Les frères Francœur

Louis Francoeur and his brother François were members of a dynasty of violinists/composers who served the French royal court during the 18th century. Their compositions, presented here together with works by Louis’ son, Louis-Joseph, who was raised by François after his father’s death, and pieces that François wrote in collaboration with his close friend François Rebel, are as ornate as the interiors of Versailles and just as impeccable in style. Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and harpsichordist Justin Taylor, exceptional young musicians with a real feel for the expressive intricacies of this beguiling music, display a deep love for the Francoeur family’s art. They squeeze the emotions from François’ deeply affecting Violin Sonata in G Minor and dance their way through Louis-Joseph’s Chaconne que j’ai faitte pour donner à mon oncle (“the Chaconne that I wrote to give to my uncle”).