Scarlatti, A: Sinfonia di concerto grosso No. 8 in G major

Francis Colpron has been recognised as one of the most talented recorder players in Canada and around the world. His musical qualities and his capacity to innovate both in the artistic and interpretive spheres have been acclaimed by the public and critics alike. This CD includes a wide variety of sinfonias and concertos for recorder, oboe and violin by some of the best known baroque composers.

This new offering consists of sonatas and concertos for recorder, violins and continuo composed by Alessandro Scarlatti in 1725, the year of his death. Scarlatti’s recorder works are at once intellectual and sensual, and are presumed to have been composed for recorder virtuoso Joachim Quantz on the occasion of his visit to Naples.

Founded by Francis Colpron in 1991, period ensemble Les Boréades de Montréal has made more than a dozen recordings for the ATMA label. The ensemble’s most recent ATMA recording — music by Henry Purcell with soprano Karina Gauvin — was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award.