Here France's Naïve label follows many others in recycling some of its more specialized recordings into a musical portrait of a certain historical situation, in this case the musical life of the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV of France. The recycling operation has rarely been done so well. The booklet essay by Benoît Dratwicki, which appears in French and English, could serve as a reading for students or tour guides who desire a brief introduction to the way Louis thought about music, which entailed a mixture of political ...
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Here France's Naïve label follows many others in recycling some of its more specialized recordings into a musical portrait of a certain historical situation, in this case the musical life of the court of the Sun King, Louis XIV of France. The recycling operation has rarely been done so well. The booklet essay by Benoît Dratwicki, which appears in French and English, could serve as a reading for students or tour guides who desire a brief introduction to the way Louis thought about music, which entailed a mixture of political display and genuine enthusiasm. Casual listeners may know that Louis was a patron of music, but most will be intrigued to learn that he was a fine dancer, or that his father was a composer who may have written the music for his own funeral. Dratwicki takes the reader through a typical day at court, indicating the portions that would have called for music, which included most of the day. He does not discuss the specific pieces on the disc but provides a framework that lets listeners...
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