Charles-Joseph-Balthazar Sohier

Charles-Joseph-Balthazar Sohier was born in Lille in 1728 and died in the same city in 1759. A French violinist and composer, he spent almost his entire life in northern France, although he performed in Paris, where several of his works were published in the 1750s.

His presence in the capital is documented in March 1750, when he played twice at the Concert Spirituel; the press of the time presented him as leader of the Concert de Lille. That year he obtained a general privilege, dated to the end of 1749, and published in Paris his Six sonatas for solo violin and basso continuo, op. 1. At least two further sets followed: the Symphonies in four parts, op. 2, around 1751, and the Six sonatas for two violins, op. 4, dated to around 1752–1754. There is no evidence of an op. 3. At his death he was organist of the church of Saint-Pierre in Lille. He was known as "l'aîné" to distinguish him from a younger brother, also a violinist, of the Théâtre de Lille.

His sonatas for solo violin follow an asymmetrical three-movement scheme, slow–fast–fast, whereas in the symphonies and in the sonatas for two violins the fast–slow–fast order predominates. His style is rather conservative: the symphonies for strings and continuo display static tonality and abundant archaic imitation, and movements in the minor mode predominate. The technical demands are competent and idiomatic, without great difficulty. Its interest lies in documenting violin practice in northern France in the second half of the eighteenth century.