The Bagpipe Society

Review: CONTRAS, Cornemuse Landaise

CONTRAS, Cornemuse Landaise - Martin Lassouque If you already like the sweet, rippling sound of the boha, you will probably find this album very interesting. If it’s new to you, this could be an excellent introduction. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the boha is a relatively simple bagpipe from South west France. It has a single reed chanter, or pihet, played with closed fingering, but with a drone (now often known as the contra) that is integral to the chanter. The contra has a single tone hole, which can be covered

by the little finger of the lower hand. At the end of the contra is an extension, the brunidèr, which can be used to change the drone note to the third or fourth below the tonic. Thus a boha in G can play the E or D below on the contra. Left open, the contra sounds the tonic.

The album has its origins in discussion between Martin Lassouque and the celebrated maker and performer, Yan Cozian, about the possibilities for interplay between the chanter and its drone. In particular, Martin Lassouque is interested in the contra’s ability to provide a rhythmic as well as a harmonic accompaniment, particularly given the instrument’s role in playing for dance. The recordings explore different rhythmic possibilities for traditional tunes for a variety of dances, all played with brio and great musicality. All the tunes are traditional, though many were collected only in the second half of the last century.

Martin Lassouque is clearly an exceptional bohaire. He plays in a fluent, well-articulated style, which is exciting without being showy, and brings out the plaintive as well as the exuberant side of the boha. His sense of the boha as an instrument to accompany dance is ever present, as is perhaps most evident in the recording of the branles on track nine, accompanied by Jordan Tisnèr on flabuta and tambourin de cordas. But it’s also evident in the more delicate, but contrasting bg wedding songs and rondeaux which begin and end the album.

Really, though, it’s invidious to single out particular favourites - the whole album is a delight. It’s superbly recorded and comes with an informative, well produced booklet. Available from https://www.aepem.com/