French Baroque

One advantage of this exercise is that, with a largish collection, there are inevitably cd's that I haven't played for years and have almost forgotten about. Such a case today with a recording on a double cd by Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyrique of Les Gouts-reunis by Francois Couperin. And a very welcome rediscovery it is. French baroque suites written for Louis XIV for quiet Sunday contemplation in the disappointing final days of his reign. Music that has a very elegant civilised feel, redolent of the age of enlightenment. Of course, the bulk of the populace were living in dreadful conditions with no chance of the balm of such music to soothe them. But maybe sometimes you just have to divorce music from the background social historical context. Hard to imagine this music better played than by Les Talens Lyrique.