read more]

Ralph Rousseau Meulenbroeks, Pieter-Jan Belder, Remy Baudet

"...bij Meulenbroeks is alles anders, maar als je hem hoort spelen weet je dat alle verzet zinloos is." (Het Parool)

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"Fascinerend...sprookjeachtig..." (NRC Handelsblad*****) ... [read more]

"Fascinerend...sprookjeachtig..." (NRC Handelsblad*****)

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"Meulenbroeks...kan alles." (NRC Handelsblad*****) ... [read more]

"Meulenbroeks...kan alles." (NRC Handelsblad*****)

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To order/Bestellen: jose@voixhumaines.com ... [read more]

To order/Bestellen: jose@voixhumaines.com

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To order/Bestellen: jose@voixhumaines.com ... [read more]

To order/Bestellen: jose@voixhumaines.com

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