ABSTRACT
Throughout the seventeenth century in France, the violin occupied a central role as an instrument for court entertainment. The most famous ensemble of string instruments associated with the French court, the 24 Violons du Roi, was created during the reign of Louis XIII. There were other French ensembles of strings in addition to the 24 Violons du Roi that constituted what we would call an 'orchestra' today. The parties de remplissage in French ensembles fulfilled a largely harmonic function rather than a melodic one, but they also added richness and depth to the sonority of the string ensemble. Ensembles of viols of various sizes existed alongside ensembles of violin-family instruments, and in many cases instruments of both families were combined within a single ensemble. In dramatic productions at court, some musicians were also employed to play instruments on stage, which sometimes gave them roles as participators in the dramatic action.
