June 2025
Fig.1
High treble viol (quinton), Hilaire Darche, 1913, inv. 3509
Fig.2
Viola d’amore, Hilaire Darche, 1913, inv. 3510
Fig.3
Viola da gamba, Hilaire Darche, 1913, inv. 3511
Fig.4
Violone, Hilaire Darche, 1913, inv. 3512
In 1922 the MIM received a generous donation of stringed instruments and bows from the collection of the violinist Ernest Tschaggeny. Among these instruments was a quartet built by the Belgian luthier Hilaire Darche. This quartet consists of a quinton, viola d’amore, viola da gamba, and violone. “This quartet was built by Mr. Hilaire Darche, luthier of the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles at the request of Mr Ernest Tschaggeny who by his profound knowledge and erudition in lutherie created the plans, the precise drawings as well as the necessary calculations for this delicate work for these instruments some of which have disappeared today.”
The four instruments (MIM-3509 to MIM-3512, fig.1 to 4) do not constitute what we consider to be a consort of instruments today. During the late 19th and early 20th century, ensembles performing on old instruments, such as the Société des instruments anciens founded in 1895, mixed instruments such as viola d’amore, viola da gamba, hurdy-gurdy, and harpsichord to perform arrangements of renaissance and baroque music. This tradition was especially present in France and was continued by professors of the Brussels Conservatoire. Several recordings exist of these ensembles such as the Société des instruments anciens from 1930 or the American Society of Ancient Instruments from 1934 (see hereunder).
The instruments which form the Tschaggeny quartet were intended to be used by the Brussels Conservatoire for concerts and were the only items which could be removed from the museum as a condition of the donation.
The two instruments presented in the museum are the quinton (MIM-3509, fig.1) and the viola da gamba (MIM-3511, fig.3). The viola da gamba has the curious addition of sympathetic strings which were perhaps inspired by the instruments in the MIM from the collection of Auguste Tolbecque. All four instruments of the quartet have pegboxes crowned by a head. The violone has a male head, the viola da gamba a female head, the viola d’amore a young girl, and the quinton an infant. Perhaps these are a Tschaggeny family portrait! Along side these instrument is a letter written by Ernest Tschaggeny’s brother the painter Frédéric Tschaggeny informing the MIM of the donation.
Text: Richard Sutcliffe