The music on this charming CD comes from the time of Louis XIV (1643-1715), often referred to as the Sun King. It is music of dalliance, yet contains great subtlety; and it is music meant to entertain the upper classes while making no particular social statement. Of particular interest is the suite by Jean-Féry Rebel, which is a synthesis of popular dances of the time. This concise nine-and-one-half-minute work presents a time capsule revue of more than a dozen dance forms, including corrente, menuet, sarabande, and gigue, all played without interruption by recorder, violin, bass viol, and theorbo. By contrast, a more melancholy side of the era emerges in Etienne Le Moine’s Chaconne, a theorbo solo played with exceptional sensitivity by William Carter. The performances throughout are stylish and sensitive and the recorded sound close up and clear. Those listeners looking for a representative collection of music from this era will find that this CD fills the bill handsomely.
