A German viol master makes for an absorbing listen
The Strad Issue: September 2026
Description: A German viol master makes for an absorbing listen
Musicians: L’Achéron/François Joubert-Caillet (viola da gamba)
Works: Nicolai: Sonatas and Suites for viola da gamba
Catalogue number: RICERCAR RIC483
Recordings by viol consorts are no novelty these days, but L’Achéron here presents something a little different, with German music for two or three bass viols and organ.
Johann Michael Nicolai’s works give us an inside view of small-scale music making in 17th-century Germany, where he worked at the court at Stuttgart until his death in 1685. L’Achéron, founded in 2009 by François Joubert-Caillet, brings to life the intricate and expressive music of the little-known German composer as well as some even more engaging anonymous works.
The bass viol, or viola da gamba, was a popular instrument in Germany even into the 18th century. In these ensemble works Italian and French forms jostle with each other – the majority of pieces are called sonata or Suite – but the style is overwhelmingly Italianate, with a regular pulse and a concertante style of writing modelled on violin music of the period. The second viol often joins the more soloistic first viol in thirds, with the third viol doubling the continuo.
The three bass violists bring a lively dance feel to the imitative writing and negotiate the many tempo changes in the sonata sections with panache. The expressive push and pull of horsehair on gut is very immediate, the sound a pleasing rich dark brown.
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