Arion, Daniel Cuiller - Rebel: Les Plaisirs (2007)

Jean-Féry Rebel, a bit older than Rameau, is one of a collection of little-understood French composers of the early eighteenth century who churned out suites of orchestral dances for entertainment and stage productions at various levels of French aristocratic society. The suites here are of different lengths, determined by the extramusical program or purpose to which they were attached; Caprice, for example, which was a mini-ballet intended for a specific dancer, has only two movements. The most interesting work here is the concluding Les Élémens (1737), with its lengthy and ambitious opening depiction of Chaos. But Rebel's music is satisfying throughout; if it doesn't have the genius of Rameau or Handel -- Rebel's dances are simple and melodic -- it nevertheless has some of the latter's instinct for making a group of short pieces hang together. The performances by Montreal's Arion ensemble are superb, with a vigorous use of the harpsichord; it becomes a full partner in the texture, with a range of continuo sounds from an almost buzzing effect to a lighter, more graceful touch in the more refined dances. The group inserts only very short pauses between movements, an unorthodox practice for which it would have been nice to see a justification in the booklet; presumably dancers needed a moment to catch their breath. The effect is pleasing, however; the music has a bright, kinetic quality throughout. This is a new triumph for Montreal's impressive Baroque music scene, which is regularly delivering unknown repertory in convincing performances.