Thinking of Baroque music our minds turn nearly automatically to the German giants Bach, Handel, Telemann and the like, or to sunnier parts in Italy where Vivaldi, Corelli and Albinoni wrote their concertos: but one nearly forgets that also in France great music was composed in the Baroque! One of the most important composers was Francois Couperin (1668-1733), imperial court composer of the most charming, graceful music: look at the French pictures of that time and you can imagine what kind of music.
This release contains the complete chamber music of the French master, with the complete “Les Nations” (a musical depiction of nationalities), Concerts Royaux, Les Gouts réunis, L’Apothéose de Corelli and de Lully and other pieces.
Instrumentation is for traversos, violins, oboes, bassoon, viola da gamba, cello, archlute and harpsichord. Expertly played on original instruments by the ensemble Musica ad Rhenum conducted by specialist Jed Wentz.
As a motto for this set may serve a quotation from one of the pieces by Couperin himself: “One should not attach too much attention to the precise measure of this piece, but one should sacrifice everything to good taste.”
