Nations

The two composers presented on this recording by the acclaimed English ensemble Florilegium both came from families of musicians active at the Court of Versailles. Francois Couperin was organist of the Chapelle du Roi, and Jean-Fery Rebel was a violinist in the Chapelle du Roi and composer for the King. Like many chamber works of the period, Couperin left no precise instructions as to instrumentation for his suite Les Nations. This adds versatility as the treble parts are therefore suitable for flutes, violins or oboes or any combination available. Rebel was an innovator, and one of the first French musicians to compose sonatas in the Italian style. His ballet Les Caracteres de la danse was one of his most popular and widely performed works.