Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Sound recording review)

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. La Veloutee: Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord. Les Buffardins. Accent ACC 24168, 2005.

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. Sonatas for Two Bassoons and Continuo. Musica Franca. MSR Classics MS 1170, 2005.

Boismortier's opus 91, a set of six sonatas for transverse flute and harpsichord, was published with a dedication to the great flutist, Michel Blavet (1700-1768). While these pieces do not call for deep reserves of instrumental prowess, they are technically impressive and nicely showcase one of Boismortier's distinguishing characteristics: a marked tendency to treat all instrumental parts as equals. The sonatas themselves are essentially flute and harpsichord duets, while the preludes placed between them break up what could have been a texturally monotonous program by introducing a slower pace and the more stately tone of a viola da gamba, leaving out the harpsichord entirely. The result is a disc that nicely balances Boismortier's more florid, galant tendencies with equally elegant but darker and more introspective material. As always, Boismortier's melodic gift is a joy to witness, though one gets the feeling that, at this point, he was not exactly plumbing the full depth of his abilities as a composer. The ensemble Les Buffarins is flutist Frank Theuns, harpsichordist Ewald Demeyere, and gamba player ...