Joseph Bodin de Boismortier
(1689-1755)

01-09 Suite pour la viole (op. 31)
Menuet
Le Brut
La Moderne
Gavotte
Paysanne
Prélude
Sarabande
Gigue
Menuet

10-13 Sonate VI à quatre parties (op. 34)
Adagio
Allegro
Largo
Allegro

14-17 Sonate III pour le basson (op. 26)
Allegro
Corrente
Adagio
Minuetto

18-21 Sonate II pour violoncelle (op. 50)
Largo
Allegro
Largo
Giga

22-25 Sonate III à deux parties (op. 14)
Allemande gravement
Allemande gayment
Lentement
Gigue

26-33 Suite de pièces (op. 40)
Rondeau gracieusement
Rigaudon I & II
Rondeau
Gigue
Paysane
Rondeau
Gavotte
Menuets I & II

Surrounded by a select group of members of Le Concert Spirituel, in the guise of a petit comité, Hervé Niquet now explores a seldom-visited repertoire: the suites for bass instruments by the Lorrainer (albeit settled in Perpignan and Paris) Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. Musicians like Jéremie Papasergio, Alain Gervreau or Yuka Saïto join the French conductor in a sparkling recording full of nuances such as can only be conveyed after many years of joint musicianship. Niquet himself conducts the ensemble from the harpsichord and the organ.

This is a rare disc, a little gem for initiates delivered by the new champion of French baroque interpretation after their recent and dazzling success with Purcell’s King Arthur and Haendel’s Water Music and Fireworks suites, in the midst of a world tour commemorating Charpentier’s anniversary, and before launching into ambitious new projects, to be presented in the course of 2005.