The music on this CD was composed for the private enjoyment of the French court.

During the early 18th century the institution of public concerts had not yet been born and most musicians worked in close symbiosis and interaction with their noble or ecclesiastical patrons. The problematic aspects of this symbiosis have been emphasized often enough. The patrons may have been unreliable employers and stingy with their funds. Their understanding of music may have been limited and they may have been aesthetic philistines. In such circumstances a musician probably had to fight an up-hill battle against the exigencies of his situation. There is, however, another side to the coin. Not all royal patrons were musical ignoramuses. The musician may have enjoyed a respected position at court. Certainly this was the case with Lully, who virtually became the musical dictator of France during his tenure as the musical director at Louis’ court. We also know that the economic circumstances of Couperin were very comfortable and that he became quite a wealthy man in the service of his king.