Le Plaintif: Doleful Music of the French Grand Siècle

An intriguing concept album by Cordevento, featuring a selection of intense, sorrowful French instrumental music from the late 17th to early 18th centuries.

The aesthetic of sorrow and grief is so powerful that not even instrumental music can resist its charm. Not only 'specialized' musical forms (such as the plainte and the tombeau), but more common ones (preludes, allemandes, sarabandes and passacailles among others) are capable of expressing a sad and lamenting mood, through a combination of expressive stylistic elements such as slow tempos, minor modes, a widespread use of dissonances and atypical harmonic progressions, a considerable extent of chromaticism, and ample melodic gestures.

Presented here are works by Marais, Hotteterre, Philidor, Montéclair, D'Anglebert and Dornel, played by Cordevento, consisting of Erik Bosgraaf (recorder), Robert Smith (treble viola da gamba), Izhar Elias (Baroque guitar), Israel Golani (theorbo) and Alessandro Pianu (harpsichord).

The previous recordings of Cordevento have met with enthusiastic critical acclaim, and include works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach and the concept album
La Monarcha.