Passacaglia - Boismortier: Suites and Sonatas - The Daily Telegraph

Claims that this or that lesser-known Baroque composer is seriously underrated often need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but on the evidence of this disc, which should delight the heart of all recorder enthusiasts, that is certainly not the case with Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. He was clearly at home in both the French and Italian styles, and his music has a freshness and an apparently inexhaustible inventiveness that make this nicely varied programme particularly appealing.

Most of the pieces recorded here are in the French manner. A suite for solo recorder, and a playful rustic Gentillesse for two, are delightfully accompanied by Baroque guitar. There is also a substantial sonata for transverse flute and obbligato harpsichord, in which both partners enjoy a considerable degree of independence; and a suite for keyboard consists of four vividly characterised descriptive movements, of which La Frenetique is particularly effective.

The performances display clarity, crispness and enthusiasm that perfectly match the spirit of the music, enhanced by the imaginative choice of continuo instruments

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