London Baroque - The Trio Sonata in 18th-Century France (2012) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": I. Sonade: Gravement - Vivement et marque - Gravement et marque - Tres lentement - Legerement - Rondement - Vivement
02. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": II. Allemande: Sans lenteur
03. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": III. Courante
04. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": IV. Courante II: Plus marquee
05. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": V. Sarabande: Tendrement
06. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": VI. Bouree: Gayement
07. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": VII. Gigue: D'une legerete moderee
08. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": VIII. Rondeau
09. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": IX. Chaconne
10. Les Nations, 3rd Ordre, "L'Imperiale": X. Menuet
11. Trio Sonata in G minor, Op. 1, No. 6: I. Adagio
12. Trio Sonata in G minor, Op. 1, No. 6: II. Aria gratioso
13. Trio Sonata in G minor, Op. 1, No. 6: III. Sarabanda
14. Trio Sonata in G minor, Op. 1, No. 6: IV. Allegro ma non troppo
15. Sonata for 2 Violins in G minor, Op. 13, No. 3: I. Adagio
16. Sonata for 2 Violins in G minor, Op. 13, No. 3: II. Allegro ma non troppo
17. Sonata for 2 Violins in G minor, Op. 13, No. 3: III. Aria: Gratioso - Altro - Gratioso
18. Sonata for 2 Violins in G minor, Op. 13, No. 3: IV. Allegro
19. Sonata in E minor, Op. 37, No. 2: I. Allegro
20. Sonata in E minor, Op. 37, No. 2: II. Adagio
21. Sonata in E minor, Op. 37, No. 2: III. Allegro
22. Sonata for 2 Violins in D major, Op. 4, No. 2: I. Staccato
23. Sonata for 2 Violins in D major, Op. 4, No. 2: II. Allegro
24. Sonata for 2 Violins in D major, Op. 4, No. 2: III. Andante
25. Sonata for 2 Violins in D major, Op. 4, No. 2: IV. Allegro


This release is part of a series from the veteran historical-instrument group London Baroque, covering the trio sonata (a work for two solo parts, here voilins, and harmonic continuo) in different specific countries at different times. The material is thus a mixed bag in terms of sheer quality, but there's a great deal to be gained from this approach. Here, after an opening example from the locus classicus of the French trio sonata in the 18th century, François Couperin's collection Les Nations of 1726, London Baroque offers four more works from composers ranging from only moderately known (Jean-Marie Leclair, Joseph Boismortier) to completely unknown (Charles Dollé and Jean-Pierre Guignon, who was actually an Italian named Giovanni Pietro Ghignone). The small piece by Boismortier, very much in the vein of his domestic pieces for recorder, is attractive, and the work by Leclair is novel with its substantial slow movement for two violins alone. None of these works will rewrite the history of the trio sonata, but together they add to our knowledge of the French scene and are even of interest to the casual listener wanting an answer to the question "What were all those French people listening to while they were looking at those frilly paintings by Fragonard and Watteau of aristocrats happily frolicking in the outdoors?" Following Couperin's dictum of a merger of French and Italian styles, the French trio sonata became more and more Italian in shape, but it retained its French propensity for glittery decoration. The London Baroque executes all the ornaments crisply and does a beautiful job catching the dashes of harmonic color in the Couperin. BIS' sound is a weak point here; it at least has the virtue of being clear, but the severe environment of Hampshire's St. Martin's church is far removed from the spaces in which this music originally lived.

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