Composer: Gottfried Finger, Thomas Morgan, James Paisible, Henry Purcell
Performer: La Petite Écurie
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Arcana
Catalogue: A527
Release: 2022
Size: 596 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Paisible: Suite in C major
01. I. Ouverture
02. II. Aire
03. III. Ornepaipe
04. IV. Entrée
05. V. Gigue
06. VI. Paspiet
07. VII. Trompette
Morgan: Ouverture in G Minor
08. I. Ouverture
09. II. Gavotte
10. III. Hornpipe
11. IV. [Aire]
12. V. Scotch Tune
13. VI. Rondeau
14. VII. Allemande
15. VIII. Gigue
16. IX. Rondeau
17. X. [Aria]
18. XI. Hornpipe
19. XII. Chaconne
Purcell: Suite Angloise, from The Fairy Queen
20. I. [Preludio]
21. II. [Song Tune]
22. III. Hornepaipe
23. IV. [Ouverture]
24. V. [Aire]
25. VI. Rondeau
Purcell: Suite Angloise, from Bonduca
26. I. Aire
27. II. [Hornpipe]
28. III. [Aire]
Purcell: Suite Angloise, from King Arthur
29. I. Trompette, Trompette II, Trompette III
30. II. Aire
31. III. Gigue
Paisible: Prelude IV in G Minor
32. I. Prelude
33. II. Aire
34. III. Hornipipe
35. IV. Minuet
36. V. Pasacaille
37. Paisible: The Queen’s Farewell
Finger: Ouverture in F Major
38. I. [Ouverture]
39. II. [Menuet]
40. III. [Rigaudon]
41. IV. [Aire]
42. V. [Trompette]
43. VI. [Courante, Passepied]
44. VII. [Intrada]
45. VIII. [Bourrée]
46. IX. [Passacaille]
On its debut album, La Petite Écurie presents a fascinating collection of English music by the most respected composers from around 1700: Thomas Morgan, Godfrey Finger, James Paisible and Henry Purcell. Paisible, who came originally from France, was Queen Anne’s favourite composer; he composed and directed numerous works for “the Queen’s Oboe Band”. However, it is not only suites by Paisible himself that feature in this manuscript source; his handwriting can be recognised in both his own music and several other pieces, suggesting that he may have copied, organised performances of and perhaps arranged works by his colleagues for concerts at court.
A rich variety of styles, rhythms and expressive forms may be heard here in overtures, dances, operatic arias and melodies, most of which are quite unknown. Since the oboe music of the eighteenth century is still rarely played and researched today, La Petite Écurie has set itself the task of rediscovering the beauty of a repertory that was very much in vogue at the time, performing it at the most prestigious European early music festivals and planning further recording projects.