Bach Inspiration

Juliette Hurel flute, Maïlys de Villoutreys soprano, Ensemble Les Surprises, Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas
67:31
Alpha Classics Alpha 358
BWV1013, 1038, 1067 + extracts from BWV82A, 211, 244 & 249

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] reviewed a CD of keyboard music played on interesting period instruments by Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas in May 2017, and admired his elegant playing, but this CD will be somewhat of a disappointment to readers of the EMR, and I doubt if many will wish to buy it.

While the playing is gracious, this assemblage of flute music and soprano arias that contain obbligato flute parts is not what I was expecting. As the photograph of Juliette Hurel at the front of the booklet reveals, she plays a modern ebony flute, and the two oboists brought in for “Aus Liebe” from the Matthew Passion  play on cors anglais rather than oboi da caccia because this performance is at 440, and was recorded in the Abbaye aux Dames – perhaps in the outskirts of the festival last year? – in Saintes.

The performances are fine, although the singer is not one that I would choose for the three arias (from the Matthew Passion, the Easter Oratorio  and the Coffee Cantata) with her full voice and post-baroque style. The choice of music has the feel of a programme put together by a group of friends for a particular concert, and I am not quite sure why Alpha chose to publish it. Read what it says on the tin carefully before you think of buying it.

David Stancliffe