Marin Marais: Folies d'Espagne, La Rêveuse & Other Works

Take two of today’s most musically inquisitive artists, unite them with a great figure of the early French Baroque, and watch the sparks fly. Both musicians convey all the fantasy of Marin Marais’ writing—on a modern Yamaha, keyboard phrases are spun off with panache and the viol lines transfer to cello with winning ease and a whole new range of color. Marais’ popular Couplets de Folies is a wonderful example of this approach: Jean-Guihen Queyras’ almost improvisatory way with the melody is supplemented by Alexandre Tharaud’s witty and inventive keyboard work. The programming is masterly too, creating a compelling musical journey from start to finish.