Couperin, F: Sonate en Quatuor 'La Sultane'

"The playing is vital, clean, and so full of evident enjoyment as to be irresistible. This is an absolute winner of a record" Lionel Salter, Gramophone, May 1979 (Leclair)

"The pleasure of the music is enhanced by the playing, which is not only efficient but imaginative. [...] There is no doubt that the Cologne Musica Antiqua are determined to project the music's emotional power. They are clearly virtuoso players, with concern for balance, for lively rhythms and sweet tone. We must hope to hear more from them. The recording is excellent." Denis Arnold, Gramophone, March 1979 (Parnasse)

"French consort music - as opposed to solo keyboard and vocal works - has been all but eclipsed by that of the Germans and Italians. From the evidence of this disc, the reasons for its neglect cannot be laid at the feet of these able composers. [...] Reinhard Goebel's ensemble obviously has an affinity for these works" Classics, January 1993

"This programme is superbly well put together by a brilliant ensemble of young artists. [...] They achieve a crystalline clarity of texture in all this music that is really quite astonishing, and the music itself is of quite exceptional interest" Records and Recording, March 1979

After the success of its CD devoted to the Sonatas of Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Florence Malgoire’s ensemble Les Dominos now explores the first French sonatas.

All of these works date from the 1680s, the time when the French had just discovered the Italian sonata style and had begun to use it, albeit in some secrecy.

This recording contains the complete sonatas of François Couperin, four of which are the original versions of sonatas that Couperin would later make use of in Les Nations.

This is the first recording to present the sonatas in their entirety, in particular because the sonata La Convalescente is here recorded for the very first time; this sonata was discovered only recently in a manuscript copy in Germany.

An invitation to experience music played in the court of Versailles – for Louis XIV and his successors. An imaginary story gives it its framework: A young provincial beauty comes to the court, is presented to the King and becomes his favourite, falls into disgrace through the intrigues of her rivals, but finally retrieves her honour.

In general this CD follows the hypothetical idea that music is the mirror of daily life – and even of the Baroque concept of always looking for a hidden sense beneath the surface of a work of art.

Benjamin Alard, a young and talented organist, has gathered several musician friends around him to make the organ of Saint Ouen church in Pont Audemer sing for its tenth birthday.