COTW Desmarets and Boismortier

[Constantbee]

w/b Monday 26 October 2020. Delightful programmes well worth a (re)listen, making a refreshing change from the current heavy dose of Beethoven. Desmarets' choral works, early opera and innovative work for double choir in particular, are quite a find. Thought the head up might show up better here.

[Nick Armstrong]

w/b Monday 26 October 2020. Delightful programmes well worth a (re)listen, making a refreshing change from the current heavy dose of Beethoven. Desmarets' choral works, early opera and innovative work for double choir in particular, are quite a find. Thought the head up might show up better here.

Agreed. Loved today’s programme, the Desmarets Mass extract a particular discovery...

[MickyD]

Boismortier has always been a favourite of mine. His "Daphnis et Chloe" is to be found in a lovely recording by Hervé Niquet, and I see that is due for transmission at the end of this week.

[Constantbee]

Boismortier has always been a favourite of mine. His "Daphnis et Chloe" is to be found in a lovely recording by Hervé Niquet, and I see that is due for transmission at the end of this week.

Thanks, MD. When you say 'due for transmission' where will that be, please? Just checked on Youtube to see what Boismortier recordings might be available and Daphnis et Chloe is on there in full, CD1 and CD2 on separate recordings, loaded by the same person.

I've been watching the progress of the Early Opera Company lately. They seem to have produced a lot of Handel recordings on CD and Purcell's Dido, of course. Well, that's great, but maybe one day they'll look at some of these lesser known baroque operas. Are they more popular with French audiences, I wonder?

[Bryn]

Thanks, MD. When you say 'due for transmission' where will that be, please? Just checked on Youtube to see what Boismortier recordings might be available and Daphnis et Chloe is on there in full, CD1 and CD2 on separate recordings, loaded by the same person.

I've been watching the progress of the Early Opera Company lately. They seem to have produced a lot of Handel recordings on CD and Purcell's Dido, of course. Well, that's great, but maybe one day they'll look at some of these lesser known baroque operas. Are they more popular with French audiences, I wonder?

I think the reference was to the extracts in today's CotW.

[kernelbogey]

Caught only today's (Friday) programme: delightful.

[MickyD]

I think the reference was to the extracts in today's CotW.

Yes, it was indeed. In answer to Constantbee, I have to say that I have nothing but admiration for the French in digging out and bringing to life unknown or neglected works from the past. They are often presented at the many early music festivals before being recorded, and they are well attended. Thankfully there are now so many excellent groups over here who are doing sterling work with all this, and thus French culture is safe and sound - for the moment.