{"product_id":"alpha1266-simpson-the-seasons-the-monthes-other-divisions-of-time-ii","title":"Simpson: The Seasons, The Monthes \u0026 Other Divisions of Time - II","description":"\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimpson: The Seasons, The Monthes \u0026amp; Other Divisions of Time - II\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e completes a project begun almost twenty years ago: violist \u003cstrong\u003eLucile Boulanger\u003c\/strong\u003e and her ensemble \u003cstrong\u003eLes Lucioles\u003c\/strong\u003e pick up where Sophie Watillon's landmark first volume left off, recording the second half of Christopher Simpson's The Monthes (July through December) and the two remaining Seasons (Summer and Autumn).\r\n\r\nSimpson, the great English virtuoso and theorist of \"division\" playing — melodic ornamentation and improvisation over a given line — pushed the viola da gamba to a level of virtuosity his contemporaries considered almost superhuman, and these late, technically formidable cycles represent that art at its peak.\r\n\r\nLes Lucioles perform on a consort of viols built or modeled after 17th-century instruments, deliberately favoring a treble viol over a violin to preserve the blend Simpson himself recommended, and pairing it with an English chamber organ designed specifically for viol accompaniment.\r\n\r\nThe album restores the historical ornamentation — slurs, rises, back-falls, double relishes — described in Simpson's own treatise, aiming for a spontaneous, historically grounded reading rather than a polished modern gloss.\r\n\r\nRecorded at Stichting Westvest in the Netherlands under longtime collaborator Aline Blondiau, it's both a heartfelt tribute to Watillon and a virtuosic close to a two-decade musical journey.\r\n\r\n\u003chr\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong\u003eLes Lucioles\u003c\/strong\u003e\r\nLucile Boulanger - treble \u0026amp; bass viol\r\nMyriam Rignol - bass viol\r\nManon Papasergio - bass viol\r\nGabriel Rignol - lute\r\nElisabeth Geiger - keyboards","brand":"Alpha Classics","offers":[{"title":"DSD 256 \/ 2ch Stereo","offer_id":57300033339716,"sku":"ALPHA1266-16","price":29.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAV 192 kHz \/ 2ch Stereo","offer_id":57300033372484,"sku":"ALPHA1266-3","price":23.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"DSD 128 \/ 2ch Stereo","offer_id":57300033405252,"sku":"ALPHA1266-15","price":25.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"FLAC 96 kHz \/ 2ch Stereo","offer_id":57300033438020,"sku":"ALPHA1266-7","price":19.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"DSD 64 \/ 2ch Stereo","offer_id":57300033470788,"sku":"ALPHA1266-14","price":23.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"DXD 24 Bit \/ 2ch Stereo","offer_id":57348324950340,"sku":"ALPHA1266-22","price":25.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/7900\/2436\/files\/ALPHA1266.jpg?v=1789834308","url":"https:\/\/www.nativedsd.com\/products\/alpha1266-simpson-the-seasons-the-monthes-other-divisions-of-time-ii","provider":"NativeDSD Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}