Michel Corette.
He was rather well known at the beginning of the 18th century, produced a great volume of works, including music, theoretical and pedagogical essais.
In his « méthode pour apprendre à jouër le violon dans le goût François et dans le goût Italien », (method to learn how to play the violin according to French taste and Italian taste) besides copious advice of the greatest value today, on the way to manage the bow, to finger, to play such or such a dance, or piece, he also included quite a few pieces to be played in order to apply what had been learned, and those pieces are, musically speaking, well above the expected level of just teaching pieces.
For instance, this « Suitte dans le goût François » (suite in the French taste) comprising, apart from the Overture, 2 menuets (to be played one after the other, and repeating the first one), a sarabande and a Chaconne.
Note that for that suite (and also the next one), as well as most of the French music of that time in general, the typical way was to play unevenly the beat divisions (about ternary, like in today's jazz). That was such a habit at the time, that, when a composer wanted even divisions of the beats, he had to mark: "even quavers".
Montéclair. In the same spirit, but with, for the last movement, a more marked Italian influence. Otherwise, the rest of the movements is still very much French. One mustn't forget that this time is the one of a great battle between the two tastes (French and Italian), the first turned toward the expression of chosen sentiments, or poetry, toward ballet and danse, and the second toward brillance, technical achievement (even easy effects) and opera.
In France there was also this battle to keep in use the whole viol family (bowed instruments but with frets, more intimite in sound), against the invasion of the more brillant violin family. And, between the two extreme defenders of each side, were some more democratic, trying to bring to life what they called the United Tastes (attention, dont mix the order of those letters, it is not United States, even if then it was still a free contry)
The Italians reproached the French their operas where the action was subordonate to the music : everything stopping and freezing to sing a moving air, and the French reproached the Italians the tinsel of some of their music, all turned toward effect, if possible easy, and also the fact that it seemed some time to be less important than technical prowess for the voice or the instruments.
This suite, longer than the preceding one, comprises the overture, two menuets (with repeat of the first as usual), two airs, two other menuets, a loure (Dance rather close to the Sarabande), and a final allegro rather influenced by Italy, with its short quavers and brillant semi-quavers.
One can also note that it was written for two flutes or two violins (and there is even provision for two viols), a very courrent procedure in those days.
Baroque violins :
Jean-Claude Féret
Marie-Luce Gillet
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18th century : one century of violin music 1
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Suitte dans le goût François
Suitte à 2 flûtes ou 2 violons sans baƒƒes
