Recordings: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 1966 (Campra), 1967 (Lully)

A glorious collection of orchestral pieces from operas and ballet music by Lully. At the same time easy and luscious on the ear, these instrumental movements or ‘symphonies’ from his ballets and operas were made into suites for performance away from the theatre, a fashion which eventually led to the overture-suites of Bach, Handel and Telemann, as well as so many of their lesser contemporaries. The coupling on this disc is yet another French orchestral suite by André Campra – a Provençal of Italian descent who became director of the Opéra in Paris.

First release on CD.

‘Performances are excellent … In the Campra the character of the various pieces is precisely caught and conveyed, … an extremely enjoyable record, with impeccable playing from the ECO’ Gramophone