On Solitude

A personal reflection on solitude and music, performed by Thomas Baeté, viola da gamba and voice. 

All through the ages, artists have had an intense and sometimes troublesome rapport with solitude and loneliness. As much as they have been attracted by the inspiration and concentration that solitude can provide, they have equally fled the exclusion and loneliness that comes with their art. Musicians especially have always led their lives between countless solitary hours of practice, many lonely miles on the road, and, on the other hand, the need for the company of fellow-musicians and audiences to share their art with.  

For the 12^th Century troubadour, the absence and unattainability of the beloved is the very motor of his art. Baroque composer Henry Purcell was so inspired by the poet Katherine Philips’ eulogy O Solitude, that he composed one of his most hauntingly beautiful melodies to her words, and Monsieur de Sainte Colombe built a cabin in a mulberry tree so that he could practise far from the noise and crowds of 17^th Century Paris. For singer-songwriter Barbara, like for Aristotle, solitude is like a curse or an illness to escape from. 

I hope that, as I embrace the viol, each listener can embrace his solitude and that we can thus ironically feel connected.