Passacalle de la Follie

Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky and theorbist Christina Pluhar reunite for a heady trip to 17th-century France to explore the exquisite emotions and “madness” of love against a courtly background. Whether insouciant (Pierre Guédron’s “Aux plaisirs”) or obsessive (Michel Lambert’s “Ma bergère”), the music is infused with a heady erotic atmosphere, relished and enhanced by singer and instrumentalists. Jaroussky proves a master of emotional control, handling his velvet-smooth voice with incomparable skill. Fans of the ensemble L’Arpeggiata’s high-octane energy will find lots to enjoy, but here they’re almost more beguiling in the slower numbers, such as Louis de Caix d’Hervelois’ “Plainte” with its delicious writing for viola da gamba.