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At this time the Paris aristocracy was discovering the delights of Italian music with François Couperin leading a movement to combine both styles of music in order he said ‘to create the perfection of music’. The Duke’s Regency was noted for it its pleasure-loving fêtes galantes and the development of this blending of French and Italian styles. Although his influence was great, the sole work by the Duke on this disc is miniscule.
Other works are more substantial with a light-hearted cantata on the delights of coffee by Nicolas Bernier, a leading exponent of the French cantata, who benefited from the benevolence of Philippe II. Pierre Gillier is represented by selections from a book of airs, symphonies and fragments of opera dedicated to Philippe II. The other composer is Italian-born Michele Mascitti who became a French citizen in the early 1700s. He has a violin sonata and a trio sonata from a collection of six solo and six trio sonatas which was also dedicated to the Duke.
This is an excellent recording of delightful music beautifully sung and played with an informative booklet giving much background information on the period and its music. – Elaine Siversen
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